If you have a car, you’d be surprised by the number of choices you have to make some extra money. If you love driving, you may even turn one of those into a full-time job.
Some of the ways you can try are to become a delivery driver, a car advertiser, and a shuttle service.
You may even rent your car to someone else so you can make some passive income without making any effort.
In this guide, we’ll show you all the details.
- Can You Make Money With Your Car?
- What You’ll Need to Make Money With Your Car
- Where to Make Money With Your Car
- Why You Should Consider Making Money With Your Car as a Side Hustle
- Problems With Making Money With Your Car
- How to Make Money With Your Car: Step-By-Step Instructions
- Things to Consider When Making Money With Your Car
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Similar Ways to Get Paid
- Wrapping Up
Can You Make Money With Your Car?
The short answer is yes. You can make a decent sum of money with your car. It won’t be a fortune, but with some dedication, some gigs can become full-time jobs.
Since there are various jobs you can do with your car (more on that soon), the exact income you’ll get a month can vary. So, we’ll take one of the most common car jobs, Uber, as our example.
According to Uber, you can make anywhere between $550–$2,500 a month.
What You’ll Need to Make Money With Your Car
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A Reliable Car: Since most services require transportation, you should have a reliable car that won’t constantly break down and waste your earnings on fixing it.
- Insurance: Your vehicle should always be insured because you never know what can happen. As long as you’re driving, there’s a chance of damage.
- Driving Experience: A minimum of one year of experience is needed for the majority of delivery services. The longer you’ve been driving, the better your chances of landing the job.
- A Clean Driving Record: Speeding, fines, and accidents are always bad for business. Even if you’re a good driver with a quality vehicle, a bad driving record will reduce your chances of landing the gig.
Where to Make Money With Your Car
Earning some extra cash with your car can come from working for various services; here are some of them:
Rideshare companies often come to mind whenever someone decides to make money with their car.
The concept is simple: you’re basically a local taxi driver, but someone would request your services through an application, and you go pick them up and transport them somewhere.
Since it’s an app-based service, the rideshare company will then charge a percentage of your ride as a fee for connecting you to the passenger. Different companies have different fees and rates per mile.
Uber is one of the most popular rideshare apps. To work with Uber, you need to be at least 21 years old, have a clean driving record, have at least one year of driving experience, and own a 4-door car.
Many companies may let you work with rental cars, and some of them will even lend you cars to work with. However, the fees will then be higher.
The amount of money you make will vary depending on the rideshare app you use, the fees you pay, and whether you own the car or not.
For example, Uber pays you around $1–$2 per mile. On average, that’s around $41,000 a year. You can make more if you pick up passengers during surge timings.
What makes ridesharing great is that you can do it even if you don’t have a car. In exchange for a reduced income, you may rent a car and start the ball rolling.
Earnings may be slow at first, but you’ll slowly but surely rise up.
- Fees/Commission: Anywhere between 10% to 25% per ride
- Payment Methods: Cash and bank cards
2. Food Delivery Service
How many times have you ordered through Uber Eats, Postmates, or Doordash?
With a few simple steps to fill up an application, you can become one of those food delivery drivers. That’s a great option if you don’t fancy driving people around or if you don’t like talking to people that much.
Keep in mind that you may also be required to be an in-store shopper before delivering food; it’s not always directly picking the prepared food/groceries from the hands of someone else.
It’s difficult to pinpoint how much money food delivery drivers can make, as the rates differ between different companies.
For example, Postmates pays you per delivery, while Uber Eats pays you per miles driven. However, on average, you can expect $15 per hour, according to Zip Recruiter.
What makes delivery services great is their versatility. For example, Uber Eats pays well, but it has some limitations like a maximum car age and at least one year of driving experience. If you find that too limiting, you may switch to other food delivery apps.
For example, DoorDash doesn’t care what kind of vehicle you use as long as you get the deliveries done on time. As such, you can use a car, a motorbike, or a regular bicycle.
If you don’t like to deliver food where “fresh and hot” is a priority, you can try Postmates. This app allows the delivery driver to transport various other items. You can deliver groceries, retail items, and clothes!
- Fees/Commission: Fees vary per app, but they average between 10–25% per delivery
- Payment Methods: Bank account deposition and PayPal are the most common payment methods for delivery apps
3. Work for a Car Advertising Company
Would you like to earn extra money by driving your car around?
Car owners with stock factory paint jobs can transform their vehicles into moving billboards in exchange for monthly income.
Wrapify and Carvertise are the two most popular car advertising companies in the U.S. Both of them require the car to be free from any crazy paint jobs.
