Shipt is a well-known grocery delivery service available in thousands of cities throughout the U.S. Many people find being a Shipt Shopper a great way to earn some extra cash. On this platform, delivering groceries can earn you upwards of $25 an hour, especially in areas with high demand. However, there’s an issue some shoppers face — having their Shipt Shopper account turned off or “deactivated.”

So, what does “deactivation” mean for a Shipt Shopper?

If Shipt deactivates your account, it’s a bit like being let go from a job. You won’t be able to see or accept new grocery orders on the app. What makes it tricky is that Shipt might not always notify you via email when this happens. It can be a sudden surprise. This issue isn’t unique to Shipt; other delivery platforms like Instacart and DoorDash have similar deactivation situations.

If your account gets deactivated, you lose a source of income and can’t use the app.  However, just because your account is deactivated, it doesn’t mean it’s set in stone just yet.

Why Do Shipt Shoppers Get Deactivated?

NOTE:  I have a Shipt account, but I’m still active.  I researched heavily online as well as asked shoppers on private Facebook groups to figure out why people were deactivated.

Knowing why deactivation happens is the first step to avoiding it or fixing it if it happens to you.

If you were deactivated, these apps often don’t tell you why, but doing some research, I will present you with a list as to why you may have been deactivated in the first place.

Low Ratings

One key reason shoppers get deactivated is because of low shopper ratings.

After a delivery, Shipt customers can rate their experience with you. These ratings form your overall score as a shopper. From what many Shipt Shoppers and the company itself say, if your average score from your most recent 50 ratings falls below 4.7, or if you’re not on time for more than 10% of your deliveries, your account risks deactivation. A 4.7 might seem like a high standard, but it’s essential to be aware of it. The silver lining is that you have those 50 deliveries to improve your average rating, so always aim to provide the best service.

If your rating is lower than this, then this may be the reason why you can’t log in anymore.

Delivering Wrong Orders

If you’re found to be delivering wrong, missing or damaged items on an order, this can raise red flags.

Whenever you’re delivering, always make sure you’re delivering the right orders to ensure your accuracy rate stays high.

Violations

One quick way to lose your Shipt Shopper account is by breaking their Shopper rules. There are some actions that Shipt absolutely doesn’t tolerate, such as:

• Acting rudely towards customers
• Threatening customers
• Making unwanted physical moves on customers
• Driving after drinking
• Verbally mistreating customers

It might seem like straightforward stuff, but being considered “rude” can be a bit tricky since different people might have different views on what’s rude.

Here’s something to remember:  Shipt can see all the messages you exchange with their customers. So, even if a customer gives you a hard time, it’s crucial to keep your cool and stay courteous. Being snarky or mean? That’s a quick way to get kicked off the platform.

Cancelling Too Many Orders

It’s okay if you need to cancel a Shipt order once in a while, especially if you give a heads-up in advance. However, if you often find yourself canceling at the last minute or just canceling many orders, you might lose your position as a Shipt Shopper.

Other delivery services, like DoorDash and Instacart, operate in a similar way, and it’s understandable. Imagine being in the shoes of a customer.  If you’re expecting groceries and the delivery gets canceled last minute, you’d be left empty-handed.  It also increases the wait time, which is a bad image for the company.

So, always try to complete every order you commit to and only back out if there’s a genuine emergency.

Being Late

If you’re working as a Shipt Shopper, it’s crucial to always be punctual. If more than 10% of your deliveries are late, there’s a risk your account could be deactivated. This means you need to be both speedy and accurate with your deliveries. This also includes being prompt when finding alternative items in case something a customer wants isn’t available. If they’re slow to respond or don’t answer at all, you still need to make quick decisions to stay on schedule.

Shipt will often send you a refresher course on punctuality if you’re late and don’t realize it.  However, if you’re consistently late, they will eventually cut ties with you.

When accepting a job, you need to start shopping within 30 minutes into the requested delivery window.

