Apps That Pay You to Drive. What is the Best Delivery Company to Work For?
Have you been looking for the best apps to make money driving? Finding a new app for delivery drivers can sometimes seem hard, but in many cases, there are countless options available that you could consider.
With this in mind, today, we're looking at some of the best delivery apps to work for; hopefully, this will help you find the best delivery driver apps for your own money-making needs. And remember: this doesn't have to be a single decision. In fact, if you find that there are several driving apps that might be suitable for your needs, multiapping could be an excellent option to consider overall.
WHICH ARE THE BEST FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE APPS TO MAKE MONEY?
1. ��DoorDash
When it comes to delivery apps, DoorDash is perhaps the most well-known. It's not hugely surprising, of course. In fact, with a market share of almost 60%, DoorDash is evidently one of the most loved delivery apps in America for consumers. It's also considering that this massive market share appears to only be growing. In fact, in 2021, DoorDash's revenue grew massively by around 200%, even without enough drivers to meet demand. As such, if you've been looking for a new money-making gig, DoorDash driving might be for you.
But does it actually pay to be a DoorDash driver? How much do the highest-paid DoorDash drivers earn? These questions are exceptionally hard to answer since there's a significant flaw for drivers with DoorDash's system. You don't get to know your tip before you accept a job.
DoorDash's payment system is based on three key metrics: base pay (usually $2-$10 per delivery, based on order value and rough delivery times), promotional pay, and tips. You'll know the base pay and promotional pay before heading out. However, tips are kept secret until you've completed the delivery.
Now, you can always predict how much tip you might make, of course. For example, most people would assume that the customer would be happy to give a little tip on orders valued in the hundreds. Meanwhile, for orders of around $10-$20, the chances of making a big tip are substantially less. But that's not always the case at all.
Indeed, as becomes apparent below, there's no guarantee of making more tips on a larger order; for instance, in this case, a $13 gig came with no tip whatsoever, while a smaller order had a $3 tip, and order worth only around $5 base pay had a whopping $20 tip. In short, tips are massively variable ' there's just no way to predict them, unlike base pay and promotional pay.
This simple distortion highlights the challenge countless DoorDash drivers face and shows just how variable DoorDash pay can be. In fact, Ride Sharing Driver explains that basic DoorDash pay can be in the region of $10 to $25 per hour. However, the actual hourly rate can be even more varied than that in some cases. Plus, by the time you've considered the costs of fuel for your DoorDash deliveries, which are now reaching a whopping $5 per gallon for regular unleaded, it's easy to see how this could eat into your profits. Still, DoorDash has launched a new 10% fuel cashback scheme to support its drivers, which is definitely welcome.
2. Uber Eats
Another option you may have considered is Uber Eats. Uber Eats is another commonly chosen delivery app, but it's not as big as DoorDash. However, it's worth doing some local research, as this may not always stand true; for example, Uber Eats is the most commonly used food delivery app for Miami-based customers.
Unlike DoorDash and GrubHub, one notable feature of Uber Eats is that its payment system is a little different. Drivers get a commission for picking up the food, dropping off the order safely to the customer, the distance between pickup and dropoff, and bonus pay. Bonus pay is most commonly awarded when drivers take on multiple orders from a single stop, which offers a bonus to incentivize drivers to take on more gigs.
Unfortunately, the average income per hour on Uber Eats is only around $15; as a result, you may need to be prepared to spend more time delivering. Alternatively, if you're serious about boosting your delivery income, you could instead integrate the Para app to boost your earnings through Uber Eats and other delivery driver apps.
This makes Uber Eats deliveries popular options in regions where the app is highly used; however, in locations dominated by DoorDash, the number of opportunities for Uber Eats drivers may be a little fewer.
3. GrubHub
Of all the delivery apps on today's list, GrubHub ' as standard ' often seems to give the lowest average income, with averages of just $12 per hour, or a salary of around $28,000 ' significantly below the national average rate of pay. However, before you turn your nose up at GrubHub, give it a chance ' because if you can find those GrubHub deliveries with more generous tips, you can actually be in for a surprisingly good income!
GrubHub payments are made based on a model that's often considered fairer than DoorDash's base pay model. Instead of factoring in the value of the delivery, GrubHub places a greater emphasis on the number of miles traveled and the time taken to complete a delivery ' which may mean that you can expect a far more stable income.
However, the main issue with GrubHub's deliveries is that, in many cases, tip rates can be highly variable. What's more, you can ' which likely knocks many average hourly rates down. With this in mind, using a delivery driver assist app such as Para could offer a substantial bonus for your delivery income potential.
PostMates
PostMates is one of the smaller delivery apps on this list, but that's not to say you should disregard it as part of your decision. And, what's more, PostMates also typically offers a more stable and fair payment structure ' before tips ' compared to the other delivery apps. Of course, the trade-off here for delivery drivers is that there are fewer opportunities for delivery gigs, which must be considered as part of the final decision.
