It could be 2 things, 1) what you wanted was already the cheapest 2) maybe they think replacing it with a “better” quality version is a better move than cheaper.
Better is in quotes since more expensive doesn’t equal better quality.
Does IC give you a way to make your own replacement suggestions? I only use Shipt, and it's built into shipt to preload "if they don't have that, get this". Most of the time the shopper is able to complete the whole order without changing anything when the preloaded suggestions are used.
Yes you have the ability to both pick specific replacements and leave a tweet sized note about what you really want.
But I cancelled my subscription to Instacart specifically because there were far too many times a shopper just ignores your notes and replacement choices.
Like....dude I didn't make notes for funsies. That was my meal plan for the whole week. How the hell am I supposed to make dinner now? I don't believe you that there is NO bread in the damn store. TALK to me before you just blaze through, refund or make bizarre replacements and then check out. This is my FOOD. 😭
I would assume the amount they make is a percentage of the cart total. That would be the only way to make longer trips worth it. So that would incentivize suggesting more expensive options. But I imagine there’s also a tip mechanic so doing obvious stuff like that could hurt your tip.