How to Make $500 a Week with DoorDash

Whether you need full-time work, are looking for a part-time gig or side hustle or simply want to learn how to bring in an extra $500 per week, DoorDash may be the answer.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about how the DoorDash service works and how to use it to pull in $500 or more weekly. For other side gig ideas, download MoneyLion and see other ways to earn more.

What is DoorDash?

DoorDash Inc. is a technology-driven food delivery service that operates in over 7,000 cities across the U.S., connecting hungry patrons with local restaurants.  

Food orders are delivered by freelance drivers known as Dashers, who only need a smartphone and a car, scooter, or bicycle to make deliveries.

What does DoorDash pay?

Dashers are paid per food order delivered. The pay can fluctuate based on the time of day, location, and number of orders.

Total payment comprises base pay for delivery, customer tips, and any regular promotions the company runs.

Earnings can be paid: 

• Weekly via direct deposit to your bank account

• Daily with a Fast Pay option that requires a bank account with a linked debit card

• Instantly through DasherDirect, a prepaid debit card you can apply for through DoorDash

How is it possible to make $500 a week with DoorDash?

DoorDash is among the jobs we’ve identified that can provide some quick cash each week. Here’s how to make $500 per week with DoorDash.

According to salary data published by Indeed, the average Dasher earns $18.13 per hour. To earn $500 per week, they would need to make deliveries for roughly four hours a day, totaling 28 hours ($18.13 x 28 = $507.64) per week.

Some drivers earn as much as $20 to $30 per hour by applying specific tips and strategies like those mentioned below.

13 tips and strategies on how to make $500 a week with DoorDash

Without further ado, here’s a baker’s dozen income-boosting tips from seasoned Dashers.

1. Take advantage of guaranteed earning incentives

DoorDash periodically notifies Dashers of upcoming guaranteed earning opportunities, such as “make 50 deliveries in the next week to guarantee $500 in earnings.”

These guarantees set a floor for what you can earn that week, provided you hit the activity target. If you earn more, you keep what you make; if you earn less, DoorDash will make up the difference to get you to the guaranteed amount.

2. Try the new earn-by-time mode

DoorDash recently introduced an option for Dashers to opt for an earn-by-time mode, with a guaranteed hourly rate for making deliveries. Drivers who choose this mode earn an hourly rate (instead of the usual base pay per delivery) plus 100% of all tips and payouts for any applicable promotions.

DoorDash assigns deliveries, and you can decline up to one assignment per hour. You must accept all the rest or shift back to earn-by-offer mode.

3. Stay informed about any promotions or bonuses

DoorDash frequently offers promotions to be on the lookout for.

The company often gives extra cash bonuses to Dashers for completing certain challenges in a specified timeframe. Such a challenge might be, “Complete 15 deliveries over the next three days for an extra $20.”

Another promotion type to be aware of is Peak Pay incentives. When these are in effect, Dashers can earn more per delivery. For example, you might be able to earn an extra $2in downtown Chicago between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

A delivery will count toward both a challenge and a peak period if they’re running concurrently.

4. Consider multi-apping

Dashers have found that signing on with similar app-based services, such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, Instacart, Amazon Flex, Walmart Spark, and ParaWorks, can make sense.

Imagine you have a delivery for DoorDash going to a certain neighborhood. At the same time, Uber Eats and Grubhub have similar requests from either the same or another nearby restaurant going to the same neighborhood.

In this scenario, you could dramatically increase your earnings by completing all three deliveries in roughly the same time it would have taken you to complete just one with DoorDash alone.

5. Find the most popular restaurants and hotspots

If you want to catch fish, go where they’re biting. If you want to make good money as a Dasher, go where the business is.

A corporate park may be bustling with lunch deliveries, while dinner will likely be hotter in residential areas. DoorDash highlights clusters of popular restaurants so you can position your delivery activities in or near a hotspot — or two, if you can get it.

6. Accept group orders

DoorDash offers the chance to deliver “batched” orders from the same restaurants for delivery as a group or in quick succession along the route to delivery for the first order. Dashers can increase their per-delivery payment by accepting these additional offers.

7. Work during peak hours and on weekends

It should come as no surprise that the high-demand periods are during the week at lunch and dinnertime and over the weekends. To be on track to make $500 per week as a Dasher, you’ll want to take full advantage of these peak times.

8. Be selective with the orders you accept

As a Dasher, there’s a definite benefit to only taking those deliveries that make the most sense for you.

Working with a restaurant where you have a good relationship, delivering to more familiar neighborhoods, and accepting larger orders with potentially higher tips are all excellent ways to be more efficient and profitable.

9. Deliver on your way home

Seasoned Dashers recommend using the trip home to get in one last delivery.

Assuming that the average order is around $30, and the average tip for delivery is in the 15% to 20% range, delivering one extra order that’s on your route home can equate to a $4.50 to $6 tip. Do that for four days and you could end up with an extra $18 to $25 per week. After four weeks, you’ll have made an additional $72 to $100.

10. Test different markets

When you’re getting started, it’s wise to try delivering in different areas at different times to learn which locations work best for you.

Make a list of places you think might be hotspots, then rotate through them over several different days and times and narrow down the zones that work best for you.  

11. Provide exceptional customer service

Tips will play a big role if you want to earn $500 per week or more routinely. To generate above-average tips, you need to provide exceptional service — be on time, smile, and offer extra touches like greeting customers by name when possible.

12. Track your income and expenses

There are two main reasons to track your income and expenses as a Dasher.

The first is to see when and where you’re making the most money. This will go a long way toward helping you pick the right hotspots to cover in the future. The second is that, as an independent contractor, you’re responsible for tracking income and expenses for tax purposes.

13. Adopt a businessman’s mindset

As a Dasher, you’re essentially in business for yourself. Apply that mentality to every decision you make and invest your time and resources to maximize earnings and minimize expenses.

Dash your way to $500 a week

When you implement the tips and strategies outlined here, you’ll be well on your way to pulling in a minimum of $500 a week with DoorDash.

Dash on!

FAQ

How much can you expect to earn per delivery with DoorDash?

DoorDash claims that drivers make approximately $25 per hour, while Indeed pegs the average closer to $15.68 per hour. The true average is likely somewhere between the two.

How many hours do you need to work to make $500 with DoorDash?

Generally, Dashers should expect to work between 20 and 30 hours per week to make $500.

Is it better to focus on delivering food or groceries with DoorDash?

The compensation model is roughly the same. It’s worth exploring both options to determine which works best for you.