If you’re delivering food for DoorDash or Uber Eats, one of the easiest ways to potentially increase your earnings is to use both platforms instead of relying on just one.
Many delivery drivers sign up for one app and spend their entire shift waiting for orders. Sometimes the requests come in constantly, but other times you might sit in a parking lot for 15 or 20 minutes without receiving a worthwhile offer.
That’s time you could be earning money.
By running DoorDash and Uber Eats simultaneously, you can increase the number of delivery opportunities available to you, compare offers from both platforms, and potentially reduce the amount of time spent waiting between deliveries.
This strategy is commonly called multi-apping, and it’s worth considering if you want to make your delivery hours more productive.
However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.
What Is Multi-Apping?
Multi-apping simply means using more than one gig delivery platform during the same working period.
For example, you might open both DoorDash and Uber Eats when you begin your shift.
Instead of waiting exclusively for DoorDash to send you an order, you can receive offers from either platform.
When an attractive delivery opportunity appears, you accept it and temporarily stop accepting offers from the other app.
After completing the delivery, you make yourself available on both platforms again.
The goal isn’t necessarily to complete deliveries from both companies at exactly the same time.
It’s to give yourself more opportunities to choose profitable deliveries while minimizing downtime.
Why Relying on Only One Delivery App Can Limit Your Earnings
One of the biggest challenges delivery drivers face is inconsistent order volume.
You might have a busy lunch shift on DoorDash one day and receive very few offers the next.
Meanwhile, Uber Eats drivers in the same area could be receiving steady delivery requests.
The opposite can happen just as easily.
Neither platform guarantees that you’ll receive a consistent number of profitable orders during every shift.
If you’re only using one app, you’re limited to whatever opportunities that particular platform sends you.
By making yourself available on both platforms, you can potentially increase the number of offers you receive.
That doesn’t guarantee higher earnings, but it gives you more choices.
Less Waiting Means More Opportunities to Earn
Think about how much time you spend waiting for deliveries during an average shift.
Even if you’re earning a reasonable amount while actively delivering, those unpaid waiting periods can reduce your overall hourly earnings.
For example, imagine you work a four-hour shift and spend a total of 60 minutes waiting for acceptable orders.
That’s one-quarter of your working time without completing a delivery.
Now imagine that using a second app helps reduce your waiting time to 30 minutes.
You’ve potentially gained another half-hour of productive delivery time.
Of course, the results will depend on demand in your area, the quality of available offers, and how efficiently you complete deliveries.
But reducing unnecessary downtime is one of the most practical reasons to consider multi-apping.
Compare Offers Instead of Accepting Whatever Comes Along
Another advantage of using DoorDash and Uber Eats together is the ability to compare delivery opportunities.
Suppose DoorDash sends you an offer paying $6 for a delivery requiring approximately 7 miles of driving.
A few moments later, Uber Eats offers a delivery with an estimated payout of $9 for approximately 4 miles.
Assuming neither order has been accepted, the Uber Eats offer may be the more attractive opportunity.
Instead of feeling pressured to accept a low-paying delivery because nothing else is available, you have another potential source of orders.
When comparing offers, consider:
- Estimated total payout
- Distance to the restaurant
- Distance to the customer
- Expected delivery time
- Restaurant wait times
- Traffic conditions
- Where the delivery will leave you
- Potential tips and payout adjustments
Remember that an offer displaying a higher dollar amount isn’t automatically the better choice.
A $12 delivery requiring 45 minutes might be less profitable than an $8 delivery you can complete in 20 minutes.
Your goal should be to maximize earnings relative to the time and expenses involved.
How Multi-Apping Can Improve Your Hourly Earnings
Let’s look at a hypothetical example of how using two delivery apps might affect your earnings.
Suppose you’re working a four-hour shift using DoorDash exclusively.
During that shift, you complete eight deliveries averaging $8 each.
Your total earnings would be $64, or $16 per hour before expenses.
Now suppose you work the same four hours while monitoring both DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Because you’re receiving offers from two platforms, you spend less time waiting and complete ten deliveries averaging $8 each.
Your total earnings would be $80, or $20 per hour before expenses.
That’s an additional $16 during the same four-hour shift.
If you achieved similar results over five shifts per week, the difference would be $80 per week.
These figures are only an illustration, not a prediction of actual earnings.
Real results will vary depending on your market, available orders, tips, driving expenses, and other factors.
However, the example demonstrates why reducing downtime can make a meaningful difference.
The Smart Way to Run DoorDash and Uber Eats Simultaneously
Using both apps doesn’t have to be complicated.
In fact, keeping your approach simple is usually the best strategy.
Step 1: Open Both Apps
When you’re ready to begin delivering, make yourself available on both DoorDash and Uber Eats, assuming you can access both platforms.
Position yourself in an area where restaurants generate consistent delivery demand.
Step 2: Compare Incoming Offers
As delivery requests appear, evaluate the estimated payout, mileage, restaurant location, and time required.
Avoid accepting an unattractive offer simply because it’s the first one you receive.
Step 3: Accept the Best Available Delivery
When you receive an offer that meets your earnings goals, accept it.
At this point, stop accepting new deliveries from the other platform.
You can pause or go offline in the other app if that option is available.
Step 4: Complete the Delivery
Focus on completing the accepted order promptly and professionally.
Follow the delivery instructions, keep the food secure, and avoid unnecessary delays.
Step 5: Make Yourself Available on Both Apps Again
Once the delivery is complete, return to monitoring both platforms.
Repeat the process throughout your shift.
This approach allows you to benefit from having two sources of delivery opportunities without unnecessarily complicating your active deliveries.
Why Accepting Orders From Both Apps at Once Can Be Risky
There’s an important difference between running two apps simultaneously and accepting active deliveries from both companies at the same time.
For example, imagine you’ve accepted a DoorDash delivery and are waiting for the restaurant to prepare the food.
While waiting, you receive an Uber Eats offer.
You might be tempted to accept that second order because the pickup location is nearby.
However, the Uber Eats restaurant could have a long wait, or the delivery might take you in the opposite direction.
Now you’re responsible for two customers expecting their food within a reasonable amount of time.
This can create several problems.
Deliveries may arrive late, food may become cold, customers may complain, and your account performance could suffer.
Although delivery platforms may permit independent contractors to work with competing services, drivers are still responsible for meeting applicable delivery requirements.
For most drivers, the safer approach is to accept one delivery at a time and use the second app to find the next opportunity.
Learn Which App Performs Best in Your Area
One of the most interesting things about multi-apping is discovering how delivery demand differs between platforms.
DoorDash might generate more profitable orders in your area during lunch.
Uber Eats might perform better during dinner or on weekends.
You may also discover that one platform consistently provides better opportunities in certain neighborhoods.
Instead of assuming one company is always better, track your results.
Pay attention to which app produces the most worthwhile offers during different days and times.
After a few weeks, you may begin identifying patterns that help you decide when and where to work.
Don’t Ignore Your Acceptance Rate and Other Performance Metrics
While choosing profitable deliveries is important, you should also understand how each platform evaluates driver
