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Uber Eats and DoorDash, two of the top platforms, are busier than ever. Both make it fast and easy to sign up for deliveries, but the setup and the way they work are a little different. Keep in mind that delivery fees, customer service and delivery times will vary by location and driver, but it begs the question- which drivers earn more?
Read: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000
DoorDash vs. Uber Eats: How Much Can You Make?
Both food delivery services will pay you for a combination of time — including waiting time to pick up an order — and mileage. You also have access to bonuses and incentives. Additional earnings can be made from tips.
Pay between Uber Eats vs. DoorDash is pretty comparable according to ZipRecruiter. It lists Uber Eats drivers’ earnings at an average of $39,448 per year compared to DoorDash drivers’ $39,969 so this food delivery market is a pretty tight footrace. Here are some key takeaways for both food delivery apps.
DoorDash Base Pay and Tips
- The base pay range for a DoorDash delivery is $2 to $10 or more depending on service fees and your working hours.
- You’ll see a base pay before you accept the order, so you’ll know the guaranteed minimum you’ll make.
- The base pay may be higher after you complete the delivery if the waiting time was longer. Challenges and guaranteed-earnings periods offer additional opportunities to earn more.
- Customers can leave a tip when they order the food and after on the credit card on file or in cash if they note their preference.
- In many cases, the pay you see before you accept the order already includes a tip. But you may still have a chance to get an additional tip after the food is delivered.
- Tips are all yours to keep.
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Uber Eats Base Pay and Tips
- As with DoorDash, base pay is a combination of mileage and time spent on delivery. Uber doesn’t provide a range on the Uber Eats app, but driver forums discuss a similar range to DoorDash.
- Uber Eats customers also receive a trip supplement in the event that the time and distance were longer than Uber accounted for in the base pay.
- You can earn extra during surge times and Boost promotions that increase your rate.
- You’ll see the amount of the delivery before you accept, and you can rest assured you’ll make at least that amount.
- A customer can leave you a tip when they are ordering or after you deliver.
- Uber Eats also lets you keep 100% of your tip money.
- Tips may take a while to show after you complete your delivery but can be found on the daily summary page on the app.
Uber Eats vs. DoorDash: Options for Getting Paid
Side hustles such as delivering food and groceries have grown in popularity as a good way to make extra money. Startup costs are minimal if you already have a smartphone and a car. Both apps give you options when it’s time to get paid. Here’s how each service works.
Uber Eats
There are two ways to cash your earnings out:
- Set up direct deposit: On Mondays at 4 a.m., earnings are closed out. Then they are processed for payment on Wednesday and deposited into your checking account on Thursday.
- Request Instant Pay: You can cash out via Instant Pay any time during the week. Depending on the bank, it may take up to a few business days to see the funds in your account. You can request Instant Pay up to five times per day, but each instance comes with an $0.85 fee.
- Service fee for customers: There is a service fee tacked on to the bill so be aware this could affect your tips. Uber charges roughly 4% of the customer’s order subtotal.
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DoorDash
You have four ways to collect your earnings with DoorDash.
- Set up direct deposit: Weekly earnings are closed out and direct deposited into your linked account on Mondays. You’ll probably see the funds on Wednesday.
- Request Fast Pay: Link a debit card to get paid before direct deposit day. You must qualify for the service by completing at least 25 deliveries. There is also an initial seven-day processing delay and each Fast Pay request costs $1.99.
- DasherDirect: This prepaid Visa debit card offers instant, no-fee deposits after every Dash. You may also qualify for certain benefits, such as cash back on gas and free access to a network of ATMs.
- Cash on Delivery: You can also choose to collect cash from the customer upon arrival.
- Service fee for customers: There is a service fee tacked on to the bill so be aware this could affect your tips. DoorDash fees start at $0.60 and go up based on the customer’s order subtotal.
Tips To Earn More as a Delivery Driver
- Work during peak periods: You’ll sometimes earn a bonus amount for working late nights, weekdays at lunchtime or weekend evenings.
- Accept stacked orders: Let Uber Eats or DoorDash organize your schedule by accepting multiple pickups and drop-offs at once.
- Add small touches of service: Small, personal details — like a mint from the restaurant or a text letting them know you’ve delivered the order — could help you earn a bigger tip.
DoorDash vs. Uber Eats: Requirements
The first thing to go over is who can sign up to deliver with DoorDash or Uber Eats. Check out the following information:
| Requirements | DoorDash | Uber Eats |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age for car deliveries | 18 | 19 |
| Type of car | No restrictions | Must have two or four doors |
| License | Valid driver’s license | Valid driver’s license |
| Driving | – Car insurance required – Clean driving record | Car insurance and registration required |
| Bike or scooter | – Bikes, scooters, motorcycles and walking deliveries allowed in select cities – Where bikes and scooters are allowed, can toggle between modes of transportation | – Bikes and scooters allowed in select cities – Motorized scooters must be 50cc maximum – Scooter deliveries allowed for drivers 19 and older – Bicycle and foot deliveries allowed for those 18 and older |
| Background check | Must pass a background check | Must pass a background check |
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How To Sign Up
The process for signing up is the same on both DoorDash and Uber Eats. Here’s what you need to do:
- Apply online or through the mobile app.
- Upload a photo of your driver’s license.
- Provide insurance information.
- Provide your Social Security number.
- Consent to the background check.
- Wait for the background check to clear.
- Finish setting up your account.
Final Take To GO: DoorDash or Uber Eats?
While both delivery services have a lot going for them, DoorDash comes out on top. Uber Eats is simple and user-friendly, but DoorDash has more flexible features, such as scheduling and fewer delivery vehicle restrictions, and higher average pay.
However, you may find that one delivery app is busier in your area than the other, which would make that the best option for you. You may even decide to do both, picking and choosing each service’s peak periods for the best pay — or driving for both services simultaneously on slower days.
Cynthia Bowman contributed to the reporting for this article.
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- ZipRecruiter. "Uber Eats Delivery Driver Salary."
- ZipRecruiter. "DoorDash Driver Salary."
