“For us, the results really speak for themselves — it’s retention of our existing customers, but it’s also new customer growth that we’ve been able to really quickly see and get signal on in such a short period of time.”
– Priya Monga, GM & Senior Director of Go to Market Strategy, Instacart Business
When procurement requirements keep buyers out
Instacart Business had a growing pipeline of prospective customers who wanted to place orders, but their organizations’ procurement policies required invoicing and net terms.
This wasn’t a nice-to-have feature; it was a go/no-go requirement. Until invoicing was available, these potential buyers were stuck on a waitlist, unable to use the platform despite loving Instacart’s speed and selection.
“We actually had a wait list of customers that came to us and said, ‘we can’t use Instacart unless Instacart fits seamlessly into our procurement systems.’”
Why partnering beat building in-house
Instacart evaluated building Pay-by-Invoice in-house versus partnering with a provider, guided by three clear criteria:
- Access: support for customers of all sizes, verticals, and geographies
- Industry Expertise: Bring a deep understanding of B2B payment needs
- Speed to Market: Launch quickly to meet the waitlist demand
When they scored the options, Balance came out as the clear choice.
“When we looked across those evaluation criteria, we realized really quickly that Balance would be the perfect partner for us. They have so much industry expertise and technical expertise that they were able to bring to the table that really elevated even what we initially thought could be a great invoicing product for our customers.”
Fast to market, built to last
With customers waiting, Instacart needed a partner that could move quickly, but also allow for ongoing improvements. Balance enabled them to launch Pay-by-Invoice in record time and continue refining the product based on live feedback.
“We needed to make sure we selected a solution that allowed us to launch invoicing very quickly… but also iterate and have flexibility.”
Serving every segment with a flexible solution
Instacart Business serves every type of customer, from SMBs to the largest enterprises, across industries and regions. A rigid solution wouldn’t work.
Balance built a flexible solution that adapts to unique needs, from multi-currency invoicing to custom fields, ensuring that every customer could use Pay-by-Invoice.
“This was not gonna be a one-size-fits-all invoicing solution… Every nuance and every individual detail… was met with Balance.”
Integrated payments that feel native
Balance’s platform was deeply integrated into Instacart’s ordering flow, creating a seamless experience for customers and an easy build for Instacart’s product and engineering teams.
“We built a system that feels really deeply integrated into the ordering system our customers know and love.”
Zero risk, zero AR overhead, light dev lift
Balance takes on the most costly, labor-intensive parts of launching and running invoicing, from buyer applications and credit risk to reminders, collections, and reconciliation.
For Instacart, this meant no need to build a back-office AR operation or carry the risk of non-payment. And because Balance’s solution was easy to integrate, Instacart’s engineering team only had to do light development work, freeing them to focus on improving the buyer experience instead of building a system from scratch.
“Balance is taking on the very costly and labor-intensive parts of launching an invoicing solution… this is not something our team was staffed up for or had the expertise to do… It’s allowed us to focus on building a better experience for our customers every single day.”
A partnership of builders
Instacart found a partner that matched its urgency, energy, and “builder mentality.” Balance’s team worked closely with Instacart’s product and engineering teams to deliver an outstanding product experience.
“They are a team of builders… really smart individuals who are ready to roll up their sleeves and build with us.”
Higher retention, faster customer growth
Partnering with Balance didn’t just improve the experience for existing customers. It converted previously blocked demand into active revenue. The result: stronger retention, rapid acquisition of new customers, and clear proof of business impact in a short period of time.
If you want to move faster, unlock new revenue, and give your buyers the experience they expect, Instacart Business shows what’s possible.
See how Balance works.
