Working as a food delivery driver is a great way to earn extra cash on a flexible schedule.
One of the most popular services that you can deliver for is DoorDash. I recently signed up
to be a DoorDash driver and tried it out for four weeks to show you what the process is like.
Stick around to the end to hear how much I made delivering for DoorDash in Lexington, Kentucky.
I’ll show you how to get started, how much you can expect to make and how to maximize your earnings.
If you have a car with up-to-date insurance and a working smartphone, you can drive for DoorDash.
DoorDash is available in more than 850 cities across North America.
Visit the DoorDash website and enter your address online to see if it’s available in your area.
As a driver, you’ll be expected to use your smartphone and vehicle to accept and deliver
orders. You’ll earn base pay for each delivery,
Peak Pay when it’s available and 100% of the tips that customers leave.
There are two different apps for DoorDash: the food delivery app for customers and
the driver app for freelancers. Both apps are free to download on iOS and
Android devices, and accounts are free to create. To get started, download the DoorDash driver app
for iOS or Android. Once you open the app, click “Become a Dasher.”
You’ll be asked to enter your ZIP code and phone number before creating an account.
After you enter your name and create a password,
you’ll need to submit a background check through Checkr.
To complete the background check, you’ll need to provide your vehicle details.
Here, you’ll also have to check a box stating that you have an active car insurance policy.
Once you click “continue,” you’ll be able to enter your driver’s license number,
birthday and social security number to complete your background check.
You can also request a free copy to be sent to your email.
Once you’ve completed this step, you’ll be asked to enter your address so that DoorDash
can send you a free activation kit. The kit includes a “hot bag,” a company credit card
(called a Red Card) and a manual. While there are some orders you won’t be eligible to take until
you’ve activated your Red Card, you can start delivering before the activation kit arrives.
Finally, you’ll need to fill out a W-9 form and enter your bank account information so
that you can get paid. Once you submit your information and are approved, you can start!
My approval went through within the hour, but it can take up to a week.
Once approved you can log in and start delivering.
To start accepting deliveries, you’ll need to be in a red zone and click “Dash Now.” Additionally,
you can click the “Schedule” tab on the bottom of the screen if you want to sign up for future
shifts. You can cancel or reschedule your shifts at any time by clicking the “Schedule” tab.
When a nearby order is placed, you’ll receive an alert in the app and a text
message notifying you of the new order. You’ll have a limited time to accept
or decline the order in the app before it’s given to the next available driver.
If you accept the job, you’ll see the address for the restaurant or store that’s preparing
the customer’s order. You can click “Directions” to open up the navigation app of your choice.
You’ll see a sliding bar across the bottom of the DoorDash driver app to indicate when you’ve
arrived, when you’ve picked up the order and when you’re completing the delivery.
Once you’ve arrived at the restaurant or retailer, you’ll see the details of the
customer’s order so you can check it for accuracy. Once you’ve picked the order up,
you’ll see the customer’s address along with any special instructions.
DoorDash offers no-contact delivery that customers can request. If your
customer indicates that they want a no-contact delivery,
you’ll receive an in-app alert and a text message letting you know once you’ve picked up the order.
When you arrive at the customer’s address, you’ll be able to take a photo, and send a
secure text or call from a secure number to let them know you’re dropping off the order.
Once you’ve completed the delivery, you’ll see a summary of your earnings. After you click
“Got It,” you’ll be ready to accept your next order or end your dash.
You’ll receive payments via direct deposit to the bank account you listed when signing up.
DoorDash pays drivers weekly on Mondays for the work completed the previous Monday-Sunday.
Whatever you’ve earned by Sunday at midnight PST will be transferred to
your bank account at that time. But it may take a few days for the money to show up.
As a DoorDash driver, you’re able to choose when and how often you work.
Because of the extreme flexibility, earnings vary greatly between one DoorDash driver and another.
I’ve been using DoorDash in Lexington, Kentucky, and worked shifts during lunch,
dinner and the weekends. In my experience, you can expect to earn anywhere from $10-$25 hourly.
Over the course of a month, I earned an average of $183.51 weekly by working an
average of 9 hours and 15 minutes. That means I made around $19.84 an hour.
Here, you can see a breakdown of earnings from one of those weeks.
DoorDash pay includes the base pay per delivery plus any Peak Pay. All deliveries
include a minimum payment amount (base pay) that’s typically between $2-$3. Peak Pay is
available during busy times and adds $1-$5 per delivery. In addition to DoorDash pay, customer
tips are also added to earnings and DoorDash drivers get to keep 100% of customer tips.
Of course, there are expenses that come with the job including the wear on your car and gas. Also,
as a freelance DoorDash driver, you’ll need to withhold your own taxes. But with these expenses,
it’s still possible to make $10-$20 per hour.
To Maximize Your Earnings as a DoorDash Driver, Follow These Tips:
First, drive during Peak Pay times.
When you open the app, you can click on “Promos” in the top left corner to see
if Peak Pay timeslots are available. This lets you earn an extra $1-$5 per delivery.
Second, go to hotspots if you’re waiting for orders. When you’re actively DoorDashing,
you’ll see hotspots on the map. These are areas where a lot of orders are being placed. If you’re
waiting on orders, hang out near these restaurants to maximize your chances of getting an assignment.
Finally, be strategic about which orders you accept.
Before you accept or decline an order, you’ll be able to see the total minimum pay you’ll
earn — including customer tips. You’ll also see the total distance you’ll have to drive.
If an order is too far or too small, it’s okay to turn it down.
Also, you can accept multiple orders at once if they come up. DoorDash will
offer you multiple orders only if your destinations are in the same direction.
This is a great way to double what you’ll earn and only drive slightly farther.
Still, keep in mind that your earnings will vary from hour to hour
depending on where you live, when you’re driving and whether customers leave a tip.
Overall, driving for DoorDash is a great way to earn extra money.
Signing up is easy and I was able to take my first order the day I signed up!
After being a freelance DoorDash driver for a full month, I found that I really
enjoyed the flexible scheduling and being able to choose which orders I accepted.
Peak Pay promos and hotspots also made it easy to maximize my earnings.
On the other hand, no hourly pay meant that there were times I had to wait on new orders
and wasn’t getting paid for that time. I also had to wait for busy times to work
or sign up for a shift in advance.
If you do decide to become a DoorDash driver,
be sure to hold back enough of your earnings each week to cover your estimated tax payments.
Have you ever worked as a freelance driver? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
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