Posted on 01/28/2026 11:31:37 AM PST by BenLurkin
Grocery delivery app Instacart abruptly began charging Big Apple residents a new “regulatory response fee” this week after sweeping changes to the city’s delivery worker laws were enacted Monday, The Post has learned.
“NYC regulatory response fees appear in the order summary,” the FAQ section of Instacart’s website now reads — a marked change from archived versions of the site just one month prior. An explanation of the fee reads that it “helps cover increased operating costs in NYC due to government regulations on delivery platforms.”
A Post analysis of orders prior to Monday found no such fee tacked on. Yet by Tuesday, a $5.99 fee was applied to orders ranging from $35 to $184.
Instacart confirmed the fee took effect Monday and blamed “the City Council’s misguided and burdensome grocery delivery laws,” in a statement to The Post.
The city’s new worker protections, which took effect under a new law Monday, include expanded minimum pay to drivers working for grocery delivery apps like Instacart.
Excluding tips, the minimum hourly rate is $21.44 an hour with annual increases.
New York City law now also requires food delivery apps such as Uber Eats and DoorDash to provide customers a tipping option before checkout — and sets the default option to at least 10% of an order’s cost.
City officials said the change was needed to protect workers’ income after tips plummeted when a new minimum-wage law went into effect in late 2023.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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Huh.
Ha haaaaaas! Enjoy the warm embrace/suck of Collectivism, New Yorkers!
Know how to avoid the tipping fee? Go to the store and shop for yourself. Even without this fee, the cost of Instacart was going to increase. Like most other services like this, they draw consumers in with a “free” or low cost service and once they hook them, the price starts going up and up and up.
Feeling the watch yet, New York?
Mandami has been in office since early Jan, what exactly has he done to make New Yorkers lives better..have they gotten their free housing yet, free food, free buses and subways, so far havent heard much about his “Promises”
I don’t use ANY delivery service. And I’m fine with that.
🤣
Get ready for the elbow brace, coming soon!
Isn’t Free Candy wonderful
He’s oblivious as to how stupid he sounded making that statement.
Our costs go up, your costs go up. It’s only logical. By the way which one of you is Marco.
Here’s an idea: Get rid of the regulations, you idiot.
I bake my own bread. Cure my own meats, (fish, pork, beef),pickle and can my own vegetables, grind my own spices, make my own wine and ale, my own Kimchi, tomato sauce, pickled eggs, and buy bulk for my beans, rice, coffee, flours, and vinegars.
Reservations for two?
Hey New Yorkers, FAFO. You voted for this, hope you enjoy it.
Gooder and harder, NY!
Required tipping is simply wages, the government is requiring you to pay that company’s employee.
ain’t communism great!
in fact, i understand mamdani’s new slogan is: “Make Communism Great Again!” [MCGHA - pronounced similarly to the sound one makes when one vomits or chokes on food]
not to worry: all of these charges and mamdanitory fees hurt only the poor, elderly and disabled ... rich yuppies won’t even notice the difference ...
“so far havent heard much about his “Promises””
as in: Promises Made, Promises Discarded?
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