Uber Eats is an online food ordering and delivery service that was created by Uber in 2014.
By using their web browser or the Uber Eats app, customers can browse menus from thousands of restaurants and look at reviews as well as order food and pay for it directly through the platform.
Drivers who work for Uber Eats can then take on an order, pick up the food, and deliver it to the customer.
Uber Eats offers perks to their drivers that many other companies do not.
Let’s discuss 10 reasons Uber Eats is worth it for drivers.
Is Uber Eats Worth It? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. Flexibility
Unlike other food delivery or delivery companies in general, Uber Eats allows drivers to work on their own time.
Drivers have the option to choose exactly when they want to work, whether that is for a couple of hours on the weekend or a full eight-hour workday.
Uber Eats drivers do not have to work a certain number of hours per week to be able to drive for Uber Eats, so it is a great part-time or full-time job.
2. Great Secondary Income
For those drivers who do not want this to be their primary source of income, driving for Uber Eats can be a great secondary income.
If someone is looking for a way to make extra money on top of their primary income, Uber Eats will allow you to make as much or as little as you would like.
There is not a minimum or maximum number of hours that a driver for Uber Eats can work.
Whether you are needing extra money to pay bills, take a vacation, or pay down debt, Uber Eats is a great secondary income source that allows you to determine how much time you want to put into it.
3. Get Paid When You Want
As an Uber Eats driver, you can select exactly when you want to get paid.
If you are in a bind and need quick cash, you can pick up a few hours of work and then get paid through Instant Pay up to five times per day.
If you want to use Instant Pay, then you will need to link a debit card to your account.
They also offer a normal payment option where you will get your payment once per week directly into your bank account if you prefer an option like that.
4. Choose Your Mode Of Transportation
Uber Eats does not have specifications on your mode of transportation to pick up and deliver food for them.
You can drive your own car if you wish to do so, but if you do not want to pay for gas, then you have the option to ride a bike or scooter as well.
This allows people who do not have a car of their own to also take part in Uber Eats and have an opportunity to earn income.
5. Great Tips
As with any food service, you can earn tips through Uber Eats.
Each time a driver makes a delivery, the customer is given the opportunity to leave a gratuity for the driver.
The entirety of the gratuity goes to the driver, so if you are driving frequently, you have the potential to earn a significantly greater amount through gratuities.
Unlike some jobs where you have to split your tips with other people working at the same time, as a driver, you get to keep the tips from the customers you deliver to.
6. Work For Yourself
When driving for Uber Eats, you are working for yourself.
You do not have a boss to whom you have to answer, and you can choose your own hours and how much work you want to take on.
It comes with added responsibility because you are in charge of making sure you complete your orders in a timely and professional manner while giving the customer a high level of service.
This is a huge perk for many people because they are essentially running their own businesses.
7. No Work Dress Code
There is no work dress code for Uber Eats, which can be beneficial for some people who are just wanting to earn some extra money without worrying about buying a work wardrobe.
You need to dress appropriately, but there is no specific style that is required when driving so you are more than welcome to dress as casual as you would like in order to be comfortable in your vehicle all day.
8. Uber Eats Pro
Uber Eats has introduced Uber Eats Pro for drivers.
This is a rewards program that allows drivers to earn points with every trip that they complete.
As you reach a higher status, you can earn more rewards.
Rewards can include money toward school tuition, discounts on car maintenance, and cash back on gas.
The Uber Eats Pro offers 100% of tuition costs covered to Arizona State University online for the driver or a family member, 25% off car maintenance if you sign up for CarAdvise, or 5% cash back on gas when you use the Uber Visa Debit Card.
You can earn extra rewards toward a higher status by receiving good reviews and feedback from your customers each time you complete a trip.
9. Turn Off App As Needed
Uber Eats provides drivers with the flexibility to work whenever they choose, but they also have the ability to turn off the delivery notifications.
If you are an Uber Eats driver and going out of town or want to take some time off from driving, then you can simply flip a switch in the app, and you will not get notified about deliveries in your area.
When you are ready to get notifications again, you can simply flip the switch back on and you will be notified about deliveries that you can pick up.
10. Driver Bonuses
Uber Eats drivers can increase their earnings through bonus activities such as a quest, boost, and surge.
A quest bonus is if the driver completes a certain number of deliveries within a specific timeframe.
If there are quite a few people wanting deliveries at a certain time, then Uber Eats will offer a small bonus to drivers who can quickly complete the orders.
A boost is an earnings multiplier.
This means that there might be a chance to double your earnings if you work during a lunchtime rush in a specific boost area.
In larger cities, this may be a downtown area that has a high number of orders within a small radius.
Surge bonuses happen in times of high demand.
Surges are applied dynamically instead of a boost that will already be set.
You cannot earn a surge and boost at the same time.
If you work during a surge time but also in a boost area, then you will receive the bonus that is the higher of the two.
How Do You Become An Uber Eats Driver?
In order to become a driver with Uber Eats you will need to sign up online or download the driver app and sign up through the app.
1. Delivery By Car
- You must be 19 years of age or older.
- Your vehicle must be two-door or four-door.
- Have a valid driver’s license.
- Provide social security number for a background check.
2. Delivery By Bike
- Be at least 18 years of age or older.
- Have a government-issued ID.
- Provide social security number for the background check.
- If you plan to deliver by bike, then you must choose bicycle delivery when signing up.
3. Delivery By Scooter
- You must be 19 years of age or older.
- Your scooter must be motorized and under 50cc.
- Have a valid driver’s license.
- Provide social security number for the background check.
- If you plan to deliver by scooter then you must choose scooter delivery when signing up.
Once you complete the sign-up process and provide the required documentation, you should receive a final answer within five business days.
If you are approved to drive with Uber Eats, then you can begin delivering immediately.
What Can Cause You To Be Declined As An Uber Eats Driver?
- Felony convictions in the last seven years.
- Pending criminal charges.
- Serious criminal charges, including sexual assault, murder, kidnapping, and human trafficking.
- Multiple accidents within the last three years.
- Driving with a suspended license within the last three years.
- Driving violations such as DUI, hit and run, or reckless driving within the last seven years.
- Fraudulent documents.
- Expired documents.
How Much Do Uber Eats Drivers Make?
In general, Uber Eats drivers can make anywhere from $12 to $20 per hour depending upon how many deliveries they are completing and at what time.
If there are driver bonuses or incentives during the time an Uber Eats driver is working, then the pay will increase.
Drivers’ pay is based on base pay, incentives, trip supplements, and tips.
1. Base Pay
This is the minimum amount that a driver will make for a trip.
When a driver goes to accept a trip, this is the amount that will first be seen.
Uber Eats calculates this amount based on how far the driver will have to travel along with their pick-up and delivery fees.
2. Incentives
Incentives are the driver bonuses.
You will make more if you are working during times of boosts, surges, and quests.
3. Trip Supplements
If Uber Eats determines that the driver will be going a longer distance and spending more time on the delivery they may add a trip supplement to the pay for the driver.
This is to help get the order completed and incentivize the driver to complete the trip even if it will be more miles traveled.
4. Tips
The driver will receive 100% of the tips that the customer gives.
Customers have the option to set the tip amount, so the tips will vary depending on the size of the order and how generous the customer is.
If you work a busy day with quite a few orders, then you will most likely receive more in tips.
How Does Delivering With Uber Eats Work?
Once you have been approved to be a driver with Uber Eats, you will be able to pick up orders directly through the driver app.
You will change your settings so that you can get notifications for orders that need delivery nearby.
The alert will pop up, and you will have approximately 15 to 30 seconds to accept the job.
It will show you where the order needs to be picked up and what your estimated payout will be.
After you accept the job, you will be able to use the navigation to get to the restaurant where you need to pick up the customer’s order.
You will also have access to the customer’s name and any special instructions they have included in their order as well as a button to contact the customer in the event there are any changes.
Once you arrive at the restaurant, you can show the order to a restaurant employee so they can grab the correct order for you.
It is important to double-check that the order is correct.
Then you can confirm that you picked up the order and swipe over to start the delivery.
After you start the delivery step, you will receive GPS instructions to get to the customer’s house.
When you reach the customer’s house, you will want to check their delivery instructions and then hit “delivered” once you have completed the delivery.
Following this, the driver will have the option to leave feedback and then finish out the order.
What If A Customer Cancels An Order?
If a customer cancels an order after you have picked up the order, you will still get paid for that order.
Drivers will receive a payment that equals the pickup fee, mileage driven, and drop-off fee.
Should a driver not be able to meet a customer who has asked for face-to-face pickup, the driver can cancel the order after waiting eight minutes.
Can You Drive For Uber And Uber Eats?
If you are already a driver for Uber and considering Uber Eats, then you might be wondering if you can drive for both Uber and Uber Eats.
The answer is yes, you can drive for both.
This can be a great way to supplement your income from Uber.
There will most likely be days when one or the other is more popular depending on where you live.
If you live in a large city, then both services may keep you quite busy, but if you are in a smaller town, you might find more success with Uber Eats.
As a driver, you will get requests for both Uber and Uber Eats through the same driver’s app.
If you are already an Uber driver then all you need to do is go to your Account → Work Hub → Deliver Food with Uber Eats.
It will ask you to accept terms and then you are set.
You will be able to turn on the delivery notifications for Uber Eats along with Uber.
It is also possