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Postmates and DoorDash are two of the most popular food delivery apps, and both apps are now accepting new delivery drivers. Drivers for Postmates and DoorDash use their own vehicle to pick up and drop off deliveries for local customerss. Drivers are paid for each delivery and are free to set their own hours.
Is delivering for Postmates or DoorDash a good gig? We looked into both jobs to find out how much can you make as a driver, and what the jobs are really like.
Update: Postmates is going away! Following the acquisition of Postmates by Uber Eats, Uber is now asking Postmates drivers to migrate to Uber Eats. Learn how to make the switch here.
Article Contents
- Driving for Postmates
- Driving for DoorDash
- Are DoorDash and Postmates Good Gigs?
- Other Delivery Gigs to Look into
Driving for Postmates
Postmates is an on-demand delivery service that allows users to request deliveries of all types from local restaurants and stores. Most Postmates deliveries are typically for food delivery or small items such as home and office supplies.
What Do Postmates Drivers Do?
- Receive delivery requests in the Postmates courier app and navigate to the restaurant or store
- Deliver the item to the customer’s location using directions from the app
- Drivers don’t schedule shifts. Log in to the app when you want to work
- Postmates customer support places the order if they can. Otherwise, drivers place the order at the store and pay with a Postmates credit card
Postmates Driver Requirements
- Must be 18 years or older
- Any car, truck, or van qualifies
- Bicycles and scooters are accepted in some cities
- Valid auto insurance
- Pass a background check
How Much Money Do Postmates Drivers Make?
- Postmates drivers can expect to make $10–$15 per hour in most markets
- Drivers are paid a fee for pickup & drop-off, paid for wait time at the restaurant, and paid per mile between pickup and drop-off
- Drivers receive 100% of tips. Customers can tip using the app
- Blitz pricing, similar to Uber’s surge pricing, increases the delivery fees during peak hours
- Guaranteed earnings are sometimes offered: Do X deliveries and earn a guaranteed minimum payout
- Other bonuses: Bonuses per delivery, ‘Crushers’ (complete X deliveries during a period)
- Drivers are paid weekly via direct deposit, or can choose to withdraw earnings earlier
Example: How Postmates Drivers are Paid in Los Angeles
The payout equation is slightly different for every city, but to give you an example of how Postmates calculates driver earnings for a delivery, here are the rates in Los Angeles.
- $1.40 for pickups
- $0.70 for drop-offs
- $0.07 per minute wait time at the pickup location
- $0.69 per mile from the food pickup to the drop-off
- Learn more about earnings minimums in California
(Results not typical)
Driving for DoorDash
DoorDash is an on-demand food delivery app that hires independent drivers called Dashers to do food deliveries. Much like Postmates, Dashers use an app to receive orders, then navigate to the restaurant to pick up the order and drop it off at the customer.
One big advantage of DoorDash over Postmates is that Dashers can see up front if a tip is included with the order. Dashers can decline low-paying orders and accept only those with higher payouts from tips.
Another distinction is that Dashers generally must schedule hours in advance. Postmates drivers are free to sign into the app and work whenever they want, no schedule required.
What DoorDash Delivery Drivers Do
- Receive delivery requests inside the DoorDash app and deliver them to the customer
- Drivers schedule shifts in advance
- It’s possible to “Dash Now” without a schedule
- Learn more about the DoorDash scheduling system
- The customer enters their order through the app and pays through the app, all drivers do is pick up and deliver the food
- On some orders drivers have to order the and pay with a special DoorDash credit card called the ‘Red Card’
- Delivery requests will be limited to the geographical region you select
DoorDash Driver Requirements
- You must be 18 years or older
- Have access to a vehicle. Any vehicle qualifies
- Scooters and bicycles are accepted in some cities
- Own an iPhone or Android smartphone
- Driver’s license
- Valid insurance with name on policy
Related: DoorDash driver requirements: How to become a Dasher
How Much Do DoorDash Drivers Make?
