Working in the food delivery industry has a lot of benefits.
You can be your own boss and make a pretty nice paycheck every week.
Throughout this article, we will cover what it is like to work for Postmates behind the scenes and how you can get in on the courier action if you find yourself in any of the locations that they operate in.
Working for Postmates
Compared to all other food delivery services like Uber EATS and Doordash, Postmates stands near the top because they do not limit delivery to food.
As a courier, you may find yourself delivering practically anything.
The only real restrictions on package deliveries are those that are similar to your local post offices, such as rules on tobacco and alcohol.
A typical day for a Postmates courier starts with turning on the app when they are ready to start delivering.
Once the app is on, delivery requests will show up on the driver’s smartphone.
After reviewing the order, drivers have the choice as to accept the delivery.
If they do, the app will display the fastest route to the pick-up location.
Upon arriving, drivers will need to figure out if a package or order was paid for.
Postmates has a great help center for drivers that covers everything you need to know about accepting and completing deliveries.
If the order has already been paid for at the restaurant or store, the process is simple.
- Tap Order Details and review the order to make sure it is correct
- Contact customer if substitute items are needed
- Take a clear photo of the receipt
Sometimes delivery drivers are required to place and pay for the order.
This happens when the store or restaurant does not accept payments directly from Postmates.
When this happens, drivers have to place the order (if at a restaurant) or find the items themselves (if at a store).
Once you’ve placed the order and are ready to checkout, couriers pay for the order using a prepaid card provided by Postmates.
Here’s a detailed look at the process of placing and paying for an order as a Postmates driver:
- Review Order Details and place the order
- If at a store, like a grocery store, find the items and head to the checkout counter
- Use the Postmates prepaid card to pay
- Take a clear photo of the receipt
Once the order or package is ready to be delivered, couriers have officially entered the homestretch when they tap Start Drop Off.
This will make the app show the fastest route to get to the customer’s destination.
Upon arrival, couriers look for any special directions on how the customer wants to receive their package.
Drivers should confirm that they are delivering to the right person by asking for the waiting person’s name and order details.
After the hand-off, couriers can select either Delivery Unconfirmed or Delivered to Customer.
When Postmates receives this information, drivers are sent to a different page where they can confirm that the delivery is complete and how much they earned for accomplishing this task.
For those who have Auto Accept on, the next delivery will be queued up.
If you are using this feature, be sure to turn it off prior to accepting the next delivery to assure that you can finish working on your time.
How to Become a Postmates Driver
To start working for one of the top-tier delivery services, the first step is to go to fleet.postmates.com and create an account.
The application process is simple.
Personal information, such as email address, name, home address, and phone number will be required.
In addition to these details, you will need to disclose what type of smartphone you have and your vehicle info.
Related: Make More Money With A Postmates Driver Referral Code
From there, potential new drivers need to accept the Fleet Agreement, consent to a background check, load a nice profile pic, and set up a direct deposit system.
Once all of this information is ready to go, couriers will receive a welcome kit.
Contained within will be the Postmates Prepaid Card and additional info.
At this point, drivers can download the Fleet App and start making deliveries!
Congratulations, you are no a member of the Postmates fleets.
If you are prepared to complete this process and want to maximize your potential earnings, use a referral code.
This can be entered in when you are providing Postmates with your personal information.
Drivers who use a referral code can earn a couple hundred dollars just for signing up.
This amount will vary based on your location.
As with any business, there are some rules and regulations set in place for the hiring process.
So, double check that you meet the following Postmates requirements if you are interested in driving for the service.
Postmates Driver Requirements
- Must be 18 years or older
- Have an iPhone or Android smartphone
- Possess a Valid US Driver’s license
- Need an Insurance Policy
- Pass a background check
- Clean driving record
- Pass an orientation interview
Postmates Vehicle Requirements
- Vehicle that works
- Scooters Accepted
- Motorcycles Accepted
- Bike delivery is allowed in some areas
How Much do Postmates Drivers Make?
Depending on where you are located, the answer to how much Postmates drivers earn will vary.
Especially when you factor in the tips customers give to Postmates couriers.
Nevertheless, here is how Postmates breaks down a couriers payment in regards to each step of the delivery process.
- Earnings for each completed pick up
- Paid for each delivery dropped off
- A monetary amount for each minute that is spent at the pickup location
- Payment for every mile traveled between the pickup and drop-off location
- Any bonus multiplier that is added in, such as the Blitz bonuses
Blitz bonuses are set in place as a way to reward drivers for making deliveries during rush hour and high-demand timeframes.
