DoorDash Top Dasher Requirements – How To Become A Top Dasher
If you’ve been a DoorDash driver for a while, then you know that it’s an excellent gig economy job and a reliable way to make extra money every week.
And, as a side hustle, delivering for DoorDash is also flexible.
Some drivers only complete a few deliveries per week, while others are dashing 50+ orders!
But, if you're currently doing some serious driving for DoorDash, you might be eligible for the DoorDash Top Dasher program and qualify for a variety of driver perks.
But, is the Top Dasher program worth it? And, more importantly, wat does it even do for you as a driver?
In this post, we're breaking down Top Dasher requirements, the rewards you get, and if it's even worth it.
Let’s get to it!
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What is DoorDash’s Top Dasher Program?
The DoorDash Top Dasher Program is a rewards program for the best dashers that offers perks and benefits based on certain driving criteria.
In a nutshell, if you already drive for DoorDash and are an excellent delivery worker, you’ll earn more benefits for your rating, deliveries made, and other requirements.
In fact, if you already work long hours as a driver every week, then you may have already been accepted as a DoorDash Top Dasher.
But, all of these perks and benefits are what DoorDash advertises for its Top Dasher program. As we're going to dig into, some “perks” aren't necessarily perks depending on your delivery style.
Plus, if you only work a few hours per week, the program may not be worth hustling for.
Let's take a deeper look at what perks you get as a Top Dasher.
Top Dasher Rewards & Perks
You’re probably wondering… what benefits am I getting exactly from being a part of this program?
Here are the Top Dasher rewards:
- Dash Anytime: Even if it's busy and you can't normally drive for DoorDash, Top Dashers can start working anytime they want in any zone.
- More Deliveries: According to DoorDash, Top Dashers get priority for new orders. If things are slow, this helps you get orders over non Top Dasher drivers.
- Priority Access for High Value Orders: According to DoorDash, this new Top Dasher perk gives you priority to orders of $35 or over. This can lead to more tips, increasin your hourly pay. This Top Dasher perk is still being rolled out to all markets, however.
That’s all there is to it. Depending on your situation, these perks may or may not be very rewarding for you.
For example, it's still best to drive at the best DoorDash times and to schedule shifts when you can, so Dash Anytime isn't incredibly useful if you're delivering at a slow window.
But, if you dash when it's busy but forgot to schedule yourself so your zones are grey, this perk is actually pretty useful.
As for getting more delivery requests, this can be good, provided the orders are worth your time.
As we mention in our post on DoorDash driver tips and tricks, you should aim to complete deliveries that pay around $1 per mile you drive.
So, if you get more order requests but they all pay peanuts, this perk isn't exactly a perk.
Top Dasher Requirements – How To Become A Top Dasher
If you're wondering how to get Top Dasher status, DoorDash actually spells out all of the requirements very clearly.
Getting accepted to the Top Dasher Program requires you to hit a few milestones every month.
Here are the Top Dasher Requirements:
- Achieve a customer rating of at least 4.7 stars
- Have an acceptance rate of at least 70%
- Have a completion rate of at least 95%
- Reach 100 completed deliveries in the last month
- Reach at least 200 all-time deliveries
If you hit these requirements by the end of any given month, you’ll be considering a Top Dasher for the next month. DoorDash states you need to meet the Top Dasher requirements by 11:59pm on the last day of a particular month.
Note: you have to meet these requirements and maintain them every month to keep your Top Dasher status.
So, if you dip below these requirements, you can enjoy Top Dasher perks until the end of the month. But, you have to requalify the following month.
If you're DoorDashing for the first time, it will probably take a while to qualify for Top Dasher because of the lifetime delivery requirements.
But, don't stress too much; we're about to explore why being a Top Dasher might not be worthwhile for every delivery driver.
Is Being a Top Dasher Worth It?
It depends on who you ask and what market you're in.
To help answer this question, we're comparing what DoorDash says vs what real delivery drivers say. I know who’s opinion I’m trusting on this one, but it’s useful to see both sides.
What DoorDash Says
DoorDash heavily advocates for drivers to work their way up into the DoorDash Top Dasher Program.
That makes sense since they need more drivers on the road, which in turn makes them more money.
DoorDash also breaks any ties in your favor if you are equally close to an order as another dasher. If you want to deliver as much as possible, this is a perk.
However, it was surprising to find a few extra tips on their website for Top Dashers that technically go against the whole point of the program.
For example, DoorDash says to continue scheduling time slots for deliveries, even if you have priority to dash anytime. This signals that the ability to dash anytime isn't always super useful.
The benefits are clear, but is it all just to incentivize more dashers to fall for this money trap?
What Real Couriers Say
Real couriers have been giving mixed reviews about the Top Dasher program. Some love it, some hate it.
Here’s what real DoorDash drivers say about it on Reddit:
- “I make significantly less money being a top dasher. While the dash anytime feature is nice, the offers are worse.”
