The Driver’s Guide to Postmates Support

Postmates users know they can get reliable delivery service for food, drinks, meals, and a lot more.

If they have issues, they’re able to use their app to review the Postmates help center information and get taken care of.

But what about members of the Postmates fleet?

For the independent contractors who work as couriers for the company, there are unique issues that you face that the app user most likely won’t — issues of payment, insurance, reimbursement, and more.

In this article, we’ll look at common issues that face members of the Postmates fleet, give guidance on finding out the information you need, and answer pressing questions regarding safety, payment, and more.

How to Reach Out to the Support Team

If you need to contact support, Postmates asks that you first review their help center at Postmates.com or in the Postmates app.

To get to it online, simply go to https://fleet-help.postmates.com/.

There you can find plenty of your questions answered, along with best steps for handling situations with customers, merchants, payment, and more.

Just browse articles on the page and odds are, the answer to your question is there.

You can also tap “How can we help?” on the iOS app or Android app for fleet members.

There the same collection of answers will be available for those of you on the move.

If you want a direct response to a question that you can’t find the answer to online, you can contact Postmates via email at [email protected].

Unfortunately, Postmates does not have a publicly listed phone number to get help.

Common Issues for Postmates Couriers

Couriers who work for the company know that, at times, things can go wrong.

There may be issues with Postmates orders — popular restaurants can be backed up, causing unforeseen delays, or they may hand you a cold bag of food to bring to a customer.

In those instances, the company encourages couriers to be proactive.

If the restaurant tells you about an unexpected delay after you’ve already arrived, communicate that immediately to the customer via the app.

If the food is ice cold, talk directly to the restaurant and communicate what’s happening to the customer.

There are also issues with customers.

Some may have difficulty ordering with the app — new Postmates users may be unfamiliar with how it works, or confuse how much a delivery fee is compared to other competitors (Seamless or DoorDash, for example.)

While the app does tell people their total before they order, some may mistakenly order things they don’t want, or have questions about why a certain delivery fee was applied.

If there is an incident with a customer during a food delivery, your best bet is to encourage the customer to visit the customer support help center.

Another common issue is about getting set up with Postmates: learning how to use your prepaid card, how to accept orders, and more.

Luckily, all of those questions are all answered in the Postmates Fleet support center.

The center tries to anticipate any question you might have about making a Postmates pickup, using the app, and more.

How Do I Get Reimbursed if I Need to Spend My Own Cash to Complete an Order?

It’s possible in your time working for Postmates that you are forced to use your own money to make sure an order is completed.

Fear not — Postmates will reimburse you in that instance.

But they do ask you to take some precautions and provide proof before you spend your own money.

For example, if a merchant doesn’t accept your Postmates prepaid card to pay for the food, they ask that you double check that the order hasn’t already been paid for.

If it’s a prepaid delivery, you don’t need to swipe your card.

If you accidentally use your personal card, Postmates will reimburse you, but it might take some time.

For any reimbursement request, Postmates asks that you choose the option “Requesting Reimbursement” under “How can we help?”

Then provide them with the date of the delivery, the name of the merchant, pictures showing your use of a personal card or cash, and information about why you used your personal card.

If a merchant says it is cash only, Postmates will not work with that merchant. In that instance, they ask that you tap “Support” and cancel the order.

If you have lost your prepaid card, you can order a new card here.

What Do I Do for Issues With Direct Deposit?

Postmates pays it couriers via direct deposit.

If you are having issues with money showing up in your account, odds are that you need to be patient.

Postmates says it can take 5–7 business days for a bank account to be verified, which can be slowed down due to holidays.

The verification process is done by a third party, so contacting Postmates unfortunately won’t help you in this regard.

Also, if you decide to change your bank account information, or edit it in any way during the waiting period, the verification process will start over.

So remain patient!

And have no fear — Postmates will keep your money in your balance until your bank account is successfully set up, so the money isn’t going anywhere.

While on the subject on payment, it’s also important to remember that because Postmates couriers are independent contractors, the company doesn’t withhold taxes from their earnings.

You will need to ensure that you are paying taxes on the money you make from the company.

What Happens If I Get in an Accident While Driving for Postmates?

Postmates requires that everyone who works for them as an independent contractor have a personal auto insurance policy in the event of a safety incident.

Here is the policy, via the Postmates website:

“Postmates requires that all on-demand independent contractors (i.e., Postmate couriers) maintain an up-to-date, personal auto insurance policy.
Damages sustained to your vehicle in an auto accident are your responsibility and should be addressed by your personal auto insurance carrier.
Postmates does provide excess auto insurance for Postmate couriers in the event your personal policy does not adequately cover damages you cause to other parties (i.e. third party property damage and/or bodily injury).”

If you are in an accident, they ask you to fill out this form and then contact [email protected] with all of the relevant details.

If There’s a Question, There’s an Answer at the Support Center

Any number of issues can arise during your time working with Postmates.

Most of these issues are addressed in the support center for Fleet members.

While the temptation is there to speak to someone in the event of an issue, it’s important to remember that there are thousands of couriers and exponentially more orders than that operating within the Postmates world every day.

Because of that, you probably won’t be able to get the quick response you’re looking for from another human being.

But you can be proactive!

The support center can answer questions about sign up and orientation, technical app issues, safety questions, money issues, and more.

Take the time to review the general articles as well as specific instances, and you’ll be prepared to handle any situation.