At one point in time, Postmates simply showed how much the multiplier, let’s say x1.75, was at any given time.
This caused a lot of confusion.
To eliminate this unnecessary stress, Postmates started including the Blitz pricing within the final earnings page, which makes it much easier to figure out if making a delivery is worth your time.
On top of these earning categories, couriers are frequently tipped by Postmates customers and drivers are able to keep 100% of them.
Savvy couriers that practice excellent customer service can increase their base pay each week with ease.
Postmates processes each driver’s pay within 4-7 business days of an order’s completion.
Days that are considered to be business are Monday-Friday.
Drivers that need access to their earnings faster than this payout schedule can us Fast Pay.
Fast Pay makes it possible for drivers to withdraw cash for a small fee.
Tips to Increase Postmates Driver Earnings
There are numerous ways to maximize your weekly Postmates paycheck.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by getting bigger tips.
Now, let’s be honest, people do not always tip.
To increase the odds of them tipping and the amount that is given, we recommend practicing excellent customer service.
You’ll be amazed how much extra cash you can bring in just by wearing a smile.
For example, when you get the receipt from the vendor, write your name, a smiley face, and a nice message like “Thank You”.
Or confirm that if the order is food related there are straws and condiments in the bag.
If you are able to make the exchange face-to-face, be sure to give the customer their receipt.
Follow up this move by suggesting that they keep it just in case something goes wrong.
Completing these nice gestures really start to add up throughout the delivery and more times than not customers will happily tip.
Other than tipping, Postmates provides several good options to increase earnings each week.
For example, there is a built-in feature in the app called Auto Accept.
Drivers that turn this method on are able to accept all incoming orders without getting overwhelmed or experiencing any downtime.
Another great way to make more with Postmates is to take advantage of a driver referral code when you sign up.
Unfortunately, if you are already a delivery driver, you’re out of luck.
Drivers can also stack deliveries.
To accomplish this, drivers organize their deliveries based on a specific set of vendors.
If done correctly, couriers can accept more than one order from a vendor and stack up multiple deliveries in one go.
This can generate more opportunities for tips and increase productivity.
To assure that you are able to accept a plethora of orders during your working hours, consider driving during peak hours.
Typically they occur during rush hour, lunch hour, and during local events.
Furthermore, drivers can also place themselves in the right place at the right time.
Dubbed “hot spots”, there are locations within every city that see more order action than others.
Usually, a “hot spot” is near a popular restaurant, grocery store, food chain, or other business offering goods.
Drivers that are in these more popular locations have a better chance of picking up orders as they are generated.
Plus, by being near the pickup location, drivers can reduce the wait time between orders which makes it easier to rack up a bunch of deliveries in an hour.
Finally, Postmates can earn a huge stack of money in a passive way at sign up.
To achieve this, simply use a driver referral code when you sign up.
Depending on your location, you may be able to add an extra $200 to your next Postmates paycheck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although the package delivery service is fairly straightforward, there are a few minor details to consider before becoming a courier.
The most popular topics are listed below.
Does Postmates pay for gas?
Drivers are responsible for all business-related expenses, including gas.
Paying for these issues out of pocket may be a bit annoying, however, there is a bright side.
All of the business-related expenses you pay for while working as a Postmates courier are tax deductible, allowing you to lower your tax liability.
Which means that expenses, such as parking tickets, gas, and even car maintenance can be deducted from income for tax purposes.
Does Postmates pay an hourly wage?
Unlike some of their competitors, Postmates does not provide an hourly salary or a guarantee.
Instead, Postmates pays per delivery.
Each part of the delivery process pays a certain amount for completion.
This includes pickup, wait time for order completion, travel to the final destination, and drop off.
What about taxes?
Being your own boss has a lot of perks.
Namely, you call the shots.
The trade-off for this is keeping track of business operations as an independent contractor.
As in, the money you earn does not have taxes taken out yet.
Due to this, drivers are required to save a portion of their earnings to pay for taxes.
In general, we recommend saving at least 30% of your profits.
What Postmates Drivers Say
Postmates couriers have reported earning about $25 an hour on average.
Even if this is off by $5 in some areas, the final payout proves that Postmates is a very profitable gig.
Apparently, the best way to ensure that your hourly wage remains this high is by stacking deliveries, auto-accepting orders, and sticking close to hot spots.
One of the number one complaints about working for Postmates is that many drivers have noticed that they spend a good portion of their time waiting at the restaurant.
Usually, this happens due to the establishment waiting for the driver to get there before making the food.
Other than this dilemma, if you are looking for an easy and profitable gig, driving for Postmates is the idle side-hustle position.
