Being an Uber Eats driver is hit or miss. Earnings will depend entirely on your area and the type of deliveries that you like. Some drivers pick one or two restaurants from which they want to deliver and stay some in between. In other areas the deliveries are so few and far between that you might struggle to find a decent delivery that doesn’t require driving 30 minutes to pick up.
The most recent pitfall of Uber Eats is that they’re now delivering for Walmart. These are normally general merchandise but some areas use Uber Eats for grocery delivery. As Admins who do Uber, we’ve seen Walmart general merchandise deliveries going 60 miles for under $12. No, that’s not a joke but the shitty pay is!
One of the cool features of Uber Eats is that you don’t need a car to deliver. They allow you to deliver by scooter, bicycle, or even on foot. As Admins who drive a lot, we’ve all seen Uber Eats delivery drivers peddling their butts off in hopes of getting another delivery before someone in a car beats them to it.
The information below comes from the Uber Eats sign up page.
Delivery by scooter
- Be at least 19 years old
- Have a motorized scooter under 50cc
- Have a valid driver’s license in your name
- Submit your Social Security number for us to run a background screening
- When signing up, be sure to choose Delivery by scooter under transportation method
Delivery by bicycle or on foot
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a government-issued ID
- Submit your Social Security number for us to run a background screening
- When signing up, be sure to choose Delivery by bicycle (and in certain cities, Delivery by bicycle or foot) under transportation method
Like many other gig platforms, Uber Eats has its own rewards program. You need to move up to the next level in order to see better offers. Most of these rewards programs are simply a way of conning you into taking junk deliveries just to maintain your level. or move up the ranks.
Below are the key factors for the Uber Eats Rewards, which they call Uber Eats Pro.
Green Level (you’re at the bottom of the food chain)
Maintain minimum requirements to deliver on Uber Eats
Gold Level (one level up)
- Acceptance rate of 30% or more
- Cancellation rate of 8% or less
- Satisfaction rate of 90% or more
- Points: 25
Platinum Level (almost at the top)
- Acceptance rate of 50% or more
- Cancellation rate of 5% or less
- Satisfaction rate of 92% or more
- Points: 50
Diamond Level (highest level)
- Acceptance rate of 50% or more
- Cancellation rate of 5% or less
- Satisfaction rate of 92% or more
- Points: Varies by city (check the Uber Eats Pro hub in the Driver app)
The above information comes directly from the Uber Eats website. You’ll notice that to achieve either of the two top levels you must accept 50% of the deliveries they offer you. While this program is much more lenient than the ones offered by other gig platforms, very few drivers hoping to earn a decent living will accept over HALF the deliveries. You’ll end up driving 400 miles to make $200.
HOW DO YOU BECOME AN UBER EATS DRIVER?
You can sign up to become an Uber Eats delivery driver on their website at Uber.com/drive.
You can also download the Uber app directly from the App Store or Google Play and sign up directly in the app. NOTE: Uber Eats drivers use the same app as regular Uber drivers.
Once you’ve completed the application process you’ll have to wait for your background check. Uber and most other gig platforms use a third-party service called Checker to run the background checks. If you want to check on the progress of your background check, you can visit their website at Candidate.Checkr.com.
HOW MUCH CAN YOU EARN AS AN UBER EATS DRIVER?
Uber Eats earnings vary greatly from city to city. In some cities drivers claim they’re lucky to make $10 an hour. In some cities drivers claim they’re averaging $30 an hour. The estimated national average earnings for Uber Eats drivers is $18-$21 an hour. The best way to estimate earnings is to sign up and give it a try.
Once you’re an active Uber Eats driver, the app “should” send you regular notifications of the average earnings in your area. It doesn’t help you decide ahead of time if it’s worth doing Uber Eats in your area but it serves as a benchmark. If you earn $16 an hour in your first week and the notification states that the average driver earnings were $22, you can reassess your strategy and maybe start declining some of the lower paying deliveries.