Also, you’ll sometimes not get to choose what kind of brands your car will advertise (although it’s usually possible), and you’ll usually have to drive in specific areas to be eligible for compensation.
Carvertise says that you can earn up to $500 per month, which, despite being great for just driving around, can’t be considered a primary source of income.
However, this brings us to why this option is a great one. You can pair car advertising almost effortlessly with any other car driving job.
For example, if you make money with your car using Uber, you can pair that with advertising to increase your gains.
It’s true that you need to drive your car in specific places to earn money, but what you can do is drive there, start your Uber Driver application, and you should start grinding some miles in that area before a passenger takes you out of it.
Typically, you need around 30 miles per day to earn money from those ads.
- Fees/Commission: None
- Payment Methods: Varies per company. It’s best to ask as you apply
4. Become an Amazon Carrier
If you like delivery services but don’t fancy having food and groceries in your car, you should consider the Amazon Flex driver approach.
Basically, you become Amazon’s courier in the time frame that you decide. Accordingly, you can make your own schedule and work whenever you see fit.
Also, you don’t necessarily need a pickup truck or a box truck. If you have a reliable car that can handle average-sized packages, then you’re good to go.
Besides the car, there are a few other things you’ll need. You must have a valid driver’s license, be at least 21 years old, and perform a clear background check.
You should expect an average of $18–$25 per hour if you deliver packages for Amazon Flex, which isn’t bad at all if you mix it with other gigs like advertising with your car.
What makes this option great is that you can actually use it as a reliable source of income. With an average of $22 per hour, you’re way above the national minimum wage of $7.5 per hour.
- Fees/Commission: None
- Payment Methods: Credit and debit cards, PayPal, and Amazon gift cards
5. Rent Your Vehicle
Renting your vehicle for someone else to use is one of the most passive methods to make money with your car.
We would’ve loved to say that it’s hassle-free, too, but it comes with a few issues. Let’s talk about the good ones first.
Renting your car allows you to earn money while doing basically nothing. You can also have a versatile contract with your renter, discussing all the terms you need and choosing whether you want to earn a fixed price or a percentage of the earnings.
Typically, the renter pays for the car’s fuel, but the maintenance costs will be your responsibility.
How much money you make will depend on the nature of your contract. On average, cars in the United States rent for around $52 a day.
That should be your average earnings if you settle for a fixed price instead of a percentage, which is often the case.
Why is this great? You’re making some money while you’re busy earning some cash through other sources. As long as your car is insured, you have nothing to worry about.
Also, for added safety, you can use dedicated apps like Turo or Getaround for a stress-free renting process.
- Fees/Commission: Maintenance fees only (varies depending on the car)
- Payment Methods: Typically cash, but anything you agree on with your renter will be fine
6. Become a Shuttle Service for Children
Are you good with children? Wouldn’t it be nice to become a children’s care driver and get well compensated for it? With apps like HopSkipDrive, you can do that.
However, despite paying well, this job isn’t as straightforward to land as others on the list.
For starters, you’ll need to be at least 23 years old. You should also have a good driving record and a 4-door vehicle that’s not older than 10 years.
Your driving record should be clean of any major strikes as well. And you should have a minimum of five years of caregiving experience.
If you have all those boxes ticked, you can expect to make up to $40 per hour.
- Fees/Commission: The applicable base fare will depend on where you drive
- Payment Methods: Direct deposit
Why You Should Consider Making Money With Your Car as a Side Hustle
Here’s why working with your car can be suitable for almost anyone who owns a car:
- Extra Income: Those who enjoy cruising around are sure to appreciate the extra money they can make while doing what they love. If you manage to land a side gig near your regular commute, that would be even better.
- Flexible Work Schedule: Most, if not all, car-related services are based on a schedule that you decide. As such, you can easily separate your side gig times from your regular working times to give yourself a breather.
- Easy to Do: Most car-related services are easy to get into. They usually require having just one year of driving experience, a good record, and a car. You can also rent a car if you don’t have one.
- You Can Stop Whenever: Do you need a self-care break? In most cases, you can stop working on your car the moment you decide to, making intermittent breaks easier than ever.
Problems With Making Money With Your Car
Unfortunately, nothing is all sunshine and rainbows; here’s why making money with your car may not work for you:
- Fuel Costs: While this may not have been an issue 10 years ago, it is now, sadly. Fuel is no longer cheap and can take a good chunk out of your earnings once you factor it out from your gross income.
- Maintenance Costs: Cars require maintenance with regular driving. If you’re using your car to make money, you should expect the intervals between maintenance sessions to shorten, which manifests as increased costs.
