doordash review

Do you always look for ways to earn cash here and there?

Wish you could make extra income but retain flexibility?

We will find out how you can do that in this DoorDash review.

According to the latest report by Technavio, the major food delivery company that is growing at a very fast rate is DoorDash.

With many perks like the high pay and the fact that you don’t need a car, DoorDash is fast becoming the most chosen side hustle for many people to earn extra income.

Find out how to get paid to deliver food in this DoorDash review.

What is DoorDash?

With headquarters in San Francisco, DoorDash connects side hustlers like you and me with restaurants and food merchants, making the whole process of food delivery easy and profitable.

It connects restaurants that do not have an in-house delivery system and provide the service through “Dashers.” That’s you!

How does DoorDash work?

DoorDash

First, you need to sign up online on the website. Then after receiving your information, there is a background check.

The basic minimum requirements for you to become a Dasher are that you need to

  • Be at least 18 years old,
  • Have a valid driver’s license and insurance,
  • Have a smartphone to receive alerts for deliveries.

Related:

How much can you make with DoorDash?

The money you make with DoorDash depends on how much work you do and the area you deliver in.

According to the website, delivery pay is calculated as $1 + 100% of tip + pay boost. The pay boost amount will vary based on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the order, distance to the restaurant, and the orders you place yourself.

Base Pay + Promotions + Tips = Total Earnings

doordash pay

Base pay is the basic earning a Dasher gets from DoorDash. This could range from $2 to $10 depending on the various factors like distance, estimated time taken to deliver, and desirability of the order. The base pay could be more for the orders which take a longer time to deliver with more distance and are less popular with other Dashers.

Apart from the base pay, you can earn more when you participate in promotional offers like peak pay and challenges. Peak pay is where you get paid more when you accept deliveries during peak times. Peak pay is added to your total earnings when you are offered a job on the app.

Challenges are extra income incentives you get when you deliver certain deliveries in a set amount of time. Challenges in your area are automatically available to you via the app if you are eligible for them.

You can earn anywhere between $8 and $15 per hour including tips on average. This varies depending on the city you are in.

The best part is you get 100% of the tips!

Another way to earn money as a Dasher is referring by others to this awesome side hustle. Depending on the area you live in, you can earn a huge referral up to $500! That’s cool, right?!

You do have to keep in mind that you work as an independent contractor and pay for your gas and other expenses.

Where can you deliver with DoorDash?

You can sign up for this hustle in over 40 cities in the US.

Here is a detailed list of cities with other useful information.

How do you get started as a DoorDash driver?

Once you become a Dasher, you download the app, select your time slot, and head over to the job.

You can choose your times and location of work according to your schedule.

DoorDash gives you the flexibility to schedule your deliveries and gives you the chance to work as little or as much as you want. You can also choose peak hours to earn more money.

You also have the choice to decide where you want to accept your deliveries. You have choices like busy areas, navigate to a hotspot, or start at home.

Generally, you can get more work if you work in busy areas and busy time slots.

What is DoorDash rating system?

As a Dasher, you are given 4 types of ratings:

#1. Customer rating

When you deliver food, customers rate the food and the delivery experience. The delivery experience is taken into account when customer ratings are calculated for Dashers. This rating is an average of 100 of your most recent deliveries. The ratings are given on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. You need to maintain a minimum rating of 4.2 or DoorDash deactivates your account.

#2. Completion rate

The completion rate is calculated by dividing the number of deliveries you have completed by the number of deliveries you have accepted to complete. The completion rate goes down when you accept a job but do not complete it. Keep in mind that it’s not affected when a customer cancels an order. DoorDash deactivates dasher account if your completion rate is below 70%.

#3. Acceptant rate

This is the percentage of deliveries you accept out of the last 100 delivery opportunities you got. The acceptance rate goes down if you turn down a lot of jobs. Though a low acceptance rate does not affect your dasher account, it in turn, means you will be earning less money.

#4. Having a good rating means more opportunities and good pay.

What is DoorDash Drive?

DoorDash Drive Large Order Deliveries are handled by experienced dashers for large deliveries. You can enroll in this program on the Doordash app.

These deliveries can include catering or large group orders placed directly with the store. Some may even involve a light setup once arriving at the customer’s location if the restaurant or customer has requested it (you’ll know if a delivery opportunity involves setup before you accept it). A bonus with DoorDash drive is you can get OnTimeExtra Pay if you arrive on time and no more than 10 min early at the drop-off.

How do you get paid?

You get paid every week for the deliveries done the previous week, and the payment is through direct deposit to your bank.

You can also get paid daily through DailyPay.

Is being a DoorDash driver a good side hustle?

This could be an excellent side hustle for you for many reasons:

  • The flexibility to choose your own hours and job. This works out great for students, stay-at-home moms, or anyone looking for more flexible options.
  • You don’t need to have a car to deliver. In some areas, you can use bikes or even walk to deliver stuff. That’s a great perk if you want to work near your home or during school hours.
  • With a huge referral bonus, you get paid significant amounts when you refer your friends to this job. Another plus is you keep 100% of your tips.

How to get started with DoorDash?

You can sign up to be a Dasher here.

Tips to earn more as as a DoorDash driver

#1. Work during peak times

This is an easy guess. The usual peak times are generally around lunch/dinner and this is when you get the most money. You can schedule your deliveries in advance during these times to reserve your spots for guaranteed earning. Accepting deliveries near the hotspots is another way to earn more because these places are usually busy and have more deliveries regularly.

#2. Use DoorDash incentives

Always keep an eye out for the peak times and challenges. These incentives can hugely increase your daily earnings along with tips.

#3. Accept only big orders

If you are side hustling with other gigs, taking big orders is the smart way to boost your DoorDash earnings. Making less number of trips for more money is much better when you have other side hustles to manage.

#4. Watch out for hotspots

Keep an eye out for the busiest merchants and zones in the app (Hotspots) to earn more money.

Other DoorDash driver reviews

Indeed has some mixed reviews about Doordash.

  • It’s a great way to make extra money. If you are trying to do this full-time it can be a little stressful at times. The freedom to work when you want/need is great. 
  • It’s alright for a side dollar but not as the main job as it takes too much fuel compared to the money coming in. Very boring and draining. Sometimes having no co-workers lowers the will to go to work.

Final thoughts

With so many perks, DoorDash is gaining a lot of popularity among the side hustlers. Great pay and the flexibility to work whenever you want are the main reasons we chose side hustles, and DoorDash scores a lot of points here. 

Whether you are trying to pay down debt or earn extra money for emergencies or achieve other financial goals, DoorDash can be a great option to consider.

About Sireesha Narumanchi

Hi, I am Sireesha, and thank you for stopping by to get to know me. I am a work-at-home mom, a side hustler, and a firm believer in making "working from home" a success for everyone. I have worked in a remote job for over 11 years and tried many side gigs. I have been featured on many popular websites like Forbes, Business Insider, American Express, QuickBooks, The Muse, Moneyish, Virtual Vocations, Spark Hire, Bustle, Fairygodboss, Side Hustle School, Payoneer, Jobbatical, and Skillcrush.Read more...

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