How Much Money Do Ubereats Drivers Make

Have you ever thought about becoming a delivery driver with Uber Eats? Uber Eats drivers are independent contractors who are paid to pick up and drop off food orders, similar to driving for Postmates and DoorDash.

Uber Eats accepts almost any vehicle, so drivers with older cars that don't qualify for Uber ridesharing services can instead drive for Uber Eats.

If you're interested in driving for Uber Eats, this article will tell you what the gig is like, how much Uber Eats drivers get paid, and how you can sign up to deliver.

Covid-19 Update: Uber has instituted a number of protections for couriers and customers, including no-contact deliveries and a mask mandate for drivers. Requirements for drivers have not changed.

Article Contents:

What is Uber Eats, and What Do Eats Drivers Do?
Uber Eats Driver Requirements
How Much Do Uber Eats Drivers Make?
Delivering for Uber Eats, Step By Step
Is Uber Eats a Good Job?

What is Uber Eats?

Uber Eats offers on-demand food delivery from local restaurants. Customers choose menu items using the Uber Eats app, then Uber Eats drivers pick up the food and deliver it to the customer. It is similar to Postmates and DoorDash. Uber Eats drivers can work whenever they want without a schedule. Log into the app when you want to work, log out when you're done.

Uber Eats User Guide for Customers – Instructions for Uber Eats customers on how to order food, contact customer service, and get free food

What Uber Eats Delivery Drivers Do

Uber Eats drivers pick up orders from restaurants and deliver them to customers
Drivers receive requests that tell you where to pick up and drop off the order
Drivers can be 19 years or older
Any vehicle model year qualifies
Some cities offer bike or scooter delivery. Bicycle delivery partners can be 18 or older
You can choose to do only food deliveries while you work, or if your car qualifies you can also do regular Uber rides
Uber Eats drivers earn around $8 – $12 per hour after accounting for vehicle expenses
Drivers pay formula:Base fare + trip supplement + promotions + tips
Customers can tip inside the Uber app, or in cash. Drivers keep 100% of tips

What it's like to be an Uber eats delivery driver

How to Sign Up for Uber Eats

You can apply directly with Uber Eats on the Uber Eats website without becoming an Uber rideshare driver. If you're already an Uber driver you can opt into receiving Eats request at partners.uber.com.

Uber Eats Driver Requirements

You must be 19 years old or older (21 years old in Canada)
You must have a driver's license, insurance, and proof of vehicle registration
1 year of license history
2-door or 4-door vehicle of any model year
Must be able to lift up to 30 pounds
Bicycle and scooter delivery is available in some larger cities
Bicycle partners must be 18 years or older

Apply Directly to Uber Eats Here

Need a Car for Uber Eats? Try a HyreCar rental

Already an Uber Driver? How to Opt into Uber Eats

If you're already an Uber driver, you can opt into eats deliveries at partners.uber.com. Click on the menu, then click "Deliveries." You'll reach a page that contains a delivery opt-in button. Once you receive a delivery activation email from Uber, a new option to turn on delivery requests will appear in the Uber driver app.

If you're not an Uber driver, you can apply directly to Uber Eats at this page.

How to Turn on Uber Eats Delivery Requests in the App

To enable or disable Uber Eats deliveries in the Uber driver app, tap the bottom of the screen to bring up the Trip Planner menu. Tap on the icon with two lines to bring up your Driving Preferences. Tap on deliveries to enable or disable the option, then tap Save.

If you enable both delivery and regular Uber, you will get both types of requests.

An image that shows how to adjust Driving Preferences in the Uber driver app

Turn delivery requests on or off by changing your Driving Preferences

How Uber Eats Drivers Can Switch to Rideshare

If you began as an Uber Eats driver and want to start giving rides for Uber's ridesharing services, you have to contact Uber. Ask to have rideshare added to your driver profile. Here's more detail on how Eats drivers can add rideshare.

How Much Do Uber Eats Drivers Make?

Uber Eats drivers can expect to make around $8 – $12 per hour after factoring in vehicle expenses. Delivery pay can vary quite a bit from day to day and hour to hour, and it's crucial to work lunch and dinner rushes if you want to earn on the higher end of the pay scale. Uber delivery pay is lower than Uber ridesharing pay, which is closer to $11 – $16 per hour after accounting for expenses.

Real data shows how much Uber drivers make

How Do Uber Eats Drivers Get Paid? Pay Model

The current Uber Eats pay model is based on this equation: Base fare + trip supplement + promotions + tips.

When an order request comes in, you will see an estimated payout along with the restaurant and the customer's location.

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 order

Uber does not share exactly how the base fare is calculated, but you'll have a good idea for how much each order will pay before you accept it.

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

The new pay model shows estimated earnings and the customer's drop-off location

Uber's graphic explaining the current pay model

What Does "Includes Expected Tip" Mean?

In the past, the order request screen only showed base pay. Now, the estimated payout includes some or all of the tip left by customers. That means you get a more accurate estimate of the final payout. If a customer doesn't tip in the app, the estimated payout will be low.

The estimated payout is a great way to filter out the lowest paying orders. Many drivers think this is a positive change, moving the app closer to the DoorDash model, which also shows customer tips up front.

There is one issue: It's possible for customers to change their tip after the order. Your final payout won't match the expected payout you saw on the request screen if your customer chooses to change the tip.

The Old Pay Model (Pre Spring 2020)

Under the old pay model, Uber Eats drivers were paid for each delivery based on an equation that contained a pickup fee, a drop-off fee, and a mileage fee that covered the distance from picking up the food to dropping it off at the customer.

Pay for an Uber Eats delivery = Pickup fee + Distance travelled from pickup to drop-off + time from pickup to delivery + drop-off fee . Uber took a 25% cut of each order.If you had to do more than one drop off, you would get a drop-off fee for each different address that you had to deliver to.

