Delivering packages for Amazon through the Amazon Flex app is a great way to earn extra money. But when it comes to app design and usability, it falls behind other delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
When you open Amazon Flex and search for delivery offers, you will see confusing codes and unexplained order labels.
An order might say: Torrance (DCX7) Amazon.com with no additional information to explain the meaning. It’s confusing for new Flex drivers, and the lack of clarity makes it hard to pick good offers.
There’s a lot of info built into each offer. But you need to know the codes!
Here’s a quick explanation: The first letter is the order type, the following three letters and numbers are the pickup location, and the words at the end describe more about the order type. More detail on decoding orders below!
In this article, learn what each order type is, what the warehouse codes mean, and what kind of work you will do for each order type.
Article contents
- A list of all Amazon Flex offer types
- Warehouse codes and pickup locations
- Instant offers: On-demand work
- How to get more offers
Amazon Flex offers: What each order type means
As you browse offers in Amazon Flex, each offer shows the order type, date, estimated payout, length of the shift, and information about the location.
The order types are AMZL, Amazon.com, Sub Same-Day, Whole Foods, Fresh, Prime Now, Community Delivery, and Retail Delivery.
How to decode a Flex order
Each order type involves picking up items and delivering them to a customer, but there are differences between the orders that you’ll want to understand before you accept the offer.
Amazon Flex order types
- AMZL or Amazon.com — Also known as ‘logistics’ offers. These are standard Amazon.com deliveries that come in boxes and envelopes. Routes have around 10–40 packages.
- Sub Same-Day — Similar to Amazon.com, but for same-day and overnight deliveries.
- Prime Now — Amazon instant deliveries with a 1–2 hour turnaround. Customers can tip. Packages are in a bag. Many drop-offs will include several bags per address. Routes may be shorter.
- Fresh — Amazon Fresh grocery orders. Customers can tip. Typically fewer stops on the route compared to logistics.
- Whole Foods — Grocery delivery pickups from Whole Foods. Customers can tip.
- Community Delivery — Deliveries from local food banks to people in need.
- Retail delivery — Pick up orders from non-Amazon retailers at local malls and shopping centers.
Order types: AMZL, Prime Now, Fresh, Whole Foods. Note the estimated payouts
How to decode warehouse codes and pickup locations
When browsing offers, you’ll notice that each offer lists a location, a warehouse code in parenthesis, and an order type.
For example, an order might be “Santa Monica – (UCA3) Prime Now.”
The first letter describes the delivery pickup location. The following three letters and numbers are the warehouse location.
Here’s what the first letter in a warehouse code means:
- D: Standard Amazon.com warehouse pickup
- C: Whole foods
- H: Amazon XL large pickups
- N: Neighborhood delivery
- P: Retail delivery
- R: Community delivery
- M: Amazon Fresh
- U: Amazon Fresh online delivery and Prime Now
- V: Sub-same day
In the example “Santa Monica – (UCA3) Prime Now,” the letter U means that it’s a Prime Now delivery, and it’s from a facility labeled CA3 in Santa Monica.
You can decode the first letter with the info above, but you will need a guide to determine what each warehouse code in parenthesis means.
See a complete list of warehouse codes and locations on Reddit. It lists warehouse IDs, names of facilities, and GPS locations.
You’ll eventually get an address for the pickup facility an hour before the offer begins, but it’s much easier to make an informed decision about the offer if you know where the warehouses are.
Order types that allow tips
Customers can tip drivers on Prime Now, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods orders. Tips can significantly increase your earnings, but offers that allow tipping typically have fewer pickups and shorter routes.
Order types that allow tips show two estimated payout amounts: The base pay from Amazon and expected earnings from tips.
Orders that allow tipping explain how tip estimates are calculated
For example, the Prime Now order above shows a payout estimate of $38–$66 ($38 + tips). That means you’ll make $38 in Amazon base pay and tips are estimated to be anywhere from $0–$28.
The power of tipping. $18.50 from Amazon, $74 in tips. Results definitely not typical!
Instant offers: Get on-demand work
Instant Offers (IO) are on-demand orders you can accept or decline in real-time. IOs are the only type of delivery that doesn’t require you to schedule a block.
These offers have a faster turnaround time: You must pick up the order within 30 minutes of accepting it.
Instant Offers are for Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and Prime Now deliveries. One perk is that all of those order types allow customers to tip.
Offers are location based. You must be within 15 minutes of an eligible pickup location to receive offers.
For example, if you turn on Instant Offers near Whole Foods, you might get an offer to do a Whole Foods delivery. After you finish that delivery you can wait for another Instant Offer to come in.
To enable Instant Offers: Tap Menu > Schedule, then tap “Available Now” at the top of the schedule screen.
Toggle ‘Available Now’ on the home screen to receive Instant Offers
The instant offer will tell you the pickup location and an estimated payout. There is no penalty for declining instant offers, so feel free to skip offers that you don’t want to do.
Instant Offers are a good choice if you can’t get a delivery block or don’t want to commit to a long route.
Instant Offer heatmap
In some cities, the Flex app has an Instant Offer heatmap that shows nearby IO locations with labels to show how busy each location is.
Some cities have an Instant Offer map that shows you every IO pickup location
The Instant Offer radius: How close do you have to be to get orders?
You must be within 3–15 minutes of a pickup location to receive Instant Offers. You won’t be eligible if you are closer than 3 minutes from the location, so don’t camp out in the parking lot!
Amazon doesn’t say exactly how they calculate the radius, so you’ll have to experiment with locations to see what works in your area.
To receive IOs, don’t be too close or too far away
How far will your delivery route be from the warehouse?
You will find out how far your delivery route is from the warehouse after you check in at the pickup facility. You can’t see where the delivery route is when you first accept the offer.
