Money

Driving For DoorDash vs Driving For Postmates

We're putting together an editorial staff that reflects our broad audience and their various financial circumstances. We value and encourage the experiences and perspectives that help us connect with our readers, answer their questions, and win their trust. Please read our disclosure for more information.
Updated on July 12, 2021 by
doordash vs postmates

CommonCentsMom.com is advertiser-supported: we may earn compensation from the products and offers mentioned in this article. However, any expressed opinions are our own and aren't influenced by compensation. The contents of the CommonCentsMom.com website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this site (“Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your Financial Advisor, CPA and Lawyer with any questions you may have regarding your situation. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website!

In the last few years, there has been a great increase in a need for on-demand services. Whether its relying on Amazon to deliver everything we could possibly need in a span of 24-hours, or expecting food to be delivered from a restaurant of our choice in a timely manner, we have become quite accustomed to certain services today. With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for such food delivery apps has only increased, opening up a lucrative arena for people looking for a side hustle.

If you’ve considered working as a delivery driver for one of these apps, you might be struggling to pick the best one for yourself. With a number of delivery companies now available on the App and Google play store, it’s hard to know which one might offer the best work environment, as well as the highest pay.

Therefore, in this article, we have compiled all the information you could possibly need for 2 of the most popular delivery apps out there today – DoorDash and Postmates. So if you’re ready to earn some extra income, pay off your debt, or start a college fund, scroll down to ensure you make an informed decision and start raking in some real cash.

DoorDash At A Glance

Founded in 2013, DoorDash is a food delivery business that operates in over 4,000 cities across the United States and Canada. Customers can place an order from a list of over 450,000 merchants, and wait for a dasher (a DoorDash delivery driver) to pick up the order and fulfil the delivery. Customers can also schedule their order using DoorDash, rather than simply ordering real-time deliveries.

Postmates At A Glance

Launched in 2011, Postmates is currently owned by Uber and operates in over 2,900 cities in the United States. Customers can use Postmates to order anything from groceries to takeout, and from board games to accessories on the app, and at any time of the day.

One of the most popular delivery apps to exist today, Postmates has been called a celebrity favourite, with many stars talking about how much they have spent on deliveries using Postmates alone. Kylie Jenner said she spent over $10,000 on the app just in 2018, while her sister Kendall Jenner has spent upwards of $500 on single orders on the app.

Signing Up To Be A Delivery Driver

Signing up for both Postmates and DoorDash is a relatively similar process, and can take up to 2 weeks to get started. Once your application is accepted, you will receive an activation packet and you can then begin delivering.

Driver sign up requirements For DoorDash:
1. Be 18 years or older
2. Have an active driver’s license
3. Have auto insurance
4. Provide your social security number
5. Pass a background test

Driver sign up requirements for Postmates:
1. Be 18 years or older
2. Have an active driver’s license
3. Provide your social security number
4. Have a smartphone to download the Postmates app
5. Pass a background test
6. Sign up for a Postmates debit card

Delivery Hours

DoorDash: DoorDash offers a unique feature for customers where they can schedule their deliveries ahead of time. Similarly, as a delivery driver on the app, you can schedule your hours ahead of time, and enjoy a flexible work structure.

Postmates: Postmates offers deliveries 24/7. Therefore, as a delivery driver working with Postmates, you can literally work at any time of the day you like. If you have classes in the day and are looking to earn some cash at night, you can work later on in the day, or if you are looking to earn cash while your kids go to school, you can work during the mornings.

App Functionality:

DoorDash: The DoorDash app is relatively simple to use for dashers. All you need is a smartphone, and you can start scheduling your deliveries one week in advance. The app also offers a feature called ‘Dash Now,’ where drivers can take orders during high-demand times even if they aren’t scheduled to work then. One disadvantage of the DoorDash app is that it doesn’t offer a GPS map. Therefore, drivers have to download an alternate application such as Google maps to make their deliveries.

Postmates: Postmates also offers a simple app and an easy user experience for drivers. The app also comes with its own GPS map, making it simpler for drivers to easily navigate customer locations.

Delivery Pay For Drivers

While the previous factors we discussed in this article are likely to affect your decision on choosing an app to a certain limit, the pay for drivers is probably the most important element you are looking at when picking between DoorDash and Postmates.

Both DoorDash and Postmates pay around $20 per hour to their drivers. However, this price changes depending on your location, demand for deliveries at certain timings, and the distance you have to travel to make your deliveries. Both companies also use distinctive models of payment and pay their drivers weekly through a direct deposit.

DoorDash Pay Model

The Dasher pay model adds up your base pay (payment depending on the time and distance taken for the delivery), with 100% of the tips you receive, as well as any extra money you make for promotions such as completing challenges (making a certain number of deliveries in a given period of time). DoorDash also clearly showcases how much a driver can earn for a specific delivery before they choose to accept it.

Postmates Pay Model

The Postmates pay model adds up a fee for the time a driver spends in the store, with a standard rate per mile, and a base rate for pick up and drop off. These base rates change depending on which city you work in. Apart from their basic model, Postmates also offers a challenge called Crushers that allows drivers to earn bonuses. In order to complete this challenge, drivers need to deliver a certain number of orders in a specified period of time. Postmates drivers can also benefit from other bonus pays such as Hot Spots (delivering from high-demand areas), Blitz pricing during rush hour, and referral of friends.

Driver Ratings

DoorDash: DoorDash offers a 5-star rating system that looks at 4 different elements.

1. Customer Rating: Drivers are rated out of 5 by customers for each delivery they make, and only the most recent 100 deliveries are counted in the rating. Dashers need to maintain a minimum score of 4.2 in order to continue delivering on the app.
2. Acceptance Rate: This rating is affected each time you decline a delivery. However, no minimum score is required on this rating.
3. On Time/ Early Rate: This scale looks at your most recent 100 deliveries and rates you according to the time it takes to complete them.
4. Completion Rate: This shows how many deliveries were successfully completed out of your last 100. Any order canceled by customers doesn’t count or affect your score. Dashers need a minimum score of 70 to continue working on the app.

Postmates: After a few years of operation, Postmates moved from a 5-star rating system to a simple thumbs up or down option. The company says this allows drivers to not be held accountable for factors outside their control, as customers simply rate their overall delivery experience in one go.

DoorDash vs. Postmates: Which one is better for delivery drivers?

As discussed through all the factors above, both apps have their own advantages and disadvantages, and neither is better than the other. They do operate a little differently from one another though, and this could help you decide which one works the best for you.

For example, if you’re looking to work late nights, Postmates might be a better option for you with their 24/7 delivery options. However, if you’re looking for a more organized work structure where you can schedule your own working hours ahead of time, DoorDash might be the right pick for you.

Similar to ride-sharing jobs for companies like Lyft and Uber, you can also work for both Postmates and DoorDash together. This will help you receive more opportunities, and you can make even more money. Another way to ensure you maximize your earnings on either or both apps is to try to work during peak timings such as lunch, dinner, or on the weekends. This ensures that you don’t waste too much downtime between deliveries, and will even help you benefit from features such as Postmate’s Blitz pricing. Regardless of which app you choose, working as a delivery driver for either is a great side hustle and could help you rake in some extra cash.

(Visited 126 times, 1 visits today)

🏔 Read Next 🏔

Best Side Hustles of 2023

The 27 highest paying side hustles you can start today.

View article ➞

The Common Cents Mom Newsletter

Join thousands of curious consumers getting the inside scoop.