What is DoorDash and how does DoorDash work
In 2018, DoorDash held 12% of the food delivery market, though in 2022, the experts predict that this number will rise to 15%. Even if you don’t work for them or any of their competitors – such as Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub or Shipt you have most probably heard the name DoorDash.
What is DoorDash?
DoorDash is a food delivery service that is available in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It was founded in 2013, and since then, it has grown tremendously. The company claims to be doing 800,000 deliveries every day and working with 245,00 merchants.
What are Dashers?
The drivers that work for DoorDash are called Dashers. You will find people of all backgrounds working for this company. Why is it so popular? It allows people to decide exactly how much hours they would like to work delivering food. It means that it is possible to work for just a few hours on the weekends while having a normal, 9 to 5 job during the week. At the same time, in some cities, it is possible to become a Dasher even without a car or a motorcycle – a bike is just fine. DoorDash also allows drivers as young as 18 years old to deliver food using their app, while in the case of most of their competitors, you have to be at least 21 years old.
How does DoorDash work?
The system is fairly simple – when customers order the food from the nearby restaurants using either the DoorDash app or going instead to their website, the drivers with the app installed on their phones get a notification. Then, Dashers can either accept the delivery or reject it and wait for another one. If they accept, they have to drive to the restaurant to get the food, and after that, they bring the food to the customers. Check out our in depth article on DoorDash driver requirements and how to become a Dasher!
Where can you download DoorDash?
DoorDash app is available for phones with both Android and iOS.
How do you take an order at DoorDash?
If you have the app installed on your phone, and you log in and specify how long you can work, the system will start looking for orders to assign to you. Once it finds a viable order, you’ll get a notification about an order, which you then can either accept or decline. If you accept, you’ll receive information about the customer and the restaurant, such as the address and the estimated time of the delivery. Now, if the customer ordered food from a restaurant that is partnered with DoorDash, the driver only has to get the order, as the necessary funds have already been transferred from the customer’s account. If, however, customers order food from a restaurant that isn’t partnered with DoorDash, then the driver has to use a Red Card.
What is a DoorDash Red Card?
Once the drivers are approved to drive for DoorDash, they receive a Red Card. Once a customer orders food from a restaurant that is not partnered with DoorDash, the company transfers the necessary funds onto the Red Card of the driver who agreed to deliver the food. When the drivers arrive at the restaurant to take the food, they pay with the Red Card. DoorDash transfers the funds onto the Red Card – the drivers don’t have to pay out of their pockets.
Is DoorDash right for you?
In this day and age, more and more people join the gig economy. That’s because thanks to companies such as DoorDash, it is possible to work according to your own schedule.
Forget about having to sit in the dimly lit office from 9 to 5. If you decide to drive for DoorDash, you’ll be your own boss, meaning that you’ll be the one deciding how long and when you’ll work. If you have a regular job and just want to make some extra money during the weekends – that’s not a problem! You can decide to work only for several hours a week – it all depends on you!
It can also be a source of income if you have recently lost your old job. If you work for DoorDash and have any job interviews planned, then all that you need to do is to set your schedule accordingly. If you discover that you enjoy the job, then who knows, perhaps you’ll stay there for a longer time?
If you decide to drive for DoorDash full time, the one thing that might be at times troubling is the inconsistency of income. You’ll only earn money if the customers order food using the app. If for some reason, the number of orders decreases, you’ll start earning less – check out our full articles on how much Dashers make and DoorDash tipping.
After some time, you’ll start recognizing when the customers are most active, and you might want to take this information into account when creating your work schedule. In some places, it is also possible to deliver food using not only a car or a motorcycle, but even with a bike!
Disclaimer
Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.
