I wasn’t going to write this post because, well…I felt embarrassed. Not because of the job but because it may seem like a downgrade from a salaried corporate position.

Before I quit my job, I saved up 3 months of expenses to help DJ out while I got settled into my new career. Although things have been great, I still wanted to contribute (more steadily) to the household finances so I began looking for flexible part-time opportunities.

I thought online ESL teaching would solve all my problems but working for Chinese companies provided more frustration than relief, so I continued my job search and came across the food delivery market. In 1.5 weeks, and about 4 hours a day, I’ve made $862 and could’ve made much more.

Let’s jump into all of the details.

Why food delivery?

• You can work on your own schedule
• Earn good money
• Bring joy (food) to people
• Explore your city
• Get paid every day or weekly
• It’s freaking easy!

What do food delivery drivers do?

Pick up and deliver food to customers. This will vary by company and will be addressed in detail below.

Driving for Uber Eats

I started this delivery journey by first applying to Uber Eats. The process was pretty simple and only took about 72 hours to get on board due to waiting for the background check to clear.

Requirements

• Car, scooter or bike* that meets Uber’s vehicle requirements
• Must the 19 years or older for car delivery and 18+ for all others
• Drivers license
• Social security number
• Smart Phone

*Delivery varies by city.

Pay

Pay is calculated per delivery, I’ll use Sacramento for the example since this varies by city:

• Pick up the order: $2.50 per trip
• Drive to destination: $1.04 per mile
• Drop off the order: $0.94 per trip
• + 100% of the tip

You can get paid once a week or use Instant Pay to cash out up to five times a day. Since there’s a cost associated with Instant Pay I wait patiently for those coins to hit my bank account on Tuesdays.

Pros

• You don’t have to place or pay for orders.
• The customer can see when you’re on the way.
• Surge pricing when demand is high.
• Easiest on-boarding process.

Cons

• The app does not always send the correct addresses to Google Maps so always double check the address if you choose not to use Uber’s built-in navigation system.
• You are not told what you’ll be paid for the delivery until after the delivery is completed.
• You’ll get McDonald’s orders a lot AND THEY ARE THE ABSOLUTE WORST! In my area, they don’t start the order until you get there and they are painfully slow.
• Does not pay for waiting for the order to be completed.
• Compared to Doordash and Postmates in my area, the pay is crap! 😂

My Uber Eats Experience

Honestly, after 3 weeks, I treat Uber Eats more as a side piece (that rhymed lol). It isn’t that popular in my city and if I’m out in my car, I want back to back orders. I usually use Uber Eats as a filler when the other apps are slow.

I average $5 per trip before tips and $7 – $10 with tips. If I only did 2 trips an hour with them that’s $14 an hour and is still good since all you have to do with Uber Eats is pick up and drop off the food. If you look at YouTube you’ll see that some people can make up to $25 an hour delivering with Uber!

Signing Up

Signing up was easy and painless.  I filled in my basic personal information, a picture of my license and agreed to a background check. Once you’re cleared, you’re good to go!

You can sign up to drive for Uber Eats for free with my referral link and become eligible for the best new driver incentives. I didn’t have a referer and I missed out on $200 in my area 😭.

Check out their frequently asked questions section if you want more information.

Driving for Doordash

After being with Uber Eats for a few days, I did more research and applied to Doordash. I’m so glad that I did because they gave me all of the coins and have the best app – more on that later.

Requirements

• Drivers must be 18 or older
• You can use motorcycles, scooters, bikes, or even walk in some markets.
• Valid driver’s license and a clean driving record

Pay

Doordash pay is based on a variety of factors including the size of the order, whether you have to place the order in person and the projected driving distance, traffic, parking, and wait time at the store. Your pay is deposited weekly.

For each delivery, you will always receive at least $1 from DoorDash + 100% of tip + pay boost. The average is $7-$12 per delivery and can take 15 to 30 minutes to complete.

Pros

• The app tells you the guaranteed pay and distance before you accept or reject an order.
• You can contact support easily if you need help.
• An orientation is provided to help you get acquainted with the company.
• Starting points are shown in the app so that you aren’t driving over your entire state for a delivery.

