DoorDash to buy Instacart for $65 a share, closing 2027 or 2028

DoorDash, Inc. and Maplebear Inc., which trades as Instacart, announced a definitive agreement on 29 October 2026 under which DoorDash will acquire Instacart for $65.00 per share, an equity value of about $17 billion^2,3. The transaction is expected to close at the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028³. Until it closes, the companies say they will operate as separate and independent companies³. The announcement does not say whether Instacart listings, fees or advertising terms change before closing.

DoorDash agreed on 29 October 2026 to acquire Instacart for $65.00 per share

The announcement values each Instacart share at $65.00, a 26% premium to Instacart's closing price on 22 October 2026, the last trading day before media reports about a possible transaction^2,3. Instacart's board has unanimously approved the agreement³.

Instacart stockholders can elect one of three forms of payment for each share: $65.00 in cash, 0.3372 DoorDash shares, or a mix of $48.75 in cash and 0.0843 DoorDash shares³. DoorDash stock is capped at 25% of the aggregate consideration, and proration applies if stock elections are oversubscribed³. The aggregate consideration will be at least 75% cash^2,3.

DoorDash expects to fund the cash portion with cash on hand and debt financing³. It has a financing commitment letter with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. for a 364-day senior unsecured bridge loan facility, and the transaction is not subject to a financing condition³. DoorDash's chief executive, Tony Xu, said in the announcement that "Grocery is one of the hardest things to get right online"^1,3.

Who is affected and what does not change yet

Digital Commerce 360 reports that Instacart intends to continue operating independently until the deal closes¹. Following closing, DoorDash is expected to keep the Instacart brand, its enterprise technology products and its app^1,3.

Stockholders holding about 19% of Instacart's outstanding shares have agreed to vote in favour of the transaction³. Stockholder approval is still needed before closing³.

Expected timing and the conditions that could delay closing

DoorDash and Instacart expect the deal to close at the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028³. Closing is subject to Instacart stockholder approval, expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, other regulatory approvals including in Canada and Israel, and other customary closing conditions³.

Canada's Competition Bureau said in a statement to Global News that "The Bureau will be reviewing the proposed merger between DoorDash and Instacart"⁴.

Investopedia, citing a Reuters report, said the acquisition could attract attention from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)⁵. That is a reported risk, not a decision. No US review outcome has been announced in the sources we reviewed.

What the companies say would change for grocers after closing

DoorDash says the combined company would offer grocers and retailers DoorDash's delivery network and Instacart's grocery and fulfilment technology, "in both apps and on stores' own websites, along with the advertising and AI tools each company has built"³. The announcement describes these as expected benefits and post-close commitments, not current terms³.

One stated commitment is "Open Platform, No Grocery Exclusivity: Local grocers can work with any delivery platform they choose to help them grow"³. The announcement also says more grocers could deploy Instacart's technology to run their own websites and retail media networks³.

DoorDash says Instacart customers "could shop at more than 50,000 additional stores, on top of the nearly 100,000 stores on the Instacart platform today"³. Grocers could also add capacity for online orders through DoorDash's DashMart Fulfillment Services³.

On advertising, DoorDash's chief financial officer, Ravi Inukonda, said on the third-quarter analysts' call that "CPG (consumer packaged goods) advertisers will now have more consumers to reach, which will not only drive quality, but also higher ad spend"⁵. This is the company's expectation, not a published rate or term.

What the announcement does not disclose

The announcement does not set out a commission rate, an advertising rate or a fulfilment fee for grocers or brands on Instacart³. It does not say whether DoorDash's delivery fees or DashMart pricing would apply to Instacart orders³. The sources we reviewed contain no written terms covering existing Instacart listings or brand advertising before closing^2,3.

What sellers should do now

These steps are our recommendations, not terms from the sources.

• Ask your Instacart account team in writing whether any commission, advertising or fulfilment terms will change before closing, and ask for the effective date of any change.
• Check your current Instacart agreement for notice periods, assignment or change-of-control clauses, and termination rights. Keep copies of your current rate cards.
• Record your ad spend and reporting exports now. A dated baseline makes it easier to compare performance if fees or ad products change after closing.
• If you use Instacart technology for your own website or retail media network, ask whether that arrangement will continue unchanged and whether it carries exclusivity terms.
• Keep every answer in writing. The announcement gives commitments in principle only, so verbal assurances are not enough.

What is not yet known

• Whether Instacart stockholder approval, the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period, and the Canadian and Israeli reviews will finish on the expected timeline³.
• Whether US regulators will open a review. The FTC scrutiny described by Investopedia is reported risk only⁵.
• The commission, advertising and fulfilment terms the combined company would apply to grocers after closing. The announcement does not publish them³.
• Whether the no-exclusivity commitment will extend to all Instacart partner programmes. The announcement states it as a commitment for grocers³ but does not say how far it reaches.

For the official deal terms, read DoorDash's announcement on its investor relations site and in its SEC filing^2,3. We checked these sources on 30 October 2026.