The Best Times To DoorDash In 2024 [Ridester’s Take]

What Are The Best Times to Doordash?

When thinking about the best times to DoorDash, it can be helpful to consider the times that you would be motivated to order food such as during meals or busier seasons.

Broadly speaking, the best time to DoorDash is during peak meal times, but especially:

• Lunch: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
• Dinner: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

During these times, people are more likely to be at home or work, where they’ll likely be ordering food.

Other than being mindful of peak meal times, other factors impact how busy DoorDash is. For example:

On holidays and special occasions

Special occasions call for delicious food! Many DoorDash customers will opt to order during the holidays, especially on the days leading up to the big event to avoid cooking.

If you’re unable to Dash during the holiday itself, the days surrounding the holiday should be pretty lucrative too.

Also, some customers may order their catering through DoorDash during the holidays, so you may be tipped at a higher rate during these times.

It is wise to keep an insulated bag in your car for these bigger orders to make sure that all of the food stays hot and fresh during your delivery.

When there are DoorDash promotions or bonuses

Make sure to keep an eye on the DoorDash app to check for promotions or bonuses for Dashers and customers. People are more likely to order if they can get a discount on their food.

Additionally, the Dasher app runs promotions for drivers during certain seasons or weather conditions. These promotions can also be seen during random times as an incentive for Dashers.

During adverse weather conditions

During inclement weather, people may have forgotten to buy groceries or simply want to order in.

However, they may also be deterred from driving. If you’re able, delivering food during snowy or rainy weather may get you extra trip money!

Weekday vs. Weekend Deliveries: Do you get paid more on weekends?

The amount of money that you make depends on the window that you operate in. For example, weekdays usually have specific rush times, such as for lunch and dinner.

However, weekends can get busy for a variety of reasons at any time of the day. For instance, many people order brunch or late-night snacks, which interferes with the normal peak hours!

Also, a major indicator of earnings is tips provided by customers. It can be difficult to assess how much you’ll be tipped for an order, which is why using a prediction tool is worth it.

The Para app is a terrific prediction tool that removes the guesswork from your Dashing experience!

DoorDash Peak Hours for Customers

Of course, you want to be available for delivery service during the busiest hours to make more money.

So, what are the most active hours to Dash? Based on our research, here are the peak hours for customers:

6 PM – 9 AM

If you are a night owl and live in an urban area, night hours can be very profitable.

Many people order food late at night and during early morning hours. Thus, you can make good money working during these wee hours – one of my favorites when thinking about the best times to DoorDash.

You can get a lot of high-paying orders during night hours. And even if you are not available to work all night, wake up early. Many people order breakfast very early in the morning.

11 AM – 1 PM

Many people place their orders for lunch breaks at this time. Therefore, you can schedule yourself to complete a few food delivery orders during this short period.

5 PM – 9 PM

Many restaurants are often busy during this time, and you can land many gigs if you are available for food delivery service. You will find many experienced Dashers working during these timeframes. Of course, your best times to DoorDash will depend on your location.

If you live in a big city where you are busy all day, you can make money in the evening delivering dinner. Also, if you live in a town where people often order breakfast, you will have to wake up early to take advantage of this.

It is all about testing it out yourself to see what works in your area.

Keep in mind that this is the most popular time for many Dashers, and thus if you will be Dashing during these hours, make sure to book the hours in advance inside the Dasher app.

Let’s discuss the best times to DoorDash as per the DoorDash platform and discussions on popular platforms such as Reddit and Quora.

Why Driving at Peak Times Matters

Peak times matter when delivering with DoorDash because they offer a higher volume of orders, increasing the potential for earnings. As a DoorDash driver, working during these busy hours means you have access to more orders, allowing you to be selective and choose those that pay better.

This strategy maximizes your income potential and reduces time spent on less profitable deliveries. Additionally, peak hours often coincide with times when customers are more likely to give tips, further enhancing your earning opportunities.

Being an independent contractor with DoorDash, you have the flexibility to schedule your work during these optimal times, making the most of the demand and improving your overall efficiency and earnings.

Pro Tip: Did you know that you can cash out at the end of every shift using DoorDash instant pay? It’s a great way to pad your pockets after a long day of work.

The Best Times to DoorDash, According to DoorDash

DoorDash, like any other organization, wants to retain its best Dashers. That’s why it wants you, as a DoorDash delivery driver, to maximize your payout so you don’t quit after a few weeks. That’s why they offer some suggestions on the best times to work for them.

