Beginner's Guide to DoorDash (Part 2)

Have you been planning to give DoorDash a try? We've already outlined some of the key things you should know about getting started with your first DoorDash deliveries. However, to give you an even broader understanding of how DoorDash works, we've come up with a further guide to help optimize your knowledge. From making the most of the signup bonus to answering questions such as can I write off gas for Doordash, are DoorDash tips taxed, what is DoorDash adjusted pay, and can you quit DoorDash at any time? These are all questions and more we will cover in today's guide to help you get started with making a good income through DoorDash ' after all, why should you have to settle for mediocre earnings when there's the potential to make a very good income through DoorDash overall?

UNDERSTANDING HOW GAS WORKS WITH DOORDASH

We've covered the basic Para pay structure in our previous guide to getting started with DoorDash, but what about mileage? One of the biggest ' if not the only ' expense you will incur as a dasher is mileage costs. And unfortunately, fuel prices are rapidly increasing. With this in mind, it's so important to carefully consider whether you can make Dashing work for you on a net profit basis ' not just gross profit.

After all, if you make $15 per hour (as many people do with DoorDash) in deliveries, you might feel pretty good. However, if you then take out $5 for fuel and $2 for a parking ticket, you might find you're only left with a measly $8 per hour ' it's not really worth the time, then.

Luckily, specialist personal dispatch tools such as Para can help estimate your driving time, helping you pick the most lucrative deliveries that won't cost most to complete than they bring in!

Can I Write Off Gas for DoorDash?

If you want to write off gas for your DoorDash deliveries, you'll need to take your expenses as a deduction, as explained by Ridester. The Federal reimbursement for travel is 56 cents per mile ' however, mileage and gas cannot be deducted simultaneously as an independent DoorDash contractor.

It's also worth noting you may also be able to write off gas for your non-community time, as explained by Stride. Non-commuting time includes the time that you spend getting from your home to your first pick-up. As such, this can help make Dashing more affordable ' so long as you keep a close record of how many miles you do and your fuel usage costs as a result! Everlance also recommends that you may be able to write off some mobile expenses, so long as they are solely working expenses.

Does DoorDash Pay Per Mile?

This question is a bit tricky to answer, as it's a case of 'yes and no.' Indeed, DoorDash doesn't directly pay per mile ' there is no set payment per mile traveled. However, the distance between the restaurant and the customer is taken into account. Indeed, DoorDash explains that its base pay is determined by three metrics:

• Distance for the delivery
• The estimated delivery time
• The order desirability

What does this mean? Well, this means that longer deliveries will likely give a higher rate than shorter ones ' but not in every case.

For example, you'll likely get a far higher base pay for a highly desirable delivery (a full meal) that's 5 minutes away than a snack (such as a freshly baked cake) that's 30 minutes away.

As such, when choosing which deliveries to take for DoorDash, you must spend a little time quickly considering the distance and whether the base pay reflects that. In many cases, it won't ' but it can be well worth the time if you find those lucrative deliveries (like the full meal we just mentioned).

IS THE SIGN UP BONUS ON DOORDASH WORTH IT?

There are several bonuses for new Dashers on DoorDash that are worth considering. However, the guaranteed earnings bonus is perhaps the most lucrative current bonus, offering guaranteed income for your first deliveries.

Unfortunately, there's no set value for the DoorDash sign up bonus, which can often be frustrating. As such, the value of the sign up bonus you receive on DoorDash will depend on factors such as your location, often. Other factors may also play a role, but location is one of the most prominent in the total value of your Sign Up bonus on DoorDash.

You are guaranteed a certain minimum income if you complete a certain number of deliveries with the guaranteed earnings bonus. For example, if you complete your first 400 deliveries, you may be guaranteed an income of $1000 ' and, if your actual payout is less than this, DoorDash will make up the difference.

This sign up bonus is incredibly valuable in many cases. However, there's a catch. While it guarantees a certain income for your first deliveries as a Dasher, it doesn't guarantee good earnings per hour. So, while this sign up bonus is a nice 'safety net,' we recommend that you still consider carefully the value of each order you take.

Can I Refer Other People to Drive on DoorDash?

If you want to increase your DoorDash earning potential, you could consider referring other people to become DoorDash drivers. When you refer another person, such as a friend or family member, they can begin the Dasher sign up process. And in turn, you'll earn referral bonuses from your friends' earnings.