The Uber Plus Card: Pre-Paid Card to Pay for Orders

Uber introduced a new payment feature called the Uber Plus Card. It is a card pre-loaded with funds that Eats drivers use to pay for orders at non-partnered restaurants. It is similar to the DoorDash Red Card and the Postmates Pex card. Currently drivers have to opt in to receive a Plus Card.

Eats drivers in eligible markets will see an opt in for the Plus Card in the Uber app. After receiving the Plus Card in the mail, drivers will become eligible to receive order requests that require a Plus Card. Drivers use the card to pay for orders when they arrive at the restaurant.

Details in the driver app about the Uber Plus card

Drivers in eligible markets will see a Plus Card opt in

Driver Bonuses: Boost, Quest, and SurgeEarnings

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

Boost: During certain times of day, Uber creates geographical 'Boost' zones that offer an earnings multiplier for deliveries that begin within the Boost area. It is an incentive to drive in areas with high order demand.

The app home screen will show the Boost zone, the earnings multiplier, and the times where the multiplier is available. The Boost multiplier is added to your net fare, after Uber's fee is subtracted and not including tips.

Surge: Surge pricing is another earnings multiplier that can be triggered during times of high demand. It is also available for Uber Eats and is applied to net delivery earnings.

If both Surge and Boost are running at the same time, you will only receive the higher of two amounts. You can't earn both Surge and Boost on one order.

Quest: Quest promotions offer bonuses for completing a set number of deliveries during a certain time frame. For example, "Earn $8 extra by completing 4 trips between 5PM and 9PM."

Check the Promotions area of the driver app to see available Quests. Some Quests are only a few rides, but occasionally Uber will offer a big Quest for dozens of rides.

Related: How Eats Drivers Can Get More Boost and Quest Promos

Uber Eats drivers can get tips

The Uber Eats app allows in-app tipping, and drivers keep 100% of tips. Customers can choose to leave a tip when they place their order, or after the order if complete.

Delivering for Uber Eats: Step by Step

Uber Eats is an on-demand delivery service: Customers submit orders, then delivery requests are sent to an available driver who is close to the restaurant. Order requests appear in the Uber driver app as a popup notification that shows the location of the restaurant and an estimated payout. You have around 15-30 seconds to tap to accept the delivery request.

After you accept a request, you will get more information about the pickup location, the customers name and order number, and any special instructions from the restaurant. You'll also be able to tap a button to contact the customer.

How to pick up an Uber Eats 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 contents of the order, the customer's name, and the order number. Give that information to restaurant employees and pick up the order when it is ready.

Once you have the delivery, tap the check box inside the app to confirm that you picked up the order and swipe "Start delivery" to move on to the next step.

How to drop off an Uber Eats order

After you pick up the order and tap "Start delivery," you will see GPS directions to the customer.

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. 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 receive a payment equal to the pickup fee + drop-off fee + estimated mileage fee. If you're unable to meet your customer, you can cancel the order after waiting for 8 minutes. Uber says to dispose of the food in any way you wish. Cancellations in other situations may not result in a payout.

Do Uber Eats drivers have to schedule their shifts?

Uber Eats drivers do not schedule their shifts. You can simply turn on the app when you want to work, and turn it off when you are done. Other delivery companies such as DoorDash (more about the DoorDash scheduling system) require drivers to schedule hours.

The Dropoff: Curbside, Deliver to Door, & No-Contact

When it's time to navigate to your customer, the order information will let you know how to complete the order.

Curbside drop-off:The customer comes to you. When you arrive at the customer's location, they'll be notified with a text that tells them to meet you at the curb.
Deliver to door: Meet the customer at their address. If it's not obvious where the customer will be based on the pin, call or text them to ask if they have a preferred meeting spot.
No-contact delivery: Added during the Covid-19 pandemic, customers can now request that drivers drop off the delivery at their door without an in-person hand off. (More about no-contact deliveries)

How Drivers Can Contact Uber Eats Driver Support

Drivers have a few ways of getting help. 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
Support number for Uber Eats drivers: 1-800-253-9435

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

Does Uber Eats Provide an Insulated Delivery Bag?

Uber does not provide free delivery bags to Eats drivers. An insulated delivery bag will help keep hot orders hot and cold orders cold, so using one is essential for creating a good experience.

Insulated grocery bags from Amazon will do the job, and they're inexpensive.

Is Driving for Uber Eats a Good Job?

Uber Eats has easier vehicle requirements than regular Uber, so just about anyone with a car can deliver for Eats and earn money. You can drive whenever and wherever you want without having to work about scheduling shifts or dealing with a boss. That's a big benefit if you need flexible work right now.

Benefits of driving for Uber Eats

You can drive for Eats at 19 years old, or 18 if you use a bicycle. You have to be 21 or older for UberX. Too young for Uber? Try these other jobs
The vehicle requirements are lenient. 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, and there's no guaranteed minimum pay
There are common work frustrations that can grind you down: Long waits at restaurants, traffic and parking, trouble contacting the customer or finding where exactly to deliver the food

Overall, Uber Eats is worth a try if you're looking for flexible work.

Other Delivery Gig Options: Postmates, DoorDash, Amazon Flex, Deliv

If you're interested in driving for Uber Eats, you should also consider other on-demand delivery gigs. Many have easy requirements and offer similar pay as Uber Eats.

DoorDash vs Uber Eats: Which is Better for Drivers?
DoorDash Driver Requirements: Do You Qualify?
How to Become an Instacart Shopper

Amazon Flex is another delivery service similar to Uber Eats that is worth checking out if you're interested in doing delivery work with your vehicle.