DoorDash is worth it as a flexible side gig if you already have a reliable car, scooter or bike and can work the lunch, dinner and weekend rushes. It is not worth it if you need a steady hourly wage, because base pay starts at $2 per delivery and gas, car maintenance and taxes all come out of your pocket.
As a Dasher you pick up orders from restaurants and stores and drop them off to customers. You decide when to log on, you see what each order pays before you accept it, and you keep 100% of your tips. This review covers how the pay works, what you need to start, how and when you get paid, the real downsides, and who should skip it.
DoorDash is our top pick in the delivery app jobs comparison, and delivery is one of the quicker options in our list of the best side hustles.
- Work on your schedule
- Keep 100% of tips
- Cash out quickly
How Does DoorDash Work?
There is no interview and no special equipment. Here is the process from sign up to payout:
- Sign Up: First, create an account on the DoorDash website or in the Dasher app. You enter your basic details and agree to a background check. DoorDash says sign up takes a few minutes and that you can start earning within days.
- Get the App: Download the Dasher app. This is where you see delivery offers, track your earnings and manage when you dash.
- Start Dashing: When you are ready to work, open the app and go online. You get offers from nearby restaurants and stores. Each offer shows a guaranteed minimum before you accept it. Take the ones you like, pick up the order and deliver it with the in-app navigation.
- Get Paid: Your earnings show up in the app after each delivery. DoorDash deposits them weekly, or you can cash out daily with Fast Pay for $1.99.
What You Need to Start
DoorDash has a short list of requirements, and it is available in over 7,000 cities across the US.
- Age: at least 18. The minimum is 19 in Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and West Virginia, and 21 for new applicants in California.
- A way to deliver: any car works. DoorDash has no specific vehicle requirements, and in select cities you can use a scooter or bicycle.
- For car deliveries: a valid driver’s license and personal auto insurance.
- A smartphone: iPhone or Android. DoorDash recommends a phone with more than 3GB of RAM so the app does not crash.
- A Social Security number: used for the background check.
How Do You Get Paid?
DoorDash describes Dasher pay as three parts added together: base pay, promotions and tips.
- Base Pay: In the standard Earn per Offer mode, DoorDash lists base pay at $2 to $10+ per delivery, based on the estimated time, distance and desirability of the order. You see the guaranteed minimum before you accept. Some areas also offer Earn by Time, which pays a guaranteed minimum hourly rate for the time you are active on a delivery.
- Promotions: Peak Pay adds extra money per delivery when an area is busy. Challenges pay a bonus for completing a set number of deliveries in a set time. Boosts are a third type. All of them vary by location and time of day.
- Tips: Customers can tip at checkout or after the delivery, and 100% of tips go to you. DoorDash says base pay and promotions never change based on the tip amount.
There are three ways to get the money out:
- Weekly direct deposit: automatic, and it typically takes 2 to 3 days to show up in your bank account.
- Fast Pay: a daily cash out to an eligible debit card for $1.99 per transfer.
- DoorDash Crimson: a DoorDash debit card account. Earnings are deposited automatically with no fee, typically within seconds. It is subject to eligibility and approval.
If the reason you are looking at DoorDash is that you need cash this week, there are more same-day options in our list of ways to get paid today.
What Costs Do You Cover?
As a Dasher you are an independent contractor, which means you pay your own expenses. The biggest one is gas. How much you spend depends on your car’s fuel economy and how far your orders take you. On top of gas you cover oil changes, tires and the general wear and tear that comes with stop-and-go driving.
You also need to keep your own personal auto insurance, which DoorDash requires for car deliveries. Ask your insurer whether your policy covers delivery driving before you start. Navigation uses mobile data too, so check your phone plan.
Lastly, DoorDash does not withhold taxes from your earnings, so it is up to you to set money aside for tax season. Business expenses like mileage and part of your phone bill can usually be deducted, which offsets some of the cost. Keep a mileage log from your first delivery.
How Much Can You Expect To Earn?
DoorDash does not publish an average hourly figure, and I am not going to invent one. What you make depends on your city, the hours you work, how many orders you complete and how well customers tip.
Here is what is known. Base pay is $2 to $10+ per delivery before promotions and tips. Dashers in busy markets report $20 to $25 an hour during dinner rushes, before expenses. Outside those rushes, or in a small town with few restaurants, you can sit for long stretches with no offers at all, and in Earn per Offer mode that waiting time is unpaid.