The peak times to work at DoorDash, as per their platform recommendations, include: Lunch (11 AM to 2 PM) and Dinner (4:30 PM to 8 PM)

Remember that since these are often the busiest times to Dash, you need to secure your spot early enough as many other people are competing for the same.

If you are available for several days, you can book your place for delivery during lunch or dinner hours by scheduling a Dash up to five days in advance. This is per DoorDash research.

Let’s discuss the best hours to DoorDash as per couriers.

The Best Times to DoorDash, According to Reddit

Sometimes sourcing information from the horse’s mouth is the best way to know the truth. As per the discussions on Reddit, there were a few suggestions.

One driver, who also works with different food delivery apps such as Uber Eats and Grubhub, indicated the best times to Dash are 11 AM – 2 PM and 4:30 PM – 8 PM. Several other Dashers seconded this.

Another delivery driver who also works with Postmates and Instacart claimed it depends on their region.

He suggested busy areas with many college kids and late-night corporate employees tend to have many Dashers working at night. This makes it challenging to get well-paying delivery gigs at night.

His suggestions were 12 PM – 2 PM for lunch and 6 PM – 8 PM for the dinner rush.

Overall, one thing was clear from the discussions on Reddit:

You only find out the best times to DoorDash in your region when you track your orders for some time.

There is always a pattern that you will discover after Dashing for a few weeks, which will help you maximize your payout.

The Best Times to DoorDash, According to Quora

As per discussions on Quora, many suggestions leaned towards lunchtime and dinner rush times and during the night on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, there were suggestions that busy areas with many tech workers tend to order more than other workers.

During weekends, evening hours (5 PM – 9 PM) were said to be the peak hours for many food delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub, which means it applies to DoorDash as well.

Again, many drivers concluded that the best times for DoorDash varies from one region to another. Thus, you have to track your orders for some time to know the best time to Dash in your locality.

Additional Tips For Maximizing DoorDash Earnings

Now that we’ve talked about the best times to DoorDash, let’s quickly go over other tips that will help you earn more throughout your time with DoorDash:

1. Early scheduling

Scheduling your next few DoorDashes is a smart idea. If you’re early to the schedule, you’re more likely to get the prime delivery times. Just log into the DoorDash app and sign up for a slot or two that works best for you.

2. DoorDash challenges

DoorDash challenges are special incentives designed to motivate Dashers to complete more deliveries.

These challenges are promotions within the DoorDash app and may have certain criteria, such as the location of deliveries or deliveries completed.

A common challenge is the “peak pay” incentive, which encourages more Dashers to work during the busiest times. The peak pay increase will be seen prior to accepting a delivery.

3. Work weekends and holidays

Weekends and holidays are likely to be busy, as people will want to relax instead of spending a day or evening in the kitchen.

If you pick up weekend or holiday work, you’re more likely to be offered deliveries or be paid more through a peak pay incentive.

4. Work in busy areas and peak times

Have you thought about driving to a busier area and working there for your shift? If your local area is a bit slower, consider branching out to neighboring areas that are seeing a bit more traffic.

Also, as mentioned previously, busy areas will be subject to peak bonuses – so try to work during lunch or dinner rushes to increase your take-home pay!

Increase your acceptance rate

Increasing your acceptance rate will make it more likely that you are given lucrative deliveries.

Overall, when you’re first starting out, it is beneficial to accept deliveries even if the payout is small so that you can establish a strong foundation for your acceptance rate.

If you want to increase your acceptance rate but don’t want to keep accepting low tips, you may want to use a prediction tool that will estimate your tip amount before you accept.

Be a reliable driver

Although many things can interfere with your Dashing, such as slow restaurants and traffic, your reliability is essential in creating a solid income.

To be a reliable driver, you should communicate with your customer, keep in touch with the restaurant if they are running late, and deliver the food according to the customer’s instructions.

Wrapping Up

There you have it! Now you’re aware of the best times to DoorDash so that you can maximize your Dashing income.

Remember: it’s a good rule of thumb to think about the times when you’d like to order food (such as for lunch or dinner) and make your schedule accordingly.

When Dashing, other factors can influence your pay such as communication, timely delivery, and the ability to follow instructions. We hope that your next DoorDashing experience is more profitable as a result of these tips!