How Uber Eats works for drivers: Requirements, pay, and a guide to delivering (2024)

Delivering for Uber Eats has quickly become one of the most popular delivery gigs.

Uber Eats delivery drivers enjoy the flexibility of working without a schedule and the freedom to accept or decline any order request.

The easy requirements to apply also make Uber Eats an attractive option: You can use just about any vehicle, and you only have to be 19 or older.

If you’ve ever thought about delivering for Uber Eats, here is a complete guide to applying, getting started, and doing your first deliveries.

Article Contents:

• What do Uber Eats delivery drivers do?
• Uber Eats driver requirements
• How much do Uber Eats drivers make?
• What it’s like to deliver for Uber Eats
• Is Uber Eats worth your time?

What do Uber Eats delivery drivers do?

In simple terms, Uber Eats delivery drivers pick up and deliver orders from local restaurants and stores.

Most orders on Uber Eats are for restaurant delivery, but Uber Eats customers can also order from convenience stores, grocery stores, and other retailers.

Uber Eats drivers start delivering by signing into the Uber Driver app and waiting for order requests.

When a request comes in, you’ll see the estimated payout, restaurant name, customer location, and overall mileage. You are free to accept or decline any order request.

Most Uber Eats drivers use a vehicle to do deliveries, but some deliver on bicycles or scooters.

How to sign up for Uber Eats: The application process

1. Apply online or in the Uber driver app
2. If you plan to drive, upload your driver’s license and other vehicle info
3. Consent to a background screening
4. Wait to hear if Uber accepts your application. Typically takes 3–10 days
5. When you are accepted, sign into the Uber driver app and start taking delivery requests

Already an Uber driver? How to opt into Uber Eats deliveries

If you’re already an Uber driver, you can opt into eats deliveries in the “Work Hub” of the Uber Driver app.

In the Uber Driver app: Tap Menu > Account > Work Hub, and select “deliver food with Uber Eats. From there, tap “Turn on deliveries.”

How to turn on Uber Eats delivery requests in the app

You can enable or disable deliveries if you are eligible to do Uber rides and Uber Eats deliveries.

To turn delivery requests on or off: On the bottom of the home screen, tap on the icon with two lines to bring up your Driving Preferences. Then tap on Deliveries to enable or disable the option and tap Save.

You will get ride and delivery requests if you enable both at the same time.

How Uber Eats drivers can switch to rideshare

If you began as an Uber Eats driver and want to give rides for Uber’s ridesharing services, you have to contact Uber and ask to add rideshare to your driver profile.

Currently, there is no direct way to make the switch to rideshare. You have to contact Uber.

• How Uber Eats drivers can switch to rideshare

How much do Uber Eats drivers make?

According to the top employment data sources online, Uber Eats drivers can expect to make around $15–$20 per hour.

Drivers are paid per delivery, so your actual pay depends on the deliveries you do, the days and times you work, and the local conditions in your market.

Tips from customers make up a large percentage of your pay on Uber Eats. The most profitable drivers learn to accept delivery requests that are likely to include a tip.

Pay for Uber Eats deliveries is generally lower than the pay for Uber rideshare drivers, which is closer to $15–$25 per hour after accounting for expenses.

The tradeoff is that ridesharing drivers tend to put more miles on their cars and have the added stress of dealing with passengers inside their car.

How Uber Eats delivery drivers get paid: Earnings calculation for each delivery

Uber Eats delivery drivers are paid for each completed delivery.

Order requests pop up in the driver app and show an estimated payout, the restaurant or store location, the customer’s location, and the estimated mileage to complete the delivery.

The payout for each delivery is based on this equation: Base fare + trip supplement + promotions + tips.

Uber does not share how they calculate base fare, but the upfront information will typically give you enough information to tell you if the order is worth your time.

• Base fare: Pay for pickup, drop-off, time, and distance
• Trip supplement: Added to base fare to account for extra time, distance, demand
• Promotions: Boost, Quest, and surge earnings (Read more below)
• Tips: Drivers keep 100% of tips. Customers can tip in the app before or after an order

Uber Eats payout = Base fare + trip supplement + promotions + tips

How drivers get paid: Weekly direct deposits or cash out with Instant Pay

Uber Eats earnings are paid every Thursday via direct deposit.

You can also cash out your earnings up to 5 times daily with the Instant Pay feature. Each Instant Pay withdrawal costs $1.25.

Sign up for the Uber Pro debit card to get free Instant Pay withdrawals. Your earnings are automatically transferred to the card after each delivery, and you can get other perks like cash back on gas.

• Which Uber Pro rewards are worth it?

How tips work for Uber Eats drivers

The Uber Eats app allows customers to tip delivery drivers, and drivers keep 100% of tips.

Customers can leave a tip when they place their order or after the order is complete.

Uber Eats includes some tipping info in the upfront payout estimate, but not necessarily all of it.

Selecting orders with tips is the best way to maximize your income. You’ll know a customer didn’t tip when the up-front estimate is low. And most drivers report that tipping after the delivery is rare.

“Includes expected tip” and tip baiting

The order request screen may say “Includes expected tip” beneath the estimated payout. That means the estimate you see includes some or all of the tips the customer left during checkout.

If a customer doesn’t tip in the app, the estimated payout will be low, and you’ll know the order might not be worth it.

One issue: Customers can change their tip after receiving the order (aka tip baiting). If your customer changes the tip, your final payout won’t match the expected payout you saw on the request screen.

The Uber Plus card: Pre-paid card for shop & pay orders

Uber Eats drivers don’t have to handle payments for most orders. But for orders that Uber can’t pay for in advance, drivers can opt in to use the Uber Plus card.

The Uber Plus card is pre-loaded with funds. Drivers use it to pay for “shop & pay” orders during pickup.

