Best Time To Do Postmates – Make More Money As A Postmates Courier!

If you're currently delivering for Postmates and are finding that your earnings are all over the map, you're not alone.

One common theme of gig apps is the volatility in hourly pay; some days might be $100+ days easily, whereas others are painfully slow and barely let you accept orders.

So, if you want to make more money with Postmates, it's important to limit this volatility as much as possible and to maximize orders.

That's why knowing the best times to do Postmates is super important for couriers who want to make the most money possible.

In this post, we're covering the best times to deliver for Postmates, what Postmates peak hours are, and how couriers can schedule their delivery shifts to make as much money as possible.

Let's get to it!

Looking for other high-paying delivery side hustles? Checkout:

• DoorDash – Make extra money by delivering food as a DoorDash courier!
• Instacart – Earn $10 to $25 per hour for delivering groceries!

Why Driving The Best Postmates Hours Matters

So, why is it important to deliver at the best Postmates times?

Well, one key to making more money with Postmates is getting as many order requests as possible per hour as possible.

This isn't even so you can accept all the orders either. Rather, getting more requests per hour lets you be more selective about the orders you accept, so you can cherry-pick the highest paying ones.

So, in other words, delivering at busy Postmates times gives you better odds of having more high-paying orders per hour, ultimately netting more income per day.

This is the same for driving at the best DoorDash times or the best Instacart times; the key is to hit the road while demand is high!

The Best Times For Postmates

If you want to find the best times to do Postmates, it's helpful to look at what the company suggests couriers do as well as what real delivery drivers are saying.

Let's dive in!

What Postmates Says

So, what are peak hours for Postmates?

Well, according to Postmates' own website, peak hours are:

• Lunch (Everyday): 11:00am to 2:00pm.
• Dinner (Everyday): 5:30pm to 9:30pm
• Friday & Weekends: Generally have high demand throughout the day, and especially at Postmates peak hours.

All in all, this data isn't surprising. People tend to make breakfast at home or skip it altogether. But many people order food for lunch, dinner, or late-night snacks.

The fact that Fridays and the weekend are some of the best times to deliver for Postmates also makes sense since this is when people typically have parties, go out, or celebrate long weekends (so no one feels like cooking).

Again, this is similar to other delivery gigs like driving for Uber Eats, so this all makes sense.

What Real Couriers Say

Alright, so what do actual Postmates couriers have to say about the best times to drive for Postmates?

Well, if we look on Reddit, it seems like couriers are mostly discussing the worst and best days to do Postmates.

And, it looks like some couriers say Tuesday and Wednesday are the worst:

Again, this makes sense when you think about what Postmates says on its own website.

Additionally, Monday is a “recovery” day for a lot of people who had a busy weekend, so they might order food anyway and then get back to cooking on Tuesday/Wednesday.

I think this video from Tanner Markley, a food delivery courier and YouTuber, also sheds a lot of light on the best Postmates times:

In his video, Tanner explains that:

• The best days to do Postmates are Friday and the weekend.
• Lunch and dinner are always best.

But Tanner also says that Sunday breakfasts are a great time to work for Postmates because people wake up and are hungover or tired from their weekend activities.

Tanner also says that Saturday breakfasts can work for the same reason, so don't be afraid to test out 9:00am to 11:00am on some weekends. This is especially true if it's a holiday or if there's a special event going on in town.

Finally, Tanner states that 2:00pm to 4:00pm, or between lunch and dinner, are pretty slow for orders.

Pro Tip: Tanner also says that delivering for Postmates when it rains means you get way more orders, which makes sense since people don't want to leave the house!

Extra Reading – Ways To Make $50 Per Day.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you're still wondering how to make more money per delivery or when you should deliver for Postmates, these additional answers to some common questions might help!

1. What Are Postmates Hot Spots?

Delivering at the best Postmates times often overlaps with delivering in Postmates hot spots.

So, what are hot spots?

In a nutshell, hot spots are areas in your market that are busy so you have higher chances of receiving an order request if you're in that area.

Looking for hot spots can also help you figure out when Postmates is busy before you tap Go Online, so it's just an easy trick to keep in mind.

2. What Is Postmates Blitz Pricing?

Like other food delivery apps, Postmates sometimes charges customers more for deliveries during very busy periods.

This is known as Blitz Pricing.

According to Postmates, “When there are not enough Postmates to fulfill demand, the delivery price increases by a multiple. When enough Postmates come on the platform, then the price comes back down.”

So, theoretically, driving during busy Postmates times increases the odds you can land Blitz Pricing and make more per delivery.

However, a lot of couriers on Reddit aren't happy with Blitz Pricing…just check out this Reddit thread for an idea of why:

As you can see, it looks like Blitz Pricing is a bit glitchy and doesn't always gurantee higher pay.

Granted, this is an older thread, but I've found more recent threads that are saying similar things or just stating that Blitz Pricing is rare.

In short, I think the lesson is to try and deliver at the best Postmates times. If you happen to snag Blitz Pay, that's just a bonus.

3. Is Doing Postmates At Night Worth It?

Delivering for Postmates at night can be worth it, especially if it's a weekend or there's a late-night event going on in town.

Just remember to be safe if you're a bike courier or delivering on foot or scooter; reflective clothing is an absolute must so drivers can see you!

Extra Reading – The Best Driving Apps That Pay.

Final Thoughts

I hope this list of the best times to deliver for Postmates helps you maximize your earnings!

One final thing I want to mention is that experimentation is key with any gig economy job.

So, don't be afraid to try other side hustles like making money with DoorDash or trying out gigs like Instacart.

People like different companies and gigs for different reasons, and every market is different.

But, hopefully, driving at the busiest Postmates hours helps you get more order requests and make more money as a food delivery courier!

Catch you guys in the next one!