The rise of the gig economy and on-demand services has created new opportunities to earn extra income with flexible work. One of the most popular gig jobs is delivering groceries and food through apps.
With more people shopping online and demand for quick delivery growing, services like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash and others need drivers to pick up orders from stores and restaurants and bring them to customers. It’s a great way to earn extra cash on a flexible schedule.
This guide covers 6 of the most popular platforms for delivering groceries and food. Whether you want to stick to delivering groceries from supermarkets or expand into restaurant meal delivery, there are plenty of options to fit your preferences.
Read on to learn more about how each service works, how much you can earn, and how to get started delivering groceries and food in your spare time. The ability to choose when and how often to deliver provides income opportunities no matter what your current schedule looks like.
Instacart
Instacart is an on-demand grocery delivery service that allows you to shop and deliver groceries to customers in your area. With Instacart, you can earn money by shopping for groceries and delivering them to customers’ homes.
Getting Started with Instacart
To get started with Instacart, you first need to sign up through their website or mobile app. You’ll need to pass a background check and provide your driver’s license information. Once approved, you can start accepting orders in your area.
When you accept an order, you’ll go shop at the requested store, pay for the order with an Instacart shopper card, then deliver the groceries. Instacart shoppers get paid per order, plus tips. You get to keep 100% of your tips.
Earnings Potential with Instacart
Instacart pays weekly via direct deposit. Earnings depend on your location, but shoppers report average earnings of $15-22 per hour including tips. Busy times like weekends and holidays tend to have more orders available.
You get paid per order you accept. Instacart also provides bonuses during busy periods. You can increase earnings by providing excellent service and accepting orders quickly to complete more per hour.
Some key tips:
- Accept orders quickly to maximize orders
- Provide excellent customer service
- Shop efficiently to complete orders faster
- Work during peak hours like weekends and holidays
Instacart provides a flexible way to earn solid part-time income shopping for groceries and delivering to local customers in your community. Signing up and getting started is quick and easy.
Uber Eats
Uber Eats is one of the most popular food delivery services, allowing drivers to earn extra income delivering meals from restaurants to customers’ doors.
Getting Started as an Uber Eats Driver
To become an Uber Eats driver, you first need to meet the basic requirements:
- Have a valid driver’s license and insurance
- Be at least 19 years old
- Have a vehicle that meets Uber’s requirements (typically a 4-door car made in the last 10 years)
Once you’ve verified you meet the criteria, you’ll need to complete a background check and upload your driver’s license, insurance, and vehicle information.
After approval, you can start accepting delivery requests in the Uber Eats app. You’ll get a notification when a customer places an order from a nearby restaurant. If you accept the request, the app provides turn-by-turn directions to the restaurant.
Maximizing Earnings with Uber Eats
Uber Eats pays per delivery, so your earnings depend on how many deliveries you complete during a shift. Here are some tips to maximize your hourly pay rate:
- Work during peak times – Lunch and dinner rushes on weekends tend to be the busiest times.
- Position yourself near popular restaurants– Hang out near busy restaurants so you get more requests.
- Provide excellent service – Aim for 5-star ratings to get priority for delivery requests.
- Track promotions – Check the app for boosted rates during high demand times.
You also keep 100% of tips customers add when they place the order. Providing fast, accurate deliveries with good communication can help boost your tips.
Overall, Uber Eats is a flexible way to earn solid payouts if you strategically accept deliveries and provide top-notch service. The extra income can quickly add up if you put in the hours.
Deliver with DoorDash
DoorDash is one of the most popular on-demand food delivery services. With DoorDash, you can earn money by delivering food from restaurants to customers’ doors.
Getting Started with DoorDash
To get started delivering with DoorDash, go to the DoorDash website and complete the online application. You’ll need to provide your name, contact information, social security number, driver’s license details, and proof of insurance if delivering by car. There is also a background check.
Once approved, you can sign up for delivery shifts in your area through the Dasher app. When you’re on shift, you’ll get notifications of delivery opportunities nearby. You choose which orders you want to accept.
How DoorDash Orders and Pay Work
For each delivery, DoorDash provides you with the restaurant name, customer address and order details. You drive to the restaurant, pick up the packaged order, then deliver to the customer. Customers can tip through the app. You get to keep 100% of your tips.