- The Need for a Car: Even though some services allow you to rent a car or drive one that’s not yours, you should own the car if you want to make an actual profit.
How to Make Money With Your Car: Step-By-Step Instructions
While the requirements of different car gigs may slightly vary, the basic process is often the same. Here are the steps you should follow:
Step One: Get Some Safe Driving Experience
Most money-making gigs with your car require at least one year of driving experience and a good driving record.
In other words, even if you don’t know how to drive at all, all you have to do is to learn how to drive, get a license, and drive safely for a year.
Step Two: Get a Car
If you’re reading this, you most probably already have a car or have access to one.
If you don’t have a reliable car, you may rent one, buy a second-hand one, or look for a car-related gig that can provide you with a car like Uber.
Step Three: Decide What Kind of Service You Want to Do
Depending on your living area, your car size, and your preferences, you may choose one or more of the options we mentioned earlier.
For example, cargo vans will be excellent for Amazon packages, family cars will work great as a shuttle service, and sedan cars are fantastic for Uber and food delivery services.
All of them will also work as a moving billboard, so you can easily mix that with any of the previous services.
Step Four: Meet the Necessary Demands
Aside from owning a car and having some driving experience, you’ll need other requirements. They usually differ per service you choose.
For example, Uber won’t accept your application if your car is older than 10 years. Similarly, HopSkipDrive will deny your application if you don’t have a 5-year experience in caregiving.
Step Five: Maintain Your Vehicle Regularly
Your vehicle maintenance will be a bit more demanding when you use it for more than just your regular commute.
Regardless of the money-making path you’ll take with your car, you’ll be putting in a lot more miles than you’d regularly do.
Maintenance is often done periodically or after a certain number of miles. If you’re driving for money, you’ll notice that you’ll run out of miles before the expected period ends.
As such, you’ll pay more to keep your car in shape.
Things to Consider When Making Money With Your Car
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to make money with your car:
- Check Your Insurance: All insurance companies will cover your car as long as you’re driving it normally. However, not all insurance will cover your car if you’re using it for delivery/transportation. As such, you should check if your insurance company will require additional fees for that.
- Check Your Local Regulations: Some cities may have specific requirements and regulations on private cars that work on delivery services. Accordingly, if you want to deliver something, you should always check first to avoid infringing any laws by accident.
- Risk vs. Benefit: The income will vary depending on the method you choose to make money with your car. As such, you should always factor in how much money you’re spending on fuel and car maintenance in comparison to how much you’re making and whether it’s worth the hassle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make a Living Using My Car?
If you’re dedicated, you can make enough money with your car to not need a second job. However, don’t expect to make an abnormally large sum of money, as you’ll be constantly refueling your car, maintaining it, and paying for insurance.
Can I Make Money With a Car That’s Not Mine?
If the car isn’t in your name, but you’ve obtained it through legal ways (like renting it or borrowing it from a friend), you can still make money with it, but you may need additional information in your application.
For example, Uber won’t allow you to drive a car that’s not registered in your name unless you’re listed as an insured driver in the respective vehicle’s policy.
Can I Make Money With My Motorized Bike/Scooter?
You can still make some money, but you’ll have some limitations. For example, you can use your motorized bike to transport Uber passengers, but since your vehicle is limited to only one passenger, the money you’ll receive will be less.
Another example is that you can use a bicycle for short groceries/package deliveries, but you’ll have a hard time keeping up if the delivery locations are consistently far apart.
Similar Ways to Get Paid
Here are some other gigs that you can use to get paid:
- Make Money With a Truck: If you have a large truck, you can make larger deliveries and earn more cash.
- Make Money With a Drone: If you have a reliable car that can take you to places where the scenery is magical, why not take your drone and explore the possibilities to make money?
- Get Paid to Review Movies: If you’re more of a home lover than a driver, why not watch new movies, review them, and get paid for that?
- Make Money With a Laptop: Are you reading this article from a laptop? Did you know that there are countless ways to make money with it?
Wrapping Up
There you have it; six ways to make money with your car. If you’re a social bug, transporting passengers could be just what you’re looking for.
If you prefer to drive without talking too much, becoming a courier, an instore-shopper, or a food delivery driver may work better for you.
If you want to earn money for just driving your car around, then wrap it in some advertisements and meet a minimum daily driving quota.
If you want a nearly 100% passive income, rent your car to someone else. Whatever you do, make sure that your car is insured.
The possibilities to earn from your car are endless, so just decide what you want to do, and do it.
Let us know what you think in the comments, and if you believe someone else may benefit from this, go ahead and show them this article.
