DoorDash vs. Postmates – Which One Pays Drivers More?
Did you know that 60% of U.S. consumers order delivery or takeout at least once a week? Or, more interestingly, that online ordering and delivery has grown 300% faster than in-person dining since 2014?
If there's one thing that's clear, it's that food delivery services are more popular than ever. This also means there's ample opportunity to make money with various gig economy apps.
Postmates and DoorDash, two of the most popular delivery platforms, are prime examples. But which company pays more? And what are the main differences between each delivery gig?
This Postmates vs DoorDash breakdown is covering everything you need to know about both gigs so you can choose the right one for you.
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DoorDash vs. Postmates At A Glance
- DoorDash is the most popular food delivery gig in North America, with over 60% market share
- Postmates was acquired by Uber / Uber Eats at the end of 2020
- DoorDash focuses on meal deliveries from restaurants whereas Postmates and Uber Eats are branching into food and everyday essentials
- Postmates is being completely rolled up into Uber Eats for new driver sign ups
- Both Postmates / Uber Eats and DoorDash pay drivers similarly, and you can likely make $10 to $20 per hour depending on your market
About DoorDash
DoorDash is the leading food delivery service in North America, and it currently has over 60% market share. This is more than Uber Eats and Postmates as well as other services like Grubhub combined!
The platform is available in 6,000+ cities, and the company has also expanded to Australia. It's also moved beyond simple food delivery, and customers can now order many grocery items, flowers, alcohol, and everyday essentials.
As a DoorDash driver, you're able to make money on your own schedule. And the company is a popular side hustle for those living in medium and larger cities or towns.
About Postmates
Postmates was founded in 2011, launching in California. In late 2020, Uber completed its acquisition of Postmates and has slowly been rolling the platform into the Uber ecosystem.
The merging of the two delivery platforms is basically complete at this point. So, if you try to sign up for Postmates, you'll be redirected to Uber's sign up page and can complete your application there.
As for what you deliver, Postmates / Uber specialize in restaurant and fast food meals as well as groceries, household goods, alcohol, and everyday essentials.
DoorDash vs. Postmates Driver Requirements
If you want to make money with Postmates or DoorDash, the first thing to understand are the different driver requirements each platform has.
DoorDash Requirements
DoorDash has similar requirements to Postmates for new drivers, and these are also fairly standard across the world of delivery apps. To work for DoorDash, you must:
- Be 18 years or older
- Provide proof of valid license and vehicle insurance
- Have at least one year of driving experience
- Pass a background check
You also can't have more than three minor driving violations, such as speeding tickets, within the last three years. However, DoorDash is lenient in terms of vehicle requirements. As long as you can drive or bike, you're good to go!
You also need to pass orientation to start delivering for DoorDash. Orientation shows new employees how to use the DoorDash app and actually schedule deliveries, so this is a bit of a nuisance.
Thankfully, DoorDash has added an express orientation option which lets you verify your account during your first delivery attempt. Ultimately, you can expect the entire onboarding process to take 1-2 weeks to get your account activated after signup.
Postmates Requirements
Working as a delivery driver or bike courier is pretty straightforward with Postmates. However, there are some hiring requirements to be aware of, including:
- Being 19 or older (18 or older if you deliver with a bike)
- Having a car, truck, bike, or scooter and vehicle insurance
- Passing a background check
- Being eligible to work in the United States
If you pass the background check and meet all of Postmates' driver requirements, all you have to do is upload your profile photo, set up direct deposit, and activate your Postmate card.
The background check for both Postmates and DoorDash is run by Checkr, a third-party service. It looks for things like major convictions, DUIs, drug offenses, and driving violations.
Winner: It's slightly easier to become a DoorDash driver than delivering for Postmates / Uber Eats due to age requirement differences.
DoorDash vs. Postmates – How Deliveries Work
Both Postmates and DoorDash have pretty similar delivery processes.
Once you're an active driver, order requests pop-up in the app. Each order includes information like total delivery distance, number of items, guaranteed base pay, and the restaurant or store you have to pick up items from.
You don't see potential tips with either app, so you might end up making more. Overall, both apps are incredibly similar, so once you learn how to use one, you'll know how to use the other.
Winner: It's a tie, and both apps are extremely similar for drivers.
DoorDash vs. Postmates Driver Pay
Hourly driver pay is another important factor to consider when signing up for a driving gig. So, I'm going to explain how the driver payment models work for both Postmates and DoorDash so you have more context.
DoorDash Pay
DoorDash's payment model is slightly more complicated than Postmates. Additionally, the model seems to lean a tad bit on promotions, which I'll cover in just a bit. DoorDash drivers get paid using the following formula: Base Pay + Promotions + Tips = Total Earnings.
Time to examine each factor a little closer.
Base Pay – This ranges from $2 to $10+ depending on estimated time, distance, and demand for the order. Basically, orders that require lengthy travel and more time and that are less popular for Dashers to accept have a higher base pay.
Promotions – If you meet certain promotion conditions, you can earn some nifty bonuses. Currently, there are 3 main promotions:
- Peak Pay:Delivery workers get a surge-bonus during busy hours of delivery. Peak pay is tacked on to total earnings you're shown for a delivery.
- Challenges: DoorDash has implemented challenges to encourage workers to continue using DoorDash or to fulfill more orders per week. Ongoing challenges are found in the Dash Now section of the app. An example of an ongoing challenge is that over the course of a week, drivers will earn an extra $20 for completing 15 deliveries.
- Drive: Drive orders involve delivering orders from a restaurant to customers. These orders can be regular size or larger catering orders. Drivers earn an additional setup and on time pay for Drive orders, where applicable, and large order bonus fee on large grocery orders.