DoorDash pays a base pay per order plus additional pay boosts during busy times. Expect to earn around $15-20 per hour on average. The more deliveries you can complete within a shift, the more you’ll earn.
Tips for DoorDash Drivers
- Schedule shifts in advance in busy areas to maximize orders.Friday dinner and weekends tend to be busiest.
- Make sure you have cup holders, hot bags and other delivery equipment to transport orders safely.
- Communicate with customers if orders are taking longer than expected or you can’t find their address.
- Maintain at least a 4.7 star rating to remain eligible for orders. Provide great service.
- Dress professionally as you’re representing DoorDash to customers.
DoorDash is a flexible way to earn extra income in your spare time. With some strategy, you can maximize your delivery opportunities and cash.
Deliver with Grubhub
Grubhub is one of the most popular food delivery services. The company partners with over 300,000 restaurants in 4,000 cities across the United States.
Grubhub operates a marketplace model connecting drivers, known as Grubhub drivers, with restaurants looking to outsource delivery. When a customer places an order on Grubhub, it goes to the restaurant. Once the order is ready, a nearby Grubhub driver is dispatched for pickup and delivery.
Grubhub drivers earn per order they complete based on factors like time, distance and desirability of the order. Delivery pay rates vary by market, but drivers typically earn between $8-12 per order on average. Grubhub uses an algorithm to determine order allocation and driver pay rates.
Drivers looking to maximize earnings on Grubhub should focus on:
- Accepting and completing orders quickly – the more deliveries, the more money.
- Working during peak times like lunch and dinner when order volume is highest.
- Delivering in areas with dense restaurants – less waiting and downtime.
- Maintaining high service ratings to get priority access to the best orders.
Grubhub also offers various driver promotions to boost pay during busy periods. Common promotions include guaranteed hourly pay, bonus pay per order, and referral bonuses. Checking the Grubhub driver app for available promotions is important to earn the most per hour.
Postmates
Postmates is another popular app-based delivery service that lets drivers earn money by delivering food, groceries, and other items from local stores and restaurants.
With Postmates, drivers use their own cars and bikes to complete deliveries. The Postmates app allows customers to order anything from fast food to pharmacy items. As a Postmates driver, you’ll earn money by picking up orders from merchants and delivering them to customers.
The Postmates pay structure is simple – you earn a fee per delivery plus 100% of tips. Delivery fees start at around $3-5 per order. There are also incentives like Blitz pricing which increases fees during busy times. You get to keep 80% of the delivery fee on each order, while Postmates takes the remaining 20%.
There are two main order types on Postmates:
- Delivery orders – These are regular deliveries from restaurants, fast food chains, cafes etc. As the driver, you go to the merchant, pick up the requested items, then deliver to the customer’s address.
- Pickup orders – With these, the customer has already placed and paid for the order with the merchant. As the driver, you go to the pickup location, get the order, and deliver it.
Tips for Postmates drivers:
- Accept orders with shorter delivery distances to maximize earnings per hour
- Try to deliver during peak times like lunch and dinner when there is high demand
- Multi-apping with other delivery apps can also increase profits
For doing Postmates deliveries, you’ll need a smartphone and car or bike. Having insulated bags to keep food warm is recommended too. Make sure to do regular maintenance and cleaning on your vehicle.
GoPuff
GoPuff is an on-demand delivery service that focuses on delivering convenience store items, grocery items, alcohol, and food from restaurants in 30 minutes or less.
GoPuff Business Model
GoPuff operates its own warehouses and stocks over 2,500 products. When a customer places an order, a driver delivers the items directly from the GoPuff warehouse. This allows for fast delivery times. GoPuff charges a flat delivery fee, typically around $1.95, for each order.
For drivers, GoPuff pays per delivery instead of per hour. The company advertises average pay of $12-18 per hour for drivers. Drivers keep 100% of their tips. GoPuff delivery zones are small, usually 1-2 mile radii from the warehouse, allowing for quick round trips.
Getting Started with GoPuff
To become a GoPuff driver, you first need to sign up on the GoPuff website or app. You’ll need to provide your name, phone number, email, and mode of transportation.
