How to become a Caviar driver comes down to one step that surprises many applicants: DoorDash’s official pages show no separate Caviar courier sign-up. DoorDash’s merchant page for Caviar describes the model as restaurants preparing orders for Dashers to deliver,[1] so the route to delivering Caviar orders is the Dasher application. This guide covers the requirements, the sign-up steps, the background check and how pay works, using DoorDash’s own pages.
What is Caviar and who delivers for it?
Caviar is a restaurant delivery and takeout marketplace that DoorDash operates; the Caviar terms of service are an agreement between you and DoorDash doing business as Caviar.[2] The same terms say that independent contractors, each called a courier, have entered into agreements with Caviar to provide delivery services, and that Caviar itself does not offer the delivery. For background on the parent app, see what DoorDash is and how it works.
In practice that means a Caviar delivery driver is an independent contractor, not an employee, and you choose when and how much to work. DoorDash’s Dasher page lists Caviar among the gig platforms whose drivers and bikers it welcomes, and its merchant page says Dashers deliver Caviar orders. DoorDash’s official pages show no separate Caviar courier application, so if you search for a Caviar driver app, the Dasher app is the one DoorDash’s pages point to. Confirm in the Dasher app that Caviar orders are offered in your area.
What are the requirements to drive for Caviar?
Because you apply as a Dasher, the Dasher requirements apply. DoorDash’s help center says you must be at least 18 years old, have an iPhone or Android smartphone and complete the sign-up process.[3] The minimum age is higher in some states:
| State group | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| California (new applicants) | 21 |
| Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and West Virginia | 19 |
| All other states | 18 |
On vehicles, DoorDash says there are no specific vehicle requirements: you can use a car as long as you have a valid domestic driver’s license and valid personal auto insurance, and depending on your location you may be able to use a motorcycle, bike, e-bike or scooter. The Dasher page lists the documentation you provide as a driver’s license, or another form of ID if you dash by bike only, plus a Social Security number used only for the background check.[4]
Do you need experience? DoorDash’s Dasher page says no prior experience is required. You will also see claims elsewhere that Caviar needs two years of driving experience or your own insulated bag; neither appears among the requirements DoorDash lists. The Dasher page says that after your first dash DoorDash sends an activation kit with items such as a food warming bag and a Red Card.
Tip: Keep your insurance card, license and ID current before you start. DoorDash says you must maintain your own insurance as an independent contractor, and that its own coverage may not apply if you fail to.
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How do you sign up to deliver for Caviar?
DoorDash’s sign-up process lists these steps for new Dashers.[5]
- Start the sign-up and enter your ZIP code, email address and phone number.
- Submit your profile information, meaning your full name and a password.
- Download the Dasher app for iPhone or Android to continue.
- Select your vehicle type.
- Provide your address.
- Verify your identity by uploading a valid government ID and taking a selfie that matches it.
- Submit the background check.
- Confirm the address for the free welcome gift.
- Choose how you get paid: instantly through DoorDash Crimson or weekly by direct deposit, or choose later.
If you start and stop, the sign-up page lets you resume with the email and phone number you used. The Dasher page says signing up takes a few minutes, and that most Dashers start earning within days of being approved.
For a Caviar bike delivery or delivery by scooter, the process is the same, with the vehicle type chosen in step 4. DoorDash lists a bicycle as an option in select cities only, so the app tells you what is available where you live.
How does the Caviar driver background check work?
Anyone signing up to dash must pass a background check before gaining access to the platform. DoorDash says it uses accredited third-party providers, including Checkr, and that the check consists of a motor vehicle report, if you are using a motor vehicle, and a criminal history report.[6] Applicants who plan to deliver by bicycle do not need the motor vehicle report check.
DoorDash gives different figures for how long it takes. The sign-up page says most checks are completed within a day, but some take up to a week or longer. The background check FAQ says most are completed within a day, yet waits of one to two weeks are not uncommon because of DMV and local county office delays, and it elsewhere gives 5 to 7 business days, sometimes longer. Plan for anything from a day to a couple of weeks: DoorDash says it cannot expedite a check or give a completion estimate, because Checkr compiles the report. If a report flags something, DoorDash sends a pre-adverse action notice by email, which explains how to dispute inaccurate information or provide more details.
Approval is not guaranteed. DoorDash says an account is deactivated if a report shows you no longer meet the background check criteria, and checks can be rerun after you start.
How are Caviar delivery drivers paid?
DoorDash’s driver FAQ describes Dasher earnings as base pay for each delivery and 100% of tips, plus Peak Pay on top where it applies and additional pay from active promotions.[7] What a Dasher earns depends on where, when and how often they deliver, and DoorDash gives no guaranteed amount, so neither do we. Hourly averages quoted by third parties about Caviar pay are not a promise of what you will make.
| Pay element | What DoorDash says |
|---|---|
| Base pay | DoorDash’s base contribution for each offer, based on estimated time, distance and desirability |
| Tips | Dashers keep 100% |
| Peak Pay | Extra pay at busy times where it applies |
| Promotions | Additional pay from active promotions |
Payout options:
- Weekly direct deposit. DoorDash transfers the previous week’s earnings every Monday, and depending on your bank it can take up to three days to arrive, so you should see it by Wednesday.[8]
- Fast Pay. In the U.S. you can withdraw earnings once daily for a $1.99 fee.
- DoorDash Crimson. Select U.S. Dashers can get no-fee daily deposits with the DoorDash Crimson Visa Debit Card, which does not require a bank account.
How do you start delivering for Caviar?
Once you are approved, you decide when to dash. The help center says that when you receive an offer you will always see the minimum earnings and distance, and you have 50 seconds to evaluate it before it goes to another nearby Dasher; you may accept or decline any offer, and there is no minimum acceptance rate required to stay active. You can schedule a dash in advance or use Dash Now when your area is busy.
A Caviar delivery job follows the same steps as any Dasher offer: you go to the restaurant, pick up the order and take it to the customer, with the app showing the route and any delivery instructions. Dashers see the offers in the Dasher app.
Where is Caviar available?
Caviar is not available everywhere. Its help center lists the current service regions: Boston, Brooklyn and Queens, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Greater Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Manhattan, Marin County, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, the San Francisco East Bay and Peninsula, Seattle, Seattle East Side, South Jersey and the Washington DC metro.[9] If a customer’s delivery address is not in a region, no restaurants appear for delivery. The page is undated, so check it for changes.
The list describes where customers can order: the help center says that if a delivery address is outside these regions, no restaurants appear. DoorDash does not say how that maps to the offers a Dasher sees, so check the Dasher app in your area. DoorDash delivers in over 7,000 cities across the U.S., according to its Dasher page, so Caviar is a part of the wider Dasher work rather than a separate job in a separate area.
Is it worth driving for Caviar?
That depends on your area, your vehicle costs and the hours you work, and DoorDash does not publish a figure that fits everyone. Before you decide, compare what you would earn after fuel, maintenance and insurance, and treat tips as variable. For earning more per delivery, see how to get more tips as a delivery driver.
A short checklist before you apply:
- Confirm you meet the age requirement for your state.
- Make sure your license and personal auto insurance are valid, if you will use a car.
- Decide on your vehicle: car, scooter, motorcycle or bike where offered.
- Prepare your ID and Social Security number for the identity check and background check.
- Choose how you want to be paid, and set up weekly direct deposit, Fast Pay or DoorDash Crimson.