Cons

• Sometimes you have to go in and place the order using the card issued to you.
• Customers can only tip in advance rather than upon delivery (so regardless of how fast or awesome you are, you’re tip was already determined).
• They don’t pay you for wait time even if the restaurant is being slow AF.
• The app doesn’t make its own distinct noise – which bothers me, a lot.

My Doordash Experience

DoorDash has the best app out of the 3 companies I’m with. I average $8 a trip for lunch and $10 a trip for dinner. So $16 – $20 an hour to drive around, listen to podcasts and talk my husband’s head off (when he joins me).

I’ve worked from home for 3 years so being able to go out and see actual humans brings me joy! On days with peak pay, I can make up to $25-$30 an hour and that too brings me joy as well! 😂

Also, DoorDash just signed a contract with Walmart for grocery deliveries and they have a catering business so there’s a lot of room for income growth.

Signing Up

Signing up was the same as Uber Eats, easy and painless.  I filled in my basic personal information, a picture of my license and agreed to a background check. Once you’re cleared, you will be invited to a 30-minute orientation in some markets.

My orientation lasted about 10 minutes and they review the app with you, give you tips and activate your credit card. You can also purchase some useful gear at the orientation. I decided to buy the hot bag and a space blanket, totaling about $8 (tax write-off).

If you have DoorDash in your area, I highly recommend signing up with them. You can use my referral link to sign up for free and qualify for promotions/bonuses in your area! Again, I’m here to help <3.

Check out their frequently asked questions section if you want more information.

Driving for Postmates

I know you may be wondering why I’d sign up for a 3rd company if I had success with the 2 above…

Well, 1.) I’m a hustler 2.) I like having options. When I was out dashing I’d always look to see what other delivery companies were being advertised at the restaurants and I noticed that Postmates was available at many of them.

Requirements

• Smartphone
• A mode of transportation
• Drivers license (if you’re going to drive)
• Clean background
• Selfie

Pay

The earnings for each delivery includes:

• An amount for each completed pick up
• An amount for each completed drop off
• A per minute waiting rate for the time you spend at the pickup location
• A per mile rate for the distance between the pickup & drop-off locations
• Any blitz bonuses that are shown when you accept a delivery offer
• You also keep 100% of your tips!

Pros

• Free delivery bag
• People tip more and can do so after the delivery
• Easiest on-boarding process
• Pays for wait time

Cons

• You are not told what you’ll be paid for the delivery until after the delivery is completed
• Sometimes you have to go in and place the order using the card issued to you
• Waiting for food to be cooked in a busy restaurant always sucks
• The app should show the customer’s order better to ensure that you don’t miss anything

My Postmates Experience

My background cleared immediately probably due to the fact that it was already done through the same company as Uber Eats and DoorDash. I was really happy about them sending me a new bag but hated that I had to wait on the package before I could start accepting deliveries. You need their prepaid card linked to your account before you can begin working.

Postmates is number 2 to DoorDash because the customers tip well and in turn make my pay high. I average $13 an order with them which is $26 an hour for 2 deliveries. They also have Blitz Pay every so often and that boosts your pay even more. Since I live in a large metropolitan area, I stick with Doordash because it keeps me around my neighborhood. But, when Doordash is taking too long to send an order, I’ll turn on the Postmates app.

Signing Up

Signing up is easy and the only difference is that you have to provide a mailing address so that you can get your welcome kit sent to you.

If you have Postmates in your area, I recommend signing up because the customers are generous and they’ll definitely keep you busy. You can use my referral link to sign up for free and qualify for promotions/bonuses in your area!

Check out their frequently asked questions section if you want more information.

Conclusion

Do I have a favorite company? Yes, BUT I’d recommend trying 2 or 3 in your area to determine which one you’ll be the most successful with. It’s free to sign up so you have nothing to lose. Doordash’s app is amazing so I’d recommend starting there so you don’t get immediately pissed off by Uber Eats and their McDonald’s deliveries.

You will be working as an independent contractor and will be required to file your own taxes. If you would like to see why I expect to pay $0 in taxes on this delivery income, read my blog post about how I’m tracking my pay and mileage to prepare for tax season. You will be putting mileage on your car so please consider if you’d like to trade mileage for money and flexibility.

And also, make sure you check out my post about my best tips on how to increase your delivery income!

$tay Wealthy Friends!

With Love,

— Dannie

Would you consider driving for one of these companies? Which one will you try first??