On a shop and pay order, you visit a store to pick out items from a list, then pay for the order and deliver it to the customer.

You have to opt-in to receive a Plus card. Request the card by going to Account > Plus card.

After receiving the Plus card in the mail, you will be eligible to receive order requests that require the card.

Once you have the Plus card, you can opt out of shop & pay orders in the preferences area of the Uber driver app.

Driver bonuses: Boost, Quest, Surge, and more

Uber offers several earnings promotions for Eats drivers that can increase your earnings.

To see the current bonuses in your area, go to Menu > Opportunities in the driver app.

Quest: Bonus for completing deliveries. For example, “Earn $8 extra by completing four trips between 5 and 9 pm.”

Boost: Earnings multiplier. For example, you might see an offer for 1.7x Boost in a specific downtown area of your city during the lunch rush. The map on the home screen will show the Boost zone, the earnings multiplier, and the times when the multiplier is available.

Surge: Dynamic earnings multiplier that appears during times of high demand. The difference from Boost is that surge is applied dynamically, while Boosts are pre-set and scheduled in the app.

Streaks: Bonus for completing consecutive deliveries. Example of a streak: “Complete five deliveries in a row between 5 pm and 9 pm for $10 cash”

Guaranteed earnings: Get a guaranteed minimum payout for completing deliveries. If your earnings don’t meet the guaranteed minimum, you receive a bonus payment to make up the difference.

For example, “Earn at least $2350 for completing 210 trips within your 30 first days back.” If you complete 210 trips and only earn $2250 (not including tips), you’ll get a $100 bonus to meet the minimum guarantee.

• Complete guide to Boost, Quest, and other bonuses on Uber

Delivering for Uber Eats: Step-by-step process

Order requests appear in the Uber driver app as a popup notification that shows the estimated payout, the restaurant name & location, the customer’s location, and the estimated total mileage for the delivery.

Picking up an order

After you tap to accept the order, navigate to the restaurant using the in-app GPS instructions (You can select a different navigation app in your app settings).

Once you arrive at the restaurant, check the order screen to see the order’s contents, the customer’s name, and the order number. Give that information to store employees and pick up the order when it is ready.

Once you have the delivery, tap to confirm that you picked up the order and swipe “Start delivery” to move on to the next step.

Dropping off an order

Once you arrive at the customer’s destination, look at the customer notes to see if you deliver to their door or drop it off for a no-contact delivery.

Customers can choose from these drop-off options

• Leave at door: Customers can request that drivers drop off the delivery at their door without an in-person handoff. (More about no-contact deliveries)
• Hand it to me: Meet the customer at their address. If it’s not apparent where the customer will be located based on the pin, call or text them to ask if they have a preferred meeting spot.
• Curbside drop-off: The customer comes to you. The customer will receive a text that tells them to meet you at the curb after you arrive.

Tap the ‘Delivered’ button inside the app once you’ve completed the delivery, and follow on-screen instructions to rate the experience and complete the order.

Cancellations and no shows

If a customer cancels the order after you’ve picked it up, you will still receive full payment for the order. The app will tell you to dispose of the order, but some drivers choose to keep the items.

If you arrive at the delivery location but can’t find a way to access the customer’s door, you can cancel the order after waiting 8 minutes and still get paid for the delivery.

The customer might not have provided a gate code or the entryway could be blocked for some other reason. In that case, tap Help and begin the 8 minute timer to collect your pay.

Other delivery types

Most orders on Uber Eats are for restaurant or retail pickups, but there are a few other order types that you may encounter.

Shop & pay — Go to grocery stores and drugstores to pick out items, then pay for the order with the Uber Plus card. Similar to shopping for Instacart.

Walmart — Visit Walmart stores to pick up & deliver orders.

Uber Eats Support Phone Number for Drivers: 1-800-253-9435

Delivery drivers have a few ways to get help from Uber support.

During an order, there is a contact button that will put you in touch with Uber Eats driver support, and there are also buttons to contact the restaurant and the customer.

• If you have an issue picking up the order: Contact the restaurant. Contact info is available inside the Uber driver app
• If you picked up the order but can’t complete it: Contact Uber support
• If you’re having trouble dropping off the order: Contact the customer using the contact button inside the app
• If you can’t reach the customer: Contact Uber support or begin the cancellation process
• Support number for Uber Eats drivers: 1-800-253-9435

Is delivering for Uber Eats worth it?

Generally speaking, Uber Eats is a good part-time gig that can give you a flexible side income.

Because the vehicle requirements are so lenient, just about anyone with a car will qualify.

You can deliver on a bicycle or scooter in many cities, so there’s no significant up-front investment.

You can drive whenever and wherever you want without worrying about scheduling shifts or dealing with a boss. That’s a great benefit if you need flexible work right now.

The earnings are around $15–$20 per hour on average, but can vary a lot from day to day or week to week.

Benefits of delivering for Uber Eats

• You can drive for Eats at 19, or 18 if you use a bicycle
• Easy vehicle requirements. Almost any model year qualifies
• You don’t have to deal with passengers
• Flexible work: Work whenever you want; no need to schedule hours

Drawbacks of delivering for Uber Eats

• The pay can be low. It can dip beneath $10/hour if your area isn’t busy
• Common work frustrations that can grind you down: Long waits at restaurants, traffic, parking, trouble contacting the customer or finding where exactly to deliver the food

Uber Eats is worth a try if you’re looking for flexible work.

Other delivery gig options: DoorDash, Instacart, Shipt, Amazon Flex

If you’re interested in driving for Uber Eats, consider other on-demand delivery gigs. Most have easy driver requirements and offer similar pay as Uber Eats.

• DoorDash Driver Requirements
• How to Become an Instacart Shopper
• How to Drive for Shipt
• An Amazon Flex Overview