These days there are lots of ways to earn extra money during your spare time. One of them is to get paid to deliver food by working with some of the best food delivery companies in the country today.

Food delivery is not new. It has been there for a few years now. However, it has never been so in-demand until recent years – especially this year when the pandemic left everyone with no choice but to stay at home. A lot of people relied on delivery services – including and most of all when it comes to food.
In an article by Forbes, it says that the food delivery industry’s “growth rates have skyrocketed as millions of customers have shown themselves more than willing to have food delivered at the press of a button rather than spend protracted periods stirring ladle in a pot“.
In fact, according to a research conducted by Frost & Sullivan, 2018 alone, the industry reached an estimated “$82 billion in terms of gross revenue bookings and is set to more than double by 2025, backed by a cumulative growth rate of 14%“.
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You see, these facts only go to show that the food delivery industry is booming and will continue to grow in the next couple of years, which in turn is a good thing as it will provide more opportunities especially for people who are looking for ways to earn extra money.
With that said, today, we are going to tackle about food delivery services –
In particular, we are going to share with you information on the following:
- Common Requirements to be a Food Delivery Driver
- Perks of Delivering Food
- Possible Income of a Food Delivery Driver
- Best Companies That Pays People To Deliver Food
COMMON REQUIREMENTS TO BE A FOOD DELIVERT DRIVER
Get paid to deliver food — don’t you just love the idea of earning money while helping others by delivering their food orders (especially during these very challenging times)?
Surely, when we talk about the current situation, being outside means risking your health and safety. However, this season also opens us up to a lot of opportunities to earn like delivering food to those who cannot go out of their homes for certain reasons.
Now, if you are a risk-taker, and you are someone who wants to help make a difference by offering your food delivery services to others who need your service, then, before you even hop into one of the country’s food delivery options, we thought it’s just right that you look into what the requirements are first.
By doing so, you get to assess whether you are qualified for the side hustle or not.
While requirements vary from one food delivery company to another, here are some of the most common qualifications:
- You need to be at least 18 years old to be considered for the job. However, to be able to deliver alcohol products, companies require their delivery drivers to be at least 21 years old.
- You need to have access to a car, scooter, or bike. In some cases though, companies allow deliveries on foot.
- If you own a car, and you are using it for food delivery services, you need to have a valid driver’s license (which may also be required for identification purposes).
- You have to have a smartphone that can download the company’s app. Please note that most food delivery service companies use apps to navigate customers.
- A background check will be done, and you must pass it.
- Although not all, some food delivery service providers require previous experience in delivery or customer service to consider you for the job.
Again, these are just dome of the most common requirements set by food delivery companies. To be sure, it’s always best to check your preferred company’s requirements.
PERKS OF DELIVERING FOOD
In this section, we are going to share with you some of the perks you get to enjoy when you work as a food delivery driver.
Before we move on if you want to get inspired about this whole food delivery thing, here’s a very insightful video by BeatTheBush wherein he shares about how much you can actually make money from food delivery.
Apart from the fact that you get paid to deliver food, here are some other advantages of working as one:
- It offers a flexible schedule. – What is nice about this job is that you get to decide when you want to work depending on your availability. More so, most food delivery companies do not usually set a limit as to how little or how much money you want to make from delivering food. It’s basically all up to you.
- It does not require any start-up costs. – Similar to many work from home job opportunities, getting into food delivery services as a food delivery driver does not require you to invest money to get started. All you need is your time, and your mode of transportation (which should not be a problem at all if you already have one).
- The opportunity to earn is unlimited. – As mentioned earlier, food delivery companies allow you to make as little or as much money as you can. So, if you want to earn more, you basically just need to a lot an ample time in a day to serve as many customers as you can so you get your target income for the day, the week, and so on.
These are just some of the many reasons that invite people to work as a food delivery driver. Are you excited about working as one now?
Well, if you are, then, let’s proceed to the next section to get you even more enticed —
POSSIBLE INCOME OF A FOOD DELIVERY DRIVER
Of course, this is the most exciting part — learning how much you can possible make as a food delivery driver.
