Postmates Driver Review

Postmates Driver is a takeout and food delivery service that allows customers to order from restaurants close to them.

Customers can also order groceries and personal items and receive them within an hour.

When a customer makes an order, the nearest delivery person referred to as Postmate is alerted to pick it up and deliver.

There are two different apps for Postmate, including the food delivery app for customers and the delivery app for freelancers, both available for Android and iOS.

Then again:

Both are free to download and to create an account. If you are interested in making some money through deliveries, you will need the delivery app referred to as Fleet.

Postmate delivery jobs are available for drivers, bikers, or walkers, depending on your location. The mode of transport you choose to use is entirely your choice.

Postmates Driver Requirements

It is pretty easy to become a Postmates driver since downloading the app and opening an account are both free.

To start making deliveries for Postmates and earning money, you have to meet each of the following requirements:

• Be over 18 years of age
• Have a smartphone capable of running the Postmates Driver app
• Have a valid driving license and an insured bike – using a bike or walking can also be ideal in more urban areas
• Pass a background check

How Much Money Can You Make As A Postmate Driver?

Your amount of income made on Postmate depends on where you are delivering and what time you are working.

Postmates’ total pay includes an indicated amount for picking up an order, dropping off an order, the total distance you drive, and each minute you wait in the store.

The base pay for every pickup and drop-off is upward of $1. Every minute you wait for an order is an additional $0.10.

Once you leave the pickup point, you get an additional $0.60 for every mile you travel to the drop-off location.

The best part?

You get to keep all customer tips added to your account at least 24 hours after the delivery is completed.

After completing a delivery, the customer receives a notification requesting them to tip and cannot make another order on Postmates until they tip.

Delivery rates vary from one location to another. To see how much Postmates pays for deliveries in your area, look up your state on the company’s website.

If you decide to drive, some of the expenses you will incur are gas and the wear and tear of your car.

Postmates sends you an email every Friday that comprises a breakdown of how many miles you have traveled for deliveries and the amount you have earned.

Postmates allows you to make deliveries even outside of the original city you register your account in.

It is a great way to make money while traveling to a different city or on a road or work trip.

How To Start Taking Deliveries On Postmates Driver

To begin accepting and delivering orders, you need to create an account and wait for the complete background check.

Once done, you need to activate your Postmates card, log in, and start making deliveries.

To start accepting delivery requests, you need to be in a blue zone on the map and click “Go Online” to allow visibility.

You can go online or offline at any moment without having to schedule for a particular shift in advance.

When a customer places an order near your location, you instantly receive a notification on the app.

Since many people are using the app to earn money, you will have limited time to accept or decline the order in the app before transferring to the next available Postmate.

Unfortunately, the app displays very few details about an order. You cannot find information such as estimated pay or total distance before accepting it.

All that is available on your screen is the restaurant and delivery location indicated on the map as a labeled banner and a blue dot, respectively.

If you accept the job, you will see the address of the restaurant preparing the order. When you get there, open “Pickup Details” to ensure the order is correct.

How Does Postmates Driver Pay?

Delivery people, or ‘Postmates,’ receive their payment every week through direct deposit for all deliveries made from Monday through to Sunday the previous week.

It gets even better:

You can also request your earnings earlier by enabling “Instant Deposit” on the app and selecting “Cash Out” for instant withdrawals.

How To Maximise Income Working As A Postmates Driver

To ensure that you make the most of the Postmate Driver app, you can try the following tricks to boost your income:

Maximize Opportunity For Tips

A simple thank you while smiling and using the customer’s name can affect the size of your tip.

If you are late due to traffic, communicate with them and don’t be rude. Some behaviors such as laziness and ignorance can get zero tips.

Work In Hotspots

The Postmates Driver app helps users identify areas with many delivery requests using a shaded orange and red. The darker the shade, the busier the zone.

The color indication becomes available when you complete your first delivery in a particular city.

Go Online During Peak Hours

Lunch orders and dinner orders make those meal times the busiest of the day, and delivery prices tend to go up.

Weekends are also busy and are the best times to make deliveries at higher rates and earn more money.

Work Fast

Like working any other job, increasing your pace means you can deliver more orders in a shorter time, hence making more money.

How Does Postmates Make Money?

Here’s the truth:

Postmates app charges a delivery fee on every order ranging from $0.99 to $9.99. The company takes 20% of the fee while the driver ends up with 80%.

Since its launch in 2011, the company has raised more than $900 million from various investors to help build and market the app.

While the app seems not profitable on the whole, Postmates says that they are profitable on a per order basis in at least 90% of their markets.

PostMates Driver vs. DoorDash

Postmates Driver (Rating: 4/5)	DoorDash (Rating: 4.2/5)
Automatically suggests 20% tip to customers	Tipping solely done by customers
Weekly payment or instant requests	Payment is made on delivery
Background check required to join	Driving records need to be free from significant violations like assault

Conclusion

Overall, using Postmates to find and make deliveries and earn money is a great way to manage another source of income.

However, it is essential to remember that the amount you earn is dependent on the location, availability of tasks, and how much work you are willing to undertake.