The lesson here is simple: always be efficient in your shopping and make sure to deliver on time.

Shopping With Other People

You might find it surprising, but if you decide to shop with someone else while working for Shipt, it can cost you your Shipt Shopper account. It’s easy to think that shopping with a friend or a partner could make the process quicker, but you should resist this temptation. Even having someone in your car while on the job can be risky.

Shipt doesn’t provide insurance for any companions you bring along, whether they’re just riding with you or helping you shop. If Shipt learns you’ve got company, they might deactivate your account on the spot.

And, if you think you can get away with it, I read multiple reports of grocery stores reporting shoppers who had friends with them.

Inactivity

One common reason is inactivity.

If you haven’t used your account for over 45 days, Shipt will automatically remove you from their list of shoppers.

To jump back in, simply sign up again and agree to the Terms of Service when you’re checking out.

Were You Delivering Alcohol?

Another interesting thing about Shipt is that they let you deliver alcohol along with the usual grocery items. This can be a plus since alcohol orders can bump up your earnings. However, there’s a catch.

Whenever you’re handing over an alcohol order, you must scan and record the recipient’s ID, no matter how old they seem. It’s not about guessing their age; it’s about making sure Shipt stays on the right side of the law and doesn’t inadvertently deliver to underage individuals.

So always remember to follow the rules closely if you’re delivering alcoholic beverages. It’s the best way to ensure your account stays active.

Does Declining Orders Affect Your Shipt Standing?

It’s natural to wonder if saying ‘no’ to an order might have consequences.

While declining an order does come with a penalty, being late with deliveries has a more significant impact. If faced with a choice, it’s better for your ratings to decline an order than to be late delivering it. So, prioritize punctuality.

Understanding the Shipt Deactivation Appeal Process

If you find that your Shipt Shopper account has been deactivated, you might be wondering how to get it back. Sadly, it’s not that straightforward. Most of the time, once your account is deactivated, it’s for good, and reaching out to Shipt’s support team often doesn’t lead to any solutions.

Start by reaching out to Shipt support. After they verify who you are and assess your reactivation status, they’ll usually have your account up and running within a day or two. Another way to reactivate is during checkout by inputting the email linked to your account and referencing the sticker atop your shopper card.

If you’re facing issues with your Shipt account and the official site isn’t any help, try reaching out to Shipt through their official Twitter account. Share your concerns with them, and see if they can connect you to someone beyond the regular support team who might have more insight. Sometimes, there can be mix-ups with accounts, or technical glitches, and it’s always good to double-check.  A lot of people had great luck with social media.

Lastly, always keep an eye on your email after deactivation. Sometimes, Shipt sends out refresher courses. If you’re prompt in completing these courses when they’re offered, you might just get a second shot at being a Shipt Shopper.

If you miss out on these courses or don’t complete them, your chances of getting reactivated are slim. But, on a brighter note, if you’ve applied to work for Shipt and weren’t accepted, don’t be discouraged. You can always try applying again after about 90 days. This is different from having a deactivated account. So, don’t mix up the two situations.  Remember, this option is only open to those who weren’t accepted initially.

How Long Does the Reactivation Process Take?

Generally, after you’ve touched base with Shipt support and given them the necessary details, your account should be reactivated within a couple of business days. However, if there’s any hiccup in the information you provide, it might take a tad longer. The Shipt team will assess everything and, if it all checks out, they’ll reactivate your account.

Final Thoughts

If your account was deactivated, it’s often hard to get it back, unfortunately.  These gig apps often are not transparent about why they did so in the first place.

If you were deactivated, attempt to reach out to them to see if you can get any answers.  If there was a glitch (sometimes there is), you may be lucky to get your account back.

While it may seem like the end of the world, don’t worry too much just yet, as there are multiple alternatives many of which I have found to be better.  You can check them out here.

That’s going to do it for now.

As always, if you want to comment on your experience, feel free to do so in the comments below.