How does Postmates pay couriers today? The short answer is that the money flows through Uber. Uber’s help page says Postmates and Uber Eats joined forces and that delivery requests switched to the Uber app as of June 7, 2021, so the pay rules that apply to a new courier are Uber’s delivery pay rules.[1] This guide explains what those pages say about fares, tips, promotions and payout timing. It does not cover age or sign-up, and it gives no per-delivery or hourly figure because no official page does.
How does Postmates pay for each delivery?
Uber’s delivery page says that before you accept a trip you see how much you will earn, plus pickup and drop-off information and an estimate of time and distance.[2] The fare shown includes the base fare and any upfront tip the customer adds when placing the order. Uber calls these upfront fares. For background on the service, see what Postmates is and how it works.
Two things follow from that description. First, the amount is attached to a trip, not to a clock, so the pages do not describe an hourly wage; the answer to “do Postmates drivers get paid hourly” is that Uber’s pages show a fare per trip. Second, the amount differs between orders. Uber’s delivery basics page says that in most cities a request shows a fare estimate, the delivery type and the trip duration, and that an offer you neither accept nor decline times out.[3]
That is also why the question “how much does Postmates pay per delivery” has no single answer. The base fare, the tip and the trip you pick all change the total.
Are tips part of Postmates pay?
Yes. Uber’s page says customers can tip in the app and that 100% of tips are yours to keep. A tip added before the order is folded into the fare you see. Because Uber describes the fare as including the tip added while the order is placed, a tip added afterward is not part of the number you saw, so your final earnings for a trip can be higher than the fare you accepted. How customers add or change a tip is explained in our guide on how to tip a Postmates courier.
When do Postmates couriers get paid?
Uber’s Postmates FAQ gives the weekly timetable, though the page dates from around the 2021 move to Uber, so confirm the current schedule in the Driver app. Pay periods run from Monday at 4 a.m. to Monday at 4 a.m. The direct deposit arrives around that Thursday, but it can vary by a day or two depending on your bank.
There is also a faster route. Uber’s delivery page says Instant Pay lets you cash out up to 6 times a day for a fee, and that earnings can instead be transferred to your bank automatically each week. The Postmates FAQ adds that you can link a debit card for instant cash out and that there is no transaction fee when you also sign up for and use the Uber debit card. Uber’s basics page summarizes the options as instant, on a customized regular schedule, or on a standard Uber cycle, and says you can view earnings in the desktop Earnings Hub or under Earnings in the Driver app.
| Payout route | What Uber’s pages say |
|---|---|
| Weekly direct deposit | Pay period Monday 4 a.m. to Monday 4 a.m.; deposit around Thursday, a day or two either way by bank |
| Instant Pay | Up to 6 cash-outs a day for a fee |
| Instant Pay with the Uber debit card | No transaction fee, per the Postmates FAQ |
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What are promotions on top of the fare?
The Postmates FAQ says Uber Eats offers promotions to delivery people, that they vary from week to week with customer trends and app usage in your city, and that you can follow active and upcoming ones in the Driver app under Menu, then Earnings, then Promotions. It also says old Postmates promotions do not carry over, because each promotion is restricted to the platform where it is eligible.
Treat promotions as optional extras that may or may not exist where you drive. Uber’s delivery page says its content is informational and subject to change, and it describes its own sign-up bonus as “not a guarantee of future earnings,” so this guide names no amounts.
How much can you make as a Postmates courier?
No official page answers this with a number. What the pages do establish is the list of inputs: the fare on each trip, the tips, any promotions, and how often and where you work. Third-party figures that put a dollar amount on an hour or a delivery do not come from an official source, and they cannot account for your city or your car.
The better exercise is to track your own results. After a few weeks, the earnings summary in the Driver app shows what your trips paid, and you can subtract your own costs from it.
What should you set aside from the money?
If you deliver as a self-employed person, the payouts do not come with tax already taken out. The IRS explains that self-employment tax is a Social Security and Medicare tax for people who work for themselves, and that self-employed people generally pay estimated taxes quarterly.[4] The IRS also notes that net profit comes from subtracting business expenses from business income, so keep a record of your trip costs. A tax professional can say what applies to you.
What should you check before you rely on Postmates pay?
- Open the earnings screen and read the fare on several offers before accepting any.
- Note whether the amount includes an upfront tip.
- Choose a payout route and check any fee.
- Look at Promotions in the app for your city.
- Keep your own record of costs per week.
