Product quantity types
Each product in the catalog has attributes that indicate how quantities of that product are sold. For example, some products are sold and priced per unit, while others are sold and priced by weight. There are also variable weight products that can be purchased as a unit, but are priced by their weight.
For most products, the cost_unit attribute value indicates whether the product is sold per unit or by weight. Variable weight products that can be purchased per unit are identified by also having a par_weight value defined. For more information, see the Catalog documentation.
The following table summarizes the different product quantity types:
| Quantity type | cost_unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Per unit | each | Items of a fixed size and price per unit. Example: 3 cans of soup |
| By weight | lb or kg | Loose items purchased and priced by weight. Example: 1 lb of green peppers |
| Variable weight | lb or kg | Items purchased as a unit, but priced by weight. Relies on the par_weight value defined in the catalog. Examples: 1 package of ground meat or 5 bananas |
Specifying product quantity for an order
In the following requests, use items[].count and items[].weight to define the quantity of each product that the customer is purchasing:
- List time slots for delivery
- List time slots for pickup
- Create a delivery order
- Create a pickup order
The items[] in these requests accept both count and weight, but the product's quantity type determines which field is required, and how Instacart handles their values.
- Per unit. When specifying a product that is sold per unit, the
countvalue (required) indicates the quantity of the product being purchased. If you provide aweightvalue, it is added to the order’s special instructions. - By weight. When specifying a product that is sold by weight, the
weightvalue (required) indicates the quantity of the product being purchased. If you provide acountvalue, it is added to the order’s special instructions. - Variable weight. When specifying a variable weight product, you must provide either the
countorweight. Regardless of which value is provided, thecountrepresents the quantity being purchased, and theweightis added to the order’s special instructions. Ifcountis not provided in the request, the system calculates the value using the product'spar_weightvalue.