Personalfinance tips

Look For Batched Orders

One way to make the most money on DoorDash is to become a pro at batched orders. When you’re on a delivery, DoorDash can sometimes send additional order requests. These requests are usually for restaurants in a nearby area, and you pick up both orders before making two separate deliveries. Batched orders are great because you can usually squeeze out the second delivery faster than you normally would since you’re already in the area. However, just make sure it isn’t too out of the way and that you don’t jeopardize your chance at a tip with both customers by being super late. Extra Reading – 28 Apps That Pay You To Drive.

Deliver With Care

Alright, this is a pretty simple piece of DoorDash advice, but I think it’s important to highlight…especially for scooter and bike couriers! Before you accept an order, consider how easy it’s going to be for you to deliver safely. If you’re a bike courier, do you really want to accept an order that involves ten burgers, ten drinks, and a bunch of other appetizers and assorted foods? Probably not…even if it pays well, that order doesn’t sound too easy to lug around in your food delivery bag as you bike 25 minutes across town. Anyway, the bottom line is to deliver with care at all times and to think about order difficulty, especially if you’re on a bike or scooter! Extra Reading – How Much Can You Make With DoorDash Per Week?

Stay In Touch With The Customer

Encountering wait times at the restaurant, lots of traffic, or anything else that’s slowing down you delivery? Let the customer know. One simple DoorDash dasher tip is to keep the customer informed about how the delivery is going. This helps them plan their schedule better, especially if they live in an apartment building and want to come down to meet you for pickup when you arrive. You don’t need to overdo it here, but if something pops up, send that message!

Be Smart About Orders You Accept

One simple DoorDash driver tip is to be selective about the orders you accept. This sounds straightforward, but many beginner Dashers stress too much about keeping their order acceptance rate above 70%. This is because people think a higher DoorDash acceptance rate means you always get more orders and, therefore, earn more. However, this is somewhat misleading. Supply and demand is the main factor that influences how many orders you receive. Besides, scheduling yourself for a Dash, as we’ll cover later, is also key. Additionally, you don’t want to waste your valuable time accepting every order just because it’ll increase your acceptance rate; you need to protect your hourly wage at all cost! Here’s an example of an order I’d personally skip: A common piece of DoorDash driver advice is to only accept orders of $7 or over. This is because if you can squeeze out two to three orders per hour, you’re looking at at least $14 to $21 per hour before costs. Granted, this skill takes time. You need to learn how long certain deliveries take, which routes are fast, and how to spot orders that look good but are actually a time trap. The takeaway: aim for orders with an approximate minimum pay of $7.

Deliver During Busy Periods & Aim For Peak Pay

Another useful DoorDash Dasher tip is to only work during the best delivery periods to increase the odds you get Peak Pay. Peak pay is DoorDash’s way of compensating delivery drivers during busy periods. When you open the DoorDash app, you’ll see zones marked in red as being “busy” or “very busy.” These zones also indicate if they pay Peak Pay. If you can snag Peak Pay, the bonus is a simple way to add a few dollars per delivery. However, even if you can’t get this bonus, delivering during busy times helps you get more DoorDash orders. So, what are the best times to deliver for DoorDash? Well, you can test delivering during the following periods:

  • Lunch: 11:00AM to 2:00PM
  • Dinner: 4:30PM to 8:00PM
  • Sunday: Pretty much all day
  • Friday & Saturday Night: It’s worth testing late-night deliveries when people are coming home from parties or the bar Again, this can vary slightly depending on your market, but it’s relatively stable (humans behave the same everywhere).

Double-Check Orders Before Leaving!

If you want to make more money with DoorDash, a common theme to follow is to work for tips. DoorDash pays using a formula that includes:

  • Base Pay – Includes time, distance, and desirability in the calculation.
  • Promotions – Includes Peak Pay and challenges.
  • Tips -You always keep 100% of your tips, so it pays to work hard on the customer service front! Tips are the variable magic here, and a generous tip can transform your DoorDash earnings per hour. But, one of the easiest ways to mess up your tip is to leave the restaurant without double-checking the order! I mean, imagine how frustrated a customer would be if they paid for something, only to find out it’s missing from their order. Even though this is always the restaurants fault, you need to double-check everything in their order is correct to keep the customer, your potential tipper, happy.

Grab Extras For The Customer

Another simple DoorDash tip is to just grab extras for the customer before leaving the restaurant. Examples of this include:

  • Extra sauce packets
  • Napkins and wet wipes
  • Plastic cutlery This is a small gesture that will add an extra 30 seconds to your delivery, max. However, it provides better quality service and helps improve the odds you get a nice tip!

Separate Hot & Cold Items

On the note of customer service, make sure you separate hot and cold items in the order as best as you can. This is especially important if you’re delivering a combo like ice cream and a hot food item. Cold drinks should also be separated, if possible. If you need a solid delivery bag, you can also checkout this one on Amazon for a cheap starter bag: For short deliveries, this won’t be game changing. However, for 20+ minute trips, this simple trick can help keep food and drinks at more enjoyable temperatures and make the customer happier.

Use A Mileage Tracking App

Alright, time for one of the most important DoorDash tips and tricks that a lot of beginner drivers miss out on. Did you know that according to the IRS, the standard mileage rate for using your car for business purposes is $0.56 per mile? That’s right: accurately tracking and reporting your mileage from DoorDashing can help you save money on your tax return. Plus, it’s also important to track your fuel costs to ensure you know your true hourly pay and if you’re driving efficiently. If you’re looking for an effective mileage tracking app that also lets you log your income, I suggest reading our Hurdlr review for more information! Pro Tip: You can also use the GetUpside app to earn cash back rewards when refueling between deliveries!

Side Hustle to Make More Money

Are you happy with the amount of money you're taking home each year? If you're like most of us, a little bit of extra cash each month could go a long way. So, why not start a side hustle to supplement your income? Don't worry. You don't have to sacrifice all of your free time to start a successful side hustle. One of the big advantages of side hustling is that you can do it when you want and as much (or as little) as you want. The best advice I can give you is to start. Use any extra time you can find and make a little bit of progress every day. Soon you'll be addicted to the side hustle lifestyle. So, how much money can you really make with a side hustle? Well, that's the other awesome thing about side hustling, the income is virtually limitless. Since you're not getting paid by the hour or a set salary, it's really up to you to decide how much you want to earn. The more you feed your side hustle, the more it grows.