Ultimate Guide to Earning Money as a Delivery Person with Uber Eats [2024]

Uber Eats began in 2014 as an offshoot of Uber. Like other food delivery apps, Uber Eats connects hungry users with delivery drivers. It’s a gig economy app that qualified drivers (more on this below) can join for free and begin earning money in their free time.

How does delivering with Uber Eats work?

Sign up to be a driver and get approved

If you’re signing up for a gig economy app, chances are you have the drive to make money. That’s the first step!

Fortunately, the Uber Eats signup process was pretty simple. All I needed was my basic personal information (name, address, phone number, and email address) and a copy of my driver’s license, auto insurance, and vehicle registration.

Uber uses this information to run a quick background check. This process took one day for me, but it can vary by location.

Pick up your order

Once approved, I could log into the app and review the available requests. Fortunately, when I log into my account, the app tells me when there’s an order near me. This works whether you are at home or out and about, which I love because if I have some downtime while running errands, I can pick up an order and make some quick cash.

After I accepted an order, the Uber Eats app told me how to get to the restaurant using their GPS. While it’s not required to use it, I always do, so there’s no question about my whereabouts should anything happen. This is where it’s important to pay close attention. Each restaurant has different rules or guidelines for picking up orders. I always check the restaurant’s notes to see if there’s a specific door I should enter or any other information I should know to simplify the pickup process.

Deliver the order

After picking up the order, it’s back in the car to deliver the food to the customer. Uber Eats provides directions to the customer’s location, so I know exactly when I should arrive. I always text my customers through the app, letting them know I am on my way. It’s just an extra step I take to provide excellent customer service.

Uber Eats also sends notifications to the customer, letting them know I’m nearby so they know to watch for the delivery. As with the restaurant instructions, sometimes customers leave instructions about where to drop the food. Some customers prefer to meet me at the door, and others want me to leave it on the porch or another specified area.

Paying close attention to the instructions is the key to good tips. For example, if a customer states to bring the food around the back behind the gate or leave it with a specific receptionist, I always do what they ask so I get good reviews and potentially good tips.

Who can deliver with Uber Eats?

To deliver with Uber Eats, you need to meet a handful of requirements, which vary depending on the mode of transportation you plan to use. I easily met the age requirements, but it’s important to know not only how old you must be but also what they look for to approve drivers.

Uber Eats delivery requirements

Delivery method (if available)	Requirements
Car	Be at least 19 years old Have a two- or four-door car Have a valid driver’s license in your name Submit your Social Security number for Uber Eats to run a background screening
Scooter	Be at least 19 years old Must have a motorized scooter with a motor under 50cc (cubic centimeters) Have a valid driver’s license in your name Submit your Social Security number for Uber Eats to run a background screening
Bicycle	Be at least 18 years old Have a government-issued ID Submit your Social Security number for Uber Eats to run a background screening

How much can you earn with Uber Eats?

If you’re looking for a side gig to make extra money, you want to know how much Uber Eats pays.

The problem is that everyone is different. I’ll share my story with how much I earn, but every driver’s earnings differ because they depend on how often they deliver, how many orders they take, and how well their customers tip.

Let’s start with the good news: every driver keeps 100% of the customer tips. That’s one reason I enjoy this gig so much, but I also live in an area where customers are friendly and orders are frequent. I do well with tips because I know the ins and outs of customer service and always ensure my customers are happy. That doesn’t mean I don’t get the occasional upset customer or young customers who don’t know they should tip me, but overall, the tips are great.

As far as what Uber pays, here’s what you can expect:

• Base pay: Uber figures the time and distance required for a successful delivery to determine your base pay. This also accounts for periods of high demand or when few delivery people are available.
• Trip supplement: Uber may increase your pay with a supplement if there are excessive wait times at restaurants, high customer demand, or special delivery fees for specific merchants.
• Promotions: Uber runs promotions occasionally to motivate drivers, especially in areas of high customer demand and low driver availability.

Getting paid

Fortunately, it’s easy to access your earnings with Uber. All I had to do was set up direct deposit to my bank account. Uber automatically pays weekly, so I never had to worry about when I’d receive my earnings.

They also offer a couple of options to access my earnings immediately, which is also nice for those times I need a little extra cash and don’t want to wait until payday.

• Uber Pro debit card: Uber sends money earned directly to an Uber Pro card, giving you immediate (free) access to the funds. Using the Uber Pro card at gas stations can earn you cash back on fuel purchases.
• Instant Pay: Uber offers the option to cash out earnings instantly up to five times per day for a fee of $1.25 per cash out. I wouldn’t recommend this option unless you need money fast. While it’s tempting to receive your earnings immediately, the fee quickly reduces your earnings.

How I maximize my earnings with Uber Eats

Uber Eats has a simple setup, making it easy for qualified drivers to earn a little money, but there are ways to maximize how much you earn.

Here’s what I do to increase my earnings as much as possible:

• Drive a fuel-efficient car: As an independent contractor, I’m responsible for all my expenses, including gas. I drive a fuel-efficient vehicle to keep my gas costs as low as possible.
• Use a cash back credit card for gas: Paying for gas is essential, but I make it less costly by using a cash back credit card or purchasing gas at my local Sam’s Club, depending on where I can get the best deal. This leaves more money in my pocket from my Uber Eats earnings.
• Pay attention to busy times: I mostly deliver in my local area, but if I move around, I study the area’s busy times to know the best times to work. Since I only get paid when there are deliveries, and all downtime decreases my hourly pay, I try to work only when there is a high demand to make the most of my time and earn the most money.
• Focus on customer service: Since a big part of my earnings comes from tips, I always ensure excellent customer service. Little things like providing napkins or condiments, communicating when there is a problem, and asking customers about any drop off preferences work well when receiving tips from customers.
• Watch for promotions: Uber Eats runs promotions in many areas to attract more drivers. I always try to take advantage of these times and meet the promotion requirements to increase my earnings by delivering food like I would during pay shifts.
• Get multiple orders: I drive in a busy area, so there are often multiple orders at the same restaurant. I do my best to grab the orders that make sense while promptly getting the food to the customer. This limits my driving and increases my earnings, which is a win all around.

Tips to help you get good reviews

Good reviews on Uber Eats help you know what you’re doing right and what customers appreciate, which, in my experience, often results in larger tips. Here are a few things I do to ensure the best reviews:

• Ensure the order is correct before leaving the restaurant, and if it’s incorrect, inform the customer why you are running late.
• Provide excellent customer service, communication, and ‘extras’ to please your customers.
• Stay in touch with customers throughout the delivery process, especially if there are traffic delays or other reasons you get behind.
• Keep orders organized and separate, especially if you pick up multiple orders from the same establishment.
• Ask customers if you can do anything to improve their experience.

Common questions about Uber Eats

Other side hustles to consider

Uber Eats is one of many side hustles you have available. I use Uber Eats because it’s the most popular platform in my area, but I’ve also looked for other ways to make money using my car, including DoorDash and Postmates.

Because I love to drive and excel at customer service, I do well with Uber Eats. It’s not for everyone, though. If you don’t have a car, don’t like to drive, or don’t live in a busy urban area, consider other great side hustles, such as walking dogs with Rover or taking surveys with Branded Surveys offer significant opportunities.

The key is to diversify your efforts. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. When Uber Eats is slow, I turn to freelance gigs, like answering online surveys, playing games, or earning cash back from shopping online. It’s all about finding what works for you!