Well, here’s the thing, every food delivery company has their respective rates, which literally means it varies depending on the company.
However, just to give you an idea, according to an article by USA Today, based on data from Indeed, the average for delivery drivers is $19.97 per hour.
Again, this is just an estimate. How much you actually make will entirely depend on how hardworking you are.
As mentioned earlier, most food delivery companies do not limit your earnings, which means you can make as much or as little as you can. So, it all boils down to you really.
BEST COMPANIES THAT PAYS PEOPLE TO DELIVER FOOD
In this section, we are going to share with you some of the best food delivery companies where you can apply as a food delivery driver and get paid to deliver food.
Our list include the following companies:
- Caviar
- DoorDash
- GrubHub
- Instacart
- UberEATs
Now, let’s get to know more about each of these companies —

Caviar
Caviar lets you earn money from delivering food within your city.
Caviar is, obviously, a food delivery service provider that connects people to various restaurants as well as awesome couriers. It is a company with a team that looks for the best food in an area so it can bring the coolest restaurants to its customers.
But of course, apart from connecting people and restaurants, the company provides a platform for people who want to earn extra cash through its food delivery service.
With Caviar, you can work either as a courier or a delivery driver. Caviar lets you choose your preferred working schedule depending on your availability. You can choose either to work on weekdays or weekends, or both. It really is all up to you.
Caviar provides food delivery services seven days a week, from 8 in the morning until 11:30 in the evening.
To become a Caviar food delivery driver, you must be at least 18 years old. Also, you have to have at least two years of driving experience.
Of course, you cannot be a food delivery driver if you do not have any of the following vehicles:
- Car
- Truck
- Motorcycle
- Bike
- Scooter
Another important requirement is to have a smartphone, which as we mentioned earlier is a must among food delivery companies as most of them operate through apps.
How Much Do You Get:
According to Caviar, their food delivery drivers can earn up to $25 per hour. So, imagine how much you can make if you have lots of time to cater to food deliveries in a day, right?
Payout Scheme:
Caviar pays out on a weekly basis via direct deposit into your bank account, which means you have to have an existing bank account to ensure you get your payments every week.
DoorDash
As stated on its website, DoorDash is “a technology company that connects people with the best in their cities”. To do this, the company empowers local businesses, which in turn “generate new ways for people to earn, work and live”. The company facilitates a door-to-door food delivery service, which is precisely why they are on our list.
DoorDash is available in more than 4,000 cities in the United States, as well as in Canada, and Australia.
Moving on, as a DoorDash driver or Dasher as what the company calls their food delivery drivers, you can set your own work schedule depending on your availability. Basically, as a Dasher, you are your own boss. You get to decide when to work, and how much you make.
To be a Dasher, you need to meet the following requirements:
- 18 or older
- Any car, scooter, or bicycle (in select cities)
- Driver’s license number
- Social security number (only in the United States)
- Final Step: consent to a background check
Signing up is simple and easy. All you need to do is follow below process:
- Submit application
- Choose driver orientation
- Complete sign up
- Get the app and go
Anyone can be a Dasher. The company does not require any previous work experience for as long as you meet the requirements. Also, one thing to like about DoorDash is that the company welcomes drivers and bikers from other gig companies like UberEats, GrubHub, Instacart, etc.
How Much Do You Get:
As a DoorDash driver, you get to earn a base pay (which, unfortunately, is not clearly stated on their website). On top of that, you can also earn extra from the tips you receive from customers.
How much you make with DoorDash will actually vary depending on certain factors like the driving distance, traffic, size of the order, parking, as well as expected wait time at the store.
Payout Scheme:
DoorDash pays out on a weekly basis as well. Whatever you earn for a certain week will be delivered through direct deposit every Monday.
GrubHub
GrubHub is one of America’s popular online and mobile prepared food ordering and delivery platforms. It basically connects diners with local restaurants.
Founded in 2004 and is currently based in Chicago, Illinois, GrubHub has become one of people’s go-to when it comes to food delivery service.