However, there's a prominent drawback to the DoorDash referral scheme. While you can begin earning potentially generous referral bonuses for your DoorDash account when you recommend friends, they'll still need to complete a set number of deliveries within a certain window of time for you to get your money ' otherwise, you'll get nothing. So, ideally, try to encourage friends who are genuinely interested to join; friends who are only likely to complete one or two deliveries a week probably won't earn much in the way of a referral bonus.

Do Other People Need to be a Dasher to Help With My Deliveries?

Referring people to DoorDash is an excellent way to add some earnings to your Dashing opportunities. However, to streamline your efficiency, dashing with someone else can be a great option. However, many people wonder ' does my friend or partner also need to be a Dasher to help?

Luckily, no! While nothing is saying you can't dash with help from another Dasher, nothing prevents you from enlisting help from friends and loved ones during your DoorDashing efforts. As such, if you want to streamline the process, don't worry; you can easily get help from someone else, even if they're not a Dasher themselves.

CAN YOU QUIT DOORDASH, ANYTIME?

Unfortunately, DoorDash isn't for everyone ' that's understandable. As such, you may want to consider before signing up: can you quit DoorDash, anytime?

Luckily, yes. However, you'll need to complete a few steps to quit DoorDash. The good news is that these are relatively easy; plus, when you're ready to begin dashing again (if you want to), you can simply contact DoorDash customer support. The customer support team should then be able to re-enable your account.

First, you'll need to contact DoorDash support to request a cancellation of your Dasher account. This can be done at any time so long as all of your scheduled shifts are clear. You'll need to use the same contact details as connected with your account, and your personal information will be removed from the platform based on your state's laws for privacy. You also have the option of disposing of your old DoorDash delivery supplies in any way that works for you.

You can also stop receiving DoorDash notifications if you'd prefer, but completing the following steps:

1. Ensure you've removed and uninstalled the DoorDasher app from your device(s)
2. Send the word STOP to official DoorDash text messages
3. Unsubscribe from DoorDash delivery email notifications

However, while it's possible to deactivate your account at any time, it's also worth considering that DoorDash may forcefully cancel your account if you breach its terms. Abusing DoorDash services, engaging in fraud, or providing poor delivery services may result in your Dasher account being canceled, so always take care to avoid this if you want to continue delivering for DoorDash.

HOW ELSE CAN THE PARA APP HELP WITH DASHING?

In our previous beginner's guide to DoorDash, we clarified that using the Para tool is a vital aspect of effective DoorDashing. Indeed, DoorDash's lack of tip transparency ' which is common with delivery platforms ' means that you never know the true value of an order. And while DoorDash does pay per mile to a degree (with longer deliveries often being more valuable), this payment doesn't always offer good value for your time even if you drive in the best times to Doordash.

The price of gas is only going up, and while DoorDash has tried to make this easier for its Dashers, that's not to say DoorDash always pays fairly. As such, if you have been looking to make the most of your time ' you're not a charity, after all! ' using the Para app can offer many benefits. Some of the benefits of Para, aside from just tip prediction that you could consider may include:

• Calculating the pay per mile
• Enabling you to take deliveries for multiple apps at once (such as GrubHub or UberEats)
• Blacklisting or flagging certain individuals, restaurants, or properties to avoid orders you're not comfortable with making
• Mile tracking helps you understand clearly how much your gas expenses are when delivering
• Estimated 'food ready by' times allow you to plan your day more efficiently, rather than waiting around for 20 minutes aimlessly at the restaurant for the meal to be finished
• See which items have been ordered, allowing you to determine if the order is likely to be of a higher value.
• Check whether you're delivering to a house or an apartment ' climbing ten flights of stairs with a massive delivery order is never much fun!

CONCLUSION

Getting started with DoorDash can be tough. However, while there's a welcome sign-up bonus for new DoorDash drivers, that alone may not be enough to make your earnings worthwhile. But it's not impossible to earn good money through DoorDash by making a few simple changes. And with this in mind, we highly recommend you consider all of the tips we've outlined today to help you earn more with gig work and work on multiple apps at once to maximize your time and income.

Good luck with your deliveries ' and remember, if you ever get stuck, the friendly Para delivery driver community is always around to help. Alternatively, check out our Para FAQs page if you have any other questions about completing DoorDash deliveries effectively through Para.