- DoorDash drivers can get paid $23 per hour while on a delivery*
- DoorDash shows the minimum payout of a delivery before you accept it
- Pay formula: Base pay + Promotions + Tips
- Base pay is a calculation of variables like difficulty of the order, distance, and overall desirability
- Dashers see estimated order payout up front
- Bonuses: Peak Pay and Challenges can increase earnings during periods of high demand
- Drivers are paid weekly via direct deposit, or can choose to withdraw earnings earlier
*Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery
Example of a DoorDash order payout. Dashers see the payout before accepting a request
Left: The DoorDash scheduling page. Right: Dasher map showing red “Dash Now” areas
More Essential Reading on DoorDash
- Real Data: How Much Dashers Make
- DoorDash Earnings: Highs and Lows
- About Peak Pay and Challenges for Dashers
- Is it Worth it to Be Top Dasher?
- DoorDash Ratings & Avoiding Deactivation
Is Being a Delivery Driver for Postmates or DoorDash a Good Gig?
Delivering with Postmates and DoorDash is flexible gig work that allows you to choose your own hours and put your car to use as a productive asset. You can work as often or as infrequently as you want. Need a week off? Just don’t sign in–you don’t have to ask.
Upsides to Postmates and DoorDash
- The work is flexible. Schedule your own hours. Work as much or as little as you want
- Tips can significantly improve your income. Getting lucky with generous tipping can increase your pay to the $20/hour range
- It is easy to get hired and easy to get started. Fast onboarding process, usually a week
- The vehicle requirements are easy. Unlike Uber and Lyft, you can drive for these apps with ANY working car
- Drivers 18+ are eligible. Uber and Lyft require drivers to be 21, but Postmates and DoorDash both hire drivers 18 and older
Downsides to Postmates and DoorDash
- No guaranteed wage, potential low pay. If you don’t get many deliveries, your pay may be less than the minimum wage
- Fuel costs, wear and tear on your car. You might still find that gas expenses plus wear and tear on your car seriously eat into your income
- Hassles of food delivery. Parking, communicating with restaurants and customers, finding the right place to drop off the delivery
What About Other Delivery Gigs Like Uber Eats, Amazon Flex, and Instacart?
Uber Eats is very similar to DoorDash and Postmates. It has easy vehicle requirements and the pay is around the same as DoorDash and Postmates.
- Driving for Uber Eats: What it’s like to deliver food for Uber
- Vehicle requirements for the top gig apps
Another delivery app that offers flexible work is Amazon Flex. With Amazon Flex, drivers deliver packages to Amazon customers and get paid a flat rate for shifts. It is a good option to look into if you’re looking for work in the delivery app space.
Instacart is a grocery delivery app. Instacart shoppers are paid to go to stores, pick out items, then deliver them to customers. Like other delivery apps, Instacart offers easy requirements and flexible work.
Want to Try a Delivery Gig? Your Next Steps
DoorDash and Postmates make it easy to apply and get started. If you’re interested, your next step is to begin the application process. You can be on the road and delivering within a few days.
MariaRB says
Hi Hugh
Great information. Are there any requirements about car maintenance and cleanliness if you deliver food in an insulated bag? What about the time you can travel with perishable food in your car, if it is in an insulated bag?
Would appreciate any tips or resources here, beyond the general common sense that the car has to be clean. For example: can you deliver food in an insulated bag if there is some dog fur in the truck.
This is for SF/Silicon Valley, Bay Area.
Thanks
DougH says
The companies never perform a car inspection. Even an insulated bag isn’t an absolute requirement, though it’s a good idea. Typically the food is well packaged and bagged. And as far as I know there are no time requirement for delivering perishable food. No order you’ll perform will ever be further than 15-20 minutes from the restaurant, and most will be 5-10 minutes.
Ofelia Lopez says
Can I have a passenger in the car with me if I deliver for UberEats, Door Dash or Post Mates?
DougH says
Yes, you can. I’ve seen a few people do tag-team deliveries and it looks like it works well.
