Whether it’s delivery or rideshare driving, there are plenty of options in 2020. Drive style jobs are more abundant than ever in our current economy. Let’s say you want to become a delivery driver, but you don’t want to be a truck driver and have to travel long distances. Maybe you’re not a big fan of strangers getting in your car either, so Uber and Lyft seem out of the question. What about food-delivery through an app? There are many options such as DoorDash, Postmates, Grubhub, Bite Squad, and UberEats, but which is best for you as a driver? Which is going to make you the most money on a daily basis?
That’s where we come in at Rapidgo Driver your number one information spot for drivers everywhere! We seek to educate drivers, so we did all of the research for you! Today we’re going to focus on two of the most popular food delivery options, Postmates vs. DoorDash. We will cover which pays more, how the application process works, and which is easier to use. Then, we will give a recommendation based on what we believe is the best option based on all of the information we found.
Pricing for DoorDash and Postmates
One of the most important factors in this business is location, and just like Uber and Lyft, this applies to food delivery as well! You should check to see how popular these apps are in your area before starting with one. You might not get any business if you go with one that doesn’t get a ton of hits in your area.
How it Works
For DoorDash, the driver will receive a base pay of $1, then a “boost-in-pay” based on a few different factors, and then the tip money. At DoorDash, drivers keep 100% of the tips they receive.
The “boost-in-pay” is where a driver can actually make some good money. The way this is calculated is focused on how far you traveled, and how difficult or specific the order was. There is a minimum of a $6 payout for each trip. The DoorDash app encourages its patrons to tip the driver which can be extremely helpful to supplement the mediocre pay. After everything, drivers report around $8-$15 an hour.
The Postmates system is quite distinct from the DoorDash payouts. First off, Postmates starts with a small flat-fee similar to DoorDash. After that, the driver earns based on the mileage from the pick-up spot to the drop off spot. These drivers can get a bonus if “blitz pricing” is in effect. Similar to Uber, this “blitz” allows the driver to earn 1.25x-1.75x more during normal food times such as lunch and dinner.
Postmates also has a tipping system, but it isn’t quite as easy to use as the DoorDash one, which might cause some drivers to receive less tip money. Similar rates have been reported for Postmates, but the standard is around $9 an hour.
Our Recommendation
DoorDash gets the edge for us. The complexity of the order being factored in and the better tipping options just put it over Postmates in terms of the amount you can earn.
Ease of Application Process
Both of these businesses are really easy to apply for and get started. You will need your driver’s license, up-to-date insurance, and a working car or bike (DoorDash includes bicycles in their vehicle options!).
Uber and Lyft are rigorous processes to get through. Both Postmates and DoorDash are pretty easy to apply for!
Our Recommendation
We’re not going to say one is better than the other here. In fact, both are pretty easy and streamlined to use. So we will leave the application process up as a tie between the two business options.
Using the DoorDash App
Do you like fun apps? Then you’ll appreciate the time and energy that the DoorDash team put into building a great app experience. There isn’t much standing between a driver and contacting a customer. It’s pretty simple to check on orders and accomplish simple tasks. We highly recommend this app. It’s easy to use and has a great layout as well. It allows you to “stack” orders together in order to take on more at one time!
Because of the simplicity, the developers didn’t include a map. This means you’re going to need your own maps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze. Having to switch between apps can be a bit of a hassle, and is the only big downside to the DoorDash app.
Using the Postmates App
Just like the DoorDash app, this one is very easy to use and has a bunch of simple features. It does, however, include a map! This sets it apart from the DoorDash app because you won’t be switching between various apps.
It also comes with the stacking feature, and even includes a heat map that tells you where the city streets are the most traffic-jammed.
Our Recommendation
Both apps work well and make it easy to use and make money with. But Postmates has an app and DoorDash doesn’t. Because of this, we’re giving a slight edge to Postmates in this category.
Final Thoughts
So Postmates vs. DoorDash, which one is better? Our recommendation at Rapidgo Driver is DoorDash because of the additional payment you can receive. But, it might be a good idea for you to try both of them out! If the DoorDash app frustrates you without a map, you might want to turn to Postmates instead. But be sure to check both of the apps for your area to see which has more hits near you.
We hope you enjoyed this review of DoorDash and Postmates! Leave us a comment below if you have any questions.
For our full guide on driving for Uber or Lyft, check out this article here. Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think we should write about next.