GoPuff has an onboarding process that includes submitting documents, passing a background check, watching orientation videos, and downloading the delivery app. Once approved, you can start receiving and accepting delivery opportunities.
Drivers must be at least 21 years old with a valid drivers license and eligible vehicle insurance. GoPuff offers flexibility – you sign up for shifts that fit your schedule through the app. There are no minimum hour requirements.
Maximizing Earnings with GoPuff
Here are some tips to maximize earnings as a GoPuff driver:
- Work during peak times – late nights and weekends when demand is highest
- Accept as many deliveries as possible during your shift
- Deliver quickly and safely to increase tips
- Take shifts from busy GoPuff locations
- Maintain high ratings to get priority for delivery offers
- Learn your delivery zone geography to optimize routes
GoPuff is a great option for earning extra income with delivery driving. The flexibility, quick deliveries, and tip potential make it an attractive opportunity.
Other Services
Deliveroo, Caviar, Amazon Flex, and others make up a growing list of food delivery apps and services. While the major players like Instacart and DoorDash dominate the market, these alternatives can provide unique opportunities in certain regions.
Deliveroo operates mostly in Europe, Asia, and Australia. They focus primarily on restaurant delivery rather than grocery items. The service allows customers to order food from local restaurants and have it delivered in around 30 minutes. Deliveroo drivers pick up meals from restaurants and complete the deliveries using cars, scooters or bicycles.
Caviar is a delivery app owned by DoorDash which caters to higher-end restaurants. They partner with popular local restaurants that don’t normally offer delivery. Caviar delivery drivers provide service in major metropolitan areas within the U.S. This service appeals to foodies willing to pay a premium price for restaurant quality meals delivered.
Amazon Flex enables people to earn money by delivering Amazon packages rather than food. It offers flexible blocks of time to make deliveries using your own vehicle. Amazon Flex is an alternative earning opportunity but doesn’t specialize specifically in grocery delivery. The service operates in many major cities where Amazon Prime Now grocery delivery is available.
Getting Started
Signing up to deliver for services like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and others is easy. Here are some tips to get started:
- Choose which services you want to deliver for. Compare each service and sign up for accounts with the ones that work best for your schedule and needs. Many allow you to easily toggle your availability.
- Get any required equipment. Most food delivery services just require you to use your own vehicle. Grocery services like Instacart will send you an insulated grocery bag. Make sure your phone is compatible with the app and has a mount or holder in your car.
- Set your availability. Most apps make it easy to set your availability in advance or turn delivering on or off whenever you want. Take advantage of peak delivery times like mealtimes and weekends to earn more. Consider limiting your availability to avoid getting too many requests.
- Learn your region. Take some time to learn the popular restaurants and grocery stores in your area. Being familiar with store layouts and locations will make shopping and deliveries more efficient.
- Track income and expenses. Keep track of how much you earn per hour through each service after expenses like gas and supplies. Adjust your availability and strategy to maximize your income.
- Provide good service. Earn better tips by communicating with customers, ensuring orders are accurate, and delivering food and groceries on time. Excellent service means more delivery opportunities.
Once you’re set up with accounts, equipment, and knowledge of your region, you’ll be ready to start earning cash making deliveries around your schedule!
Conclusion
The gig economy offers a number of opportunities for people looking to earn extra cash delivering groceries and prepared food. Services like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and GoPuff allow you to set your own schedule and get paid for each delivery you complete.
While each service has its own pay structure and requirements, some key tips can help maximize your earnings across platforms:
- Take advantage of peak times – early mornings, lunch, dinners, and weekends tend to be busiest.
- Consider driving for multiple services to increase your chances of getting orders.
- Be strategic about which orders you accept – analyze distance, traffic, wait times, and payout.
- Provide excellent customer service – this can lead to better tips and ratings.
Most importantly, your safety and reliability should be top priorities as a delivery driver. Follow all traffic laws, drive defensively, and complete deliveries efficiently and professionally. Let the service and restaurant know immediately if you face any issues completing an order. With smart planning and execution, delivering groceries and food can be a flexible and consistent way to earn extra money on your own schedule.