Shica Shae says
Yes
Brenda Todd says
Well I questioned door dash about the minimum $10 an hour and they said that was a 2015 quote and they don’t honor that anymore. And I can’t believe they only pay $4 a delivery in Indiana. Hard to make money on most days here. I can work 6 hours and make $50 and that’s with tips. And some days I can make more just depends.
Ben says
The bottom line: Pick one and actually get your butt out the door to do the job. I work for a lesser known one called Doorstep Delivery – I can make $400-$500 a week almost guaranteed…if I commit to spending the time to do it. One Postmates driver I know works it until he reaches his personally weekly goal – $500. And sometimes he hits upwards of $700. These companies offer the same basic service. If they’re established and have a strong market presence – which in Nashville, TN, my city, they do – then you’re going to make money. If if if…you’re disciplined enough to do it. It’s not about the company…it’s about what YOU want. Now quit reading articles (good article, by the way) and go do it 🙂 It’s on you my friend.
Donn says
If you work around 40 hours a week which is a typical work week for everyone, you can make around $1000 with postmates! I have a friend that easily makes that much in our market, I definitely don’t but I also don’t put much time and effort into it. But, it’s possible.
Jeremy says
How many hours does it usually take you to earn $500. Good comment by the way.
Jeff says
Yeah, Ben tell how many hours a week you work plus the mileage you put on your car every week to earn that $500?? The problem with all these app driver jobs is the same thing!! The truth is it’s really a luck of the draw thing getting back to back to back long runs not these short trips driving 5 to 15 in between each to get next one.Plus the vast majority of people don’t tip!! Forget about tips if you deliver to college kids! Also a huge problem with Apps you aren’t compensated for your time!!! You have to wait at most places for the order to get prepared because they don’t start till you show!! You can’t start the app till you confirm the order is correct at least with Ubereats. You may be making $500 but, you will need to subtract your gas cost which roughly is one day’s work and if you figure all the other expenses insurance, tires, brakes, oil changes and your time you make less than someone who delivers for a local place only. Plus you are responsible for paying SS and FICA that is $3700 a year you have to subtract.Surge pricing is great you make money there but most consumers are smart they see the price and wait for it to go down!! They want and will hire any and every driver so as your area gets flooded with driver’s less opportunity = less money!!!! Which is why they pay you to refer other driver’s and set standards that driver needs to meet.
The honest truth is anyone working for these apps is slave labor!!! They make the profits with none of the expense. Plus they set up everything to favor customer and them so you either do it or you lose your contract for poor ratings or low acceptance!!!
Minasse mengesha says
I like what you wrote. You are a good leader. You must have good spirit. God bless you.
Matt says
Any tips on getting affordable insurance? My agent at State Farm agent said they don’t have any policies that would cover doing deliveries for Postmates or Doordash.
DougH says
Look for rideshare insurance in your state. Both companies have liability policies, but I understand that you might want more.
JeffB` says
Well your first mistake was telling your insurance company that you would be driving for a rideshare company. Door Dash provides addtional insurace if you are involved in an accident while on delivery. Contact Door Dash for more info, but I think you are getting your insurance company involved when they don’t need to be.
ray says
you dont need to tell them that you are driving for deliveries. just get personal insurance and drive. when getting in accident, simply dont say you were working st time and complete your delivery without dropping off and make sure to take a picture of your accident send it to them, postmates or doordash wont even open their mouth. Drive safe. i had a accident while posmating and completed the task right in front of the the pick up restaurant and took the food back to the restaurant later and they already knew i was in accident and postmates didnt even bother to call me.
Dillon says
So a few years ago I got possession charges but I’ve been clean and sober and in a maintenance program….will I still fail the background check for these or lyft/uber because it’s less than seven years old?
DougH says
I think you have a chance since it was 7 years ago.
Richard says
I have a 16 year old Misdemeanor that cleared first background but now Im waitlisted on yearly rerun so you never know with Uber
Mlachi says
I am 18 and about 7 months from hitting my 2 year driving experience mark, also I am only able to work weekends do to a complicated schedule, do you know of any other driving jobs that fit what I am looking for?
DougH says
Pizza delivery could work.
Bri says
Grubhub