Test your market to see which pickup locations and order types lead to certain areas. You might notice that some pickup locations send you too far away, so you can avoid offers from there.
The maximum distance from the pickup location to the delivery route varies depending on the market.
A large city with many warehouse locations may only send you up to 30 miles from the warehouse. But cities with remote and rural areas might send you further away.
An example of how far a route can be from the pickup spot: The driver below had to drive over 60 miles to begin a route. That is an extreme example, but it’s possible.
You can decline a route if it’s too far, but it will affect your standing.
This driver had to drive around 130 miles for this route.
How to get more offers on Flex
Not getting many offers? There are a few reasons that can explain why.
Amazon says that “offers you see may depend on the amount of work you’ve done recently, the work you’ve reserved in the future, whether you’ve cancelled a lot of work, your Delivery Qualify, and your Reliability.”
If you aren’t getting many offers, try to increase your ratings. Consider instant offers if you can’t get regular offers, and check back with the app regularly to see when warehouses release new hours.
You can potentially get more reserved offers by using preferred scheduling, a perk unlocked at rewards level 2.
Getting a feel for Flex
It would be nice if Amazon made the Flex app clearer and more user-friendly, but in the end you’ll have to experiment with different order types and pickup locations before you can understand how this gig works in your area.
Eventually, you’ll learn which order types you prefer and which pickup locations to avoid.
More reading on Amazon Flex and delivery gigs
Andrra says
I did it yesterday for the first time and was awful. They sent me like 90 minutes aways from where I live very very far, $61.50 for 3 hours but spent almost the same amount on gas. Not really worth it.
Mike says
Amazon treats their warehouse facility employees like crap do you really think they’re going to treat their independent contractors any better they don’t care how far you have to go to deliver their packages as long as they get delivered. this is a multi billion dollar business for a reason. they’re throwing chump change at everybody who’s desperate for money I was going to do this but now after reading these reviews no way and also I spoke to an Amazon Flex driver yesterday who came to my house and they had him going 35 miles his first day and then shooting across to another county. And driving far is one thing but sending people to unsafe neighborhoods is a total other issue. They say your safety is their concern but really it’s not because they should let you know the areas will you will be the Livering and the mileage just like all the other rideshare companies do. It is very unsafe out there and sending people somewhere where they are not familiar with especially if they are new to Amazon Flex is very unsafe and if anyone thinks differently than you have issues.
Peters says
I’m glad to see not only the article pointing out the major issues for drivers with Flex especially when just starting, but to see that others feel the same. My first day (my only day so far with them) the deliveries were at least 20 minutes from the location start point, and into downtown which I despise!!! There was zero explanation as to what the offers entailed. Their system needs a major informational overhaul.
Mr. & Mrs. Cervantez says
To all those who complain about being late to all deliveries or some. It’s called communication with flex support if anything keeps you from delivering the packages in time that is not your fault and it will not go against you. To be honest no one’s first day at a new job is and it’s far from a walk in the park. Saying that who doesn’t like being able to work alone and at your own pace and whenever you want. This pays twice a week and between my wife and I this called could bring home anywhere from 162$ – 2500$ a week not kidding not to mention offer benefits and perks the best part of this all there are shifts all day everyday from 3:30 am to 10pm plenty of work all while not having a set schedule unless you choose to treat this like a scheduled job and you can cancel any scheduled block 45 mins before your pick up time and it won’t go against you and honesty should’ve said this earlier but your route is able to be rerouted if you know what your doing abs know how to rearrange your route and like my wife and I usually finish earlier then the finish time
Quii says
I believe this is for people who have nothing but time and love joyriding. You cannot choose your location I went beyond 30+ miles from my home. I spent a total of $85 dollars in gas to make $81 that upcoming Friday…. So far it doesn’t seem worth the hassle.
Angel E. says
Amazons routing program and gps is got to be the stupidest most counter productive have there drivers going in circles app in the world! Was a driver full time with dsp for 3 months and i think i put more miles going to places i have just left half hour before than going in straight line. Flex program is the same. Now with gas prices so high here in cali. You would end up paying to do there deliveries.
Martha Santa Cruz says
Today was my first time, I was lost and didn’t know what to expect. I was late even thou I was there in line. Deliveries took me too far and the app tried to take me to the tolls, I’m trying to make money not spend. I ended being late for deliveries and had to return some back another 20 plus miles. I travel too far going to the warehouse, to deliver and back to warehouse. All for $72.00 I don’t think this is worth the hassle and travel time for the money they offer.
Darlene H says
I can sympathize with you. I’ve signed in 15 minutes before my block (you can’t sign in sooner) and waited 15 minutes after the block starts to receive my route. You then have to scan and load your vehicle (another 10-15 minutes) which puts you at least 30 minutes late as a starting time. I’ve been late for deliveries because the app has me back tracking to routes that should have been delivered sooner. The late deliveries affect your ratings, which is not fair. I believe in working smart and it would help if someone from Amazon can assist us newbies with being better at this job.
Shawn T says
How do you know how many packages there will be?
DougH says
You find out when you arrive at the pickup location
Joseph says
Trying to become a driver for Amazon flex but in my area
Rosalyn says
Not possible.They send you where they send you
Pamela says
Yep an have keep in mind you pay for you fuel, maintenance to your vehicle so if your getting a block that’s looks like $18 a hour odds are after coast of fuel more like maybe $15 a hour depending on miles and how good your vehicle is on gas then your going be replacing tires your breaks more often then before and will be having to get more oil changes on your vehicle an this isn’t counting all the miles your putting on your vehicle which lowers its value. So to make sure keep track of your miles they will send your a app to download Stride make sure do that keep track of all you vehicle maintenance on there also at tax time your experience are tax deductible