If you are interested to get paid to deliver food via GrubHub, all you need to get started are the following:
- Car (or bike in select areas)
- Valid driver’s license and auto insurance for drivers
- Valid state I.D. or driver’s license for bike riders
- Smartphone (iPhone with iOS 11 or later or Android with 5.0 or later)
In addition, you must be at least 19 years old to be able to become one of GrubHub’s food delivery drivers. Don’t worry though because unlike other food delivery services, GrubHub does not require prior delivery experience, which makes it a friendly choice for newbies in this kind of side hustle.
To start off, all you need to do is to sign up (you will be asked to submit along with your application your driver’s license and insurance), gear up (get decals, warming bags, and more from GrubHub), access onboarding (which basically covers topics like the app, scheduling, picking up orders, etc.), and create your own schedule and hit the road.
How Much Do You Get:
Unfortunately, GrubHub did not specify how much their drivers are paid. However, GrubHub drivers get to see and choose whether to accept an offer or not.
In addition, you also get to keep 100% of your tips. So, you better do your job well to receive extra from satisfied customers.
Payout Scheme:
GrubHub drivers have two options in terms of payout. They can either opt to use the Instant Out Feature on the app, otherwise, payments are sent every Thursday via direct deposit. Furthermore, according to GrubHub, processing usually takes 3 to 5 days depending on the bank.

Instacart
Instacart is definitely one of the most well-known food delivery service provider in the country.
It’s an American company that provides both grocery delivery and pick-up service not only in the United States but also in Canada.
Unlike the other food delivery services, Instacart provides a shop and delivery service, which means you act as a personal shopper (Instacart calls it full-service shopper) for a customer. Also, the company offers an in-store shopper post, which basically requires you to shop within a store. The latter option though is regular employment.
Anyway, if you are interested to be a full-service shopper (shopping plus delivery), you must meet the basic requirements, which include:
- At least 18 years old
- Eligible to work in the United States
- Consistent access to a vehicle
- Consistent access to and be able to effectively use a recent smartphone (iPhone 5 / Android 4.4 or newer)
- Ability to lift 50 lbs with or without accommodation
Similar to other food delivery services, Instacart allows you to set your own work hours, which makes it a perfect opportunity for people who are looking for extra earnings from side hustles.
How Much Do You Get:
As state on the Instacart Shopper’s app though, how much you are paid will be based on the following factors:
- Number of items
- Type of items
- Driving distance
- The effort involved in shopping and/or delivering
So, basically is you get a larger order, expect to get more compensation from it. The same goes if you get a smaller order, the lower the compensation will be.
Payout Scheme:
Instacart pays out payments on a weekly basis, and payments are deposited directly to the shopper’s checking or savings account.
UberEATs
We all know what Uber is.
But just when you thought that the company is just about ride-sharing, the brand has definitely added a food delivery service on its sleeves. Thus, the birth of UberEATs, which was started in 2015.
UberEATs offer customers a wide selection of food delivery options that can be delivered right to where the customers are.
Since its birth, UberEATs has definitely become one of the most sought after food delivery app in the country.
Moving on, if you are interested to work and earn extra as an UberEATs delivery driver, you got to meet the following requirements:
- Drivers must be 19yrs of age or older
- Valid driver’s license and ongoing insurance
- At least 1-year driving experience
- Proof of car registration
- Cars must be at less than 19 years old or newer (The manufacture year 1997 or later),
- Must be able to lift 30 pounds effectively
- Must have a car, bike, or scooter
- Ability to work effectively
- Adequate insurance cover for the vehicle
- A smartphone with a robust data plan and one that supports the UberEATS App
How Much Do You Get:
How much you make from UberEATs depends on certain factors like your location and the number of deliveries you make. Similar to most food delivery apps, UberEATs pays its drivers on a per delivery basis.
While the company has not specified how much its drivers make, according to a report from Glassdoor, UberEATS drivers make somewhere around $10 per hour.
Payout Scheme:
Unlike other companies, UberEATs payout as soon as every after delivery. All you got to do is set up your bank account to be able to transfer your earnings anytime you want.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON WAYS TO GET PAID TO DELIVER FOOD
So, there you have it. Have you found the right food delivery company for you?
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