- “I’ve been a top dasher for the past 2 months and I have declined so many offers that my AR (acceptance rate) is single digits, but when I do accept an offer the payout is a lot higher than before.”
- “Holding my acceptance rate at 30%, I'm not taking orders under 8$ unless it is literally a mile to a restaurant and a mile to drop off…”
- “First month as top dasher and I do have to decline a lot of offers AR down to 17% but…. I’m making a lot more cash each week so I’m thankful”
As you can see from this courier, they think the Top Dasher program is just a way for DoorDash to force drivers into accepting low-paying orders:
But, other couriers think being a Top Dasher is worth it. This courier likes the ability to dash anytime and states they are making more money per week with DoorDash now:
The general consensus seems to be that couriers enjoy the freedom of not having time slots, but they still decline a lot of low paying offers.
Pros & Cons of Top Dasher Program
If you're wondering if reaching the Top Dasher qualifications is worth it or not, here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
- Dash anytime so you don't necessarily have to create a schedule
- Priority on deliveries
- Priority on high value orders
- Easy for hard working dashers to get accepted
- Higher pay on average according to DoorDash and some couriers
Cons
- You need to maintain a high order acceptance rate
- Get lots of low paying offers (that you’ll want to decline)
- Have to get accepted every month and requalify for the program
- Hard for average drivers to get accepted
The pros can outweigh the cons if you’re already working a lot of hours per week. As a new/casual driver, it might not be worth the hassle.
Extra Reading – 20+ Apps That Pay You To Drive.
Top Dasher vs Early Access Scheduling
DoorDash Top Dasher is a reward program that offers the ability to dash anytime and get priority over orders.
Early Access Scheduling is a perk that offers early access to the time slots on the DoorDash app, allowing you to have priority during busier hours.
When comparing Top Dasher vs Early Access Scheduling, it’s important to remember the requirements and benefits of each program to earn the most.
These are the Early Access Scheduling requirements:
- Achieve a customer rating of at least 4.6 stars
- Have a completion rate of at least 95%
- Completed at least 5 deliveries in the last week or 500 all time deliveries
These requirements are similar, if not easier, compared to Top Dasher.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you still have a few lingering questions about the DoorDash Top Dasher program, hopefully these FAQs will clear things up.
1. How Do I Become a Top Dasher?
To become a top dasher, you must meet the following criteria on DoorDash:
- Achieve a customer rating of at least 4.7 stars
- Have an acceptance rate of at least 70%
- Have a completion rate of at least 95%
- Reach 100 completed deliveries in the last month
- Reach at least 200 all-time deliveries
You must hit these requirements every month in order to stay qualified as a top dasher.
2. Do Top Dasher Requirements Reset Every Month?
Yes, the requirements reset every month.
The requirements themselves never change (or at least, they haven't in a while), but you must qualify for them every month in order to become a top dasher the next month.
3. What Happens If Your Acceptance Rate is Low on DoorDash?
There are no consequences if your acceptance rate is low on DoorDash.
This is a common myth or thing that new drivers might be scared of, but it doesn't matter. If you don't think a delivery is worth it, you don't have to accept it if you don't feel like it.
The only place where acceptance rate matters is if you’re trying to qualify for the Top Dasher Program.
Extra Reading – What Are DoorDash Hotspots?
Is Top Dasher Worth It?
Alright, time to get to the truth of the matter.
The main problem with Top Dasher requirements is that you have to maintain an order acceptance rate of 70% or higher.
This might sound somewhat lenient, but if your market is full of low-paying orders you normally don't accept, please don't try to become a Top Dasher.
You need to be selective with the orders you accept if you want to earn a high hourly rate driving for DoorDash.
This is true for other gig apps too, like driving for Uber Eats or delivering groceries with Instacart.
But, if you find your market isn't so rough with low-paying orders and you want more order requests per hour, Top Dasher might be worth it.
Additionally, if you just want to dash as much as possible, the Dash Now perk is also nice.
If you're still wondering if being a Top Dasher is worth it or not, I also suggest watching this video from Your Driver Mike on YouTube:
Again, for most DoorDash drivers, Top Dasher isn't worth it because you have to keep your acceptance rate so high.
But, it might be worthwhile depending on your income goals and market, so it's worth considering and testing.
Extra Reading – Does DoorDash Pay For Your Gas?
Final Thoughts
Whether the DoorDash Top Dasher Program is worth it or not for you really depends on a few factors.
Do you already complete 100 deliveries per month, have good ratings, and want more freedom in your schedule?
If you say “yes”, then it can definitely be worth it for you. Here’s what I will say though…
As a new or casual driver, you’re probably better off hustling for Early Access Scheduling, where you can at least maximize your earnings during better hours.
I would also recommend keeping your location in mind. For extremely busy cities, it may be more or less beneficial to be a Top Dasher.
See for yourself (based on your personal factors) and make a decision from there. Good luck dashing!
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