PostMates' pay is determined firstly by a base pay per pickup of around $4. Then, you also get additional pay for factors such as waiting time, the number of miles traveled, blitz bonuses, and the like. What's more, the pay range is different from city to city, so if you're lucky and living in a high-income region, you may be able to achieve a higher payment rate.
The average hourly rate with Postmates is around $18, with the top earners making ' on average - $28 per hour. That's certainly an impressive figure, largely comparable with DoorDash's earnings but on a more stable system. However, the question remains: will there be enough delivery opportunities with Postmates to keep you busy? Unfortunately, there's no clear way to say yes or no to that question, so the best approach here is often to keep checking back with the app regularly ' and maybe consider how multiapping tools such as Para could help.
Summary ' Which Delivery Driving Apps are Best?
If you've been looking to earn more with delivery apps, it's naturally helpful to choose an app that offers the best results in your local area. Generally speaking, DoorDash is one of the best delivery apps for income and delivery opportunities. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a more stable and consistent rate of pay, GrubHub's and Uber Eats' pay-per-mile systems, though potentially less lucrative, may be good options to consider if stability and reliable pay are more important to you.
However, we should point out here that it's not the app alone that determines your income. Indeed, factors such as your fuel costs, the customers' generosity, and even the time of day you drive at can all impact your final payments.
So, if you've been trying to increase your delivery driving earnings, make sure you consider carefully whether a certain delivery will actually offer good value for you. Just because it's from your favorite delivery app doesn't mean it will necessarily be a lucrative offer. But, by spending a little time considering each delivery and its value, you can increase your chances of making good money with delivery apps, easily making over $500 per week with home deliveries!
THE BEST APP FOR DELIVERY DRIVERS: PARA
Ever heard of Para? Chances are, you may not have heard of the Para app for delivery drivers before ' and that's understandable. Indeed, while the apps we've been looking at so far are food delivery apps, Para is a little different.
Indeed, Para doesn't provide a service for customers wanting a delicious meal delivered to their door. Instead, the Para driving app is designed exclusively with delivery drivers in mind, helping you get more from your home deliveries every time. It's your gig HQ, right in your pocket, making delivery driving more lucrative and profitable than ever before.
Key Features of the Para App
Para offers countless features for its drivers looking to boost their income with delivery apps. Some of Para's most notable and most-loved features include:
- Tip predictor, supporting drivers in taking on orders that offer a valuable rate of pay (rather than low-paid orders that barely cover the fuel bill!)
- Ability to see whether the delivery is going to an apartment or a house ' helping you avoid climbing countless flights of stairs in your goal to reach the customer!
- See what items are included in the order and the order subtotal value, helping you determine whether an order is likely to be more meaningful to the customer (e.g., a full meal) or lower value (e.g., a burger). This feature can also help you avoid orders that are likely too big for you to fit in your car.
- Facilitates multiapping across several platforms, so you can complete more deliveries in a single run and enjoy greater income potential overall.
- See how far you've traveled with the upcoming mileage calculator, helping you keep track of your fuel bills and spending.
- Calculate the total dollar per mile in advance, helping you avoid orders that are poor rates and only take on deliveries likely to yield a good price!
Is Para Reliable?
At this point, you're probably thinking ' surely that's too good to be true? Indeed, while it might sound like the ability to know before you go could be a game-changer, it also seems too amazing. What's the catch? Does it really work?
Well, yes! Through a full suite of driver tools, Para is able to deliver an effective gig management experience, making it so much easier to earn money with delivery driving. But don't just take our word for it: the following testimonial may help make your decision a little easier:
Dave Nesbitt '
"It works beautifully. I simply wouldn't be able to do my gig without it. Update: well I've been running this app for about 2 months now and it really is lifesaver for doordashers. And I have to say that the people who provide this application are very very helpful and responsive to user needs. It connects very well with my helper app and gives accurate fill payout of all my deliveries which is awesome!"
FINAL THOUGHTS
Have you been looking for the best driving apps to make money in your free time or even for a full-time job? There are countless driving apps available, and most have very lenient requirements. Apps such as DoorDash and GrubHub are perhaps the most obvious choices, of course; but there may also be other apps, such as Uber Eats and PostMates, that could also offer valuable opportunities.
However, at the end of the day, the opportunities for delivery drivers are still highly variable, and there's no simple way to determine which is the best app for delivery drivers objectively. Often, it's a matter of personal preference; but with tools such as the Para accept, decline driver app, you can ensure you're getting the most from every delivery you take on. After all, not every home delivery job is created equal.
With Para, you can ensure you're getting what you deserve for your time (and then some). So, no matter which driving apps to make money you choose, we highly recommend incorporating Para into your route planning to make the most of the opportunities.