So treat it as a side income, not a salary. A few peak shifts a week can cover a bill or a savings goal. Our guide on how to make $500 fast shows how delivery shifts fit into a specific target.
How You Can Earn WAY More Than Average
You cannot control base pay, but you can control when, where and what you accept.
First, focus on busy areas where restaurants are clustered. Short distances between pickup and drop-off let you complete more orders per hour and burn less gas.
Second, work the peak hours: lunch, dinner and weekends. That is when orders are steady and when DoorDash is most likely to add Peak Pay.
Third, be picky. You do not have to accept every offer. Decline low-paying orders that need a long drive, and take the ones with a good payout for the distance.
Fourth, communicate clearly and deliver promptly. Customers can add or raise a tip after the delivery, so good service can pay off.
Lastly, consider signing up for a second delivery app like Uber Eats or Grubhub, so you have another source of orders when DoorDash is slow.
How DoorDash Compares To Its Competitors
All three big restaurant apps pay the same way: a base amount, promotions and 100% of tips. The differences are in the details. Uber Eats lets you cash out up to 6 times a day with Instant Pay for a fee, and it lists delivery on foot as well as by bike, scooter and car. Grubhub uses block scheduling, where you reserve blocks of time in advance. Postmates is no longer a separate app, since its couriers now deliver through Uber Eats.
DoorDash’s edge is reach and simplicity. It is in over 7,000 US cities, it has no specific vehicle requirements, and its orders include groceries and convenience items as well as restaurant food. See how each one stacks up on age, vehicle and payout rules in our comparison of delivery app jobs.
The Real Downsides
- Gas: every mile is on you, including the drive to the restaurant and the drive back from a far drop-off.
- Wear on your car: delivery adds miles, brake wear and oil changes faster than normal driving.
- Slow hours: mid-afternoon and late morning can be dead. In Earn per Offer mode you earn nothing while you wait.
- Low base pay on some orders: a $2 base with no tip does not cover a long drive. You have to learn which offers to decline.
- No benefits and no tax withholding: you are a contractor, so there is no paid time off and you handle your own taxes.
Who Should Skip DoorDash
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed paycheck or a fixed number of hours each week.
- Drivers with a car that gets poor gas mileage or is already close to needing expensive repairs.
- People in small towns with few restaurants, where offers are thin outside the dinner hour.
- Anyone who cannot work evenings or weekends, since that is when most of the orders come in.
If that is you, a phone-based option may suit you better. Our guide to side hustle apps covers ways to earn that need no car at all.
Is DoorDash Worth It?
Yes, for the right person. DoorDash is worth it if you have a cheap-to-run car or a bike, live somewhere with plenty of restaurants, and want extra money on your own schedule. You can start within days, you see the pay before you accept an order, you keep all of your tips, and you can cash out daily.
It is not worth it as a replacement for a full-time job with benefits, or if your car costs a lot to run. Go in expecting a side income that depends on the hours you choose, track your miles, and judge it on what you keep after gas.
If that sounds like a fit, sign up, try a few dinner shifts, and see what your area pays.
- Work on your schedule
- Keep 100% of tips
- Cash out quickly
Frequently Asked Questions
DoorDash is worth it as a flexible side gig if you have a reliable, cheap-to-run vehicle and can work lunch, dinner and weekend rushes. It is not a good fit if you need a fixed wage, because pay varies by order and you cover gas, maintenance and taxes yourself.
DoorDash lists base pay at $2 to $10+ per delivery in Earn per Offer mode, based on estimated time, distance and desirability. Promotions like Peak Pay and 100% of customer tips are added on top. You see the guaranteed minimum for each offer before you accept it.
DoorDash pays weekly by direct deposit, which typically takes 2 to 3 days to arrive. You can also cash out once a day with Fast Pay for $1.99, or get no-fee deposits within seconds if you are approved for DoorDash Crimson.
You need to be at least 18 (19 in some states and 21 for new applicants in California), have a smartphone, and provide a Social Security number for a background check. For car deliveries you also need a valid driver’s license and personal auto insurance.
Yes, in select cities. DoorDash accepts scooters and bicycles in some markets, and the sign up flow shows which options are open where you live. If neither works for you, see the other side hustles you can start without a vehicle.