DoorDash also has a new Earn By Time mode that's rolling out to more markets. With this mode, you can choose to get paid a set hourly rate that varies by market rather than getting paid per order you complete.
Drivers keep 100% of all tips regardless of the earning method they choose. And after interviewing my friend who delivers for both Uber Eats and DoorDash, he could generally make about $12 to $20 per hour with DoorDash on a good day.
Extra Reading – DoorDash Driver Tips & Tricks.
Postmates Pay
Postmate pays drivers differently depending on the city they work in. As a general rule of thumb, here are the components that contribute to your earnings for each delivery:
- Order pick-up
- Order drop-off
- Per-minute-waited rate for the time you spend at the pickup location (this is massive)
- A per-mile rate for the distance between pick-up and drop-off locations
- Tips – you earn 100%
As an example, I chose Newark, New Jersey for my market, and you can see all of the different rates in my screenshot:
Postmates is actually quite flexible when you look at how this model breaks down.
You can make decent money by completing 2-3 short orders within an hour (in a small delivery zone). However, delivering a larger order and driving a significant distance is also worthwhile thanks to the rate per mile (and assumed tip for a decently large order).
Postmates also runs Blitz Pricing, which occurs during surge order periods. Blitz Pricing can increase base pay by 1.2x or 1.5x, although I've heard this is incredibly rare to see.
Challenges and bonuses are also occasionally available in the Postmates app. I wouldn't factor these into forecasted earnings, but they are good to keep in mind if you deliver during busy periods.
Winner: It's another tie, and both DoorDash and Postmates pay drivers similarly, and you keep 100% of all tips with each platform.
DoorDash vs. Postmates – Delivery Scheduling
Postmates is a very flexible side hustle, and drivers don't have to schedule shifts or work a minimum number of hours per week. Simply launch the Postmates apps, accept orders, and get to work.
DoorDash also lets you work whenever you want with its “Dash Now” option. This lets you open the Dasher app and begin completing deliveries in your zone as long as it's busy enough.
However, DoorDash also lets you schedule shifts in advance. This is a nice DoorDash hack you can use to guarantee that you can deliver for a certain amount of time.
This scheduling feature is great for side hustlers who want a rigid schedule. And I like that DoorDash still lets you Dash when it's busy without scheduling with its Dash Now feature.
Winner: DoorDash is more flexible than Postmates and offers immediate and scheduled options.
DoorDash vs. Postmates – Driver ratings
Both DoorDash and Uber Eats have a driver rating system that is a 1 to 5 star rating you get based on your previous 100 orders. Customers rate their delivery experience after you complete a delivery, and aiming for 4 or 5 stars is generally a good goal.
Your rating doesn't really matter unless you want to go for programs like DoorDash's Top Dasher or Uber Pro.
Also note that having a very low rating can result in DoorDash deactivation or Uber Eats deactivation. So, always be polite and try your best to deliver on time and with excellent customer service.
Winner: It's another tie and both driver rating systems are basically identical.
DoorDash vs. Postmates – Getting Paid
Both DoorDash and Postmates pay drivers every week for the previous week of deliveries. You can also cash out earnings instantly if you need to get paid the same day by paying a small fee.
DoorDash's Fast Pay costs $1.99 while Uber's Fast Pay costs $1.49. I suggest waiting for your weekly pay since these fees can add up quickly if you use them every single day.
Winner: Postmates / Uber Eats has a slightly cheaper instant pay fee than DoorDash.
Tips For Increasing Your Earnings
It's important to work smart, not hard, regardless of the delivery company you end up working for.
After interviewing my friend Grant about his experiences working as a food courier, it's clear that there are some tried and true tips to increase your earnings with companies like DoorDash or Postmates:
- Work Peak Hours – Focus on working shifts that pay surge pricing. This usually includes dinner rushes or post-bar food rushes on Friday and Saturday.
- Provide Great Customer Service – Work for tips. If there's anything you can do to communicate more effectively with your customer or to make their experience better, go for it.
- Stack Orders & Apps – Postmates lets drivers chain deliveries, which means they can pickup multiple orders from the same merchant if their customers live close to one another. You can do the same thing on DoorDash, or even use two food delivery apps simultaneously. Just be sure to not over-book yourself, or you risk running late and upsetting customers.
- Factor In Business Expenses – You can actually claim a tonne of food delivery related expenses on your tax return. Be sure to use a mileage tracking app like Hurdlr to track your mileage for business expenses, and keep records of your fuel costs and any repairs.
- Push For Bonuses – Keep an eye on ongoing promotions from DoorDash and Postmates and actually commit to fulfilling one. $20 or so for a bonus might not sound like much, but that's almost an extra 2 hours of work in compensation.
Extra Reading – The Best Times To Do Postmates.
The Best Alternatives To Postmates & DoorDash
As mentioned, a great way to maximize your earnings with food delivery apps is to use several of them at the same time. And, the great news is that there are plenty of jobs like DoorDash and Postmates you can try, including:
If you mix in a few of these gigs, you can earn more per week by ensuring you always have deliveries to complete. And if you want even more alternatives, you can read our post on the best ways to deliver packages for money.
Final Thoughts – Which Company Is Better?
Both DoorDash and Postmates are a reliable way to earn at least $10 per hour if you work smart. DoorDash has a higher earning ceiling, and is probably a better platform for serious gig workers looking to schedule a lot of shifts and work during peak hours. In contrast, Postmates is better for gig workers who value flexibility and earning stability.
Whatever the case, just be sure to be realistic with your expectations and to track your earnings and expenses.
There's no reason you can't make $500 a week or even more if you hustle with these apps. And the fact both gigs are so flexible is a massive selling point.
Hopefully this DoorDash vs Postmates article has helped clarify what you should expect from both companies. If you end up trying out a delivery app, let me know which one (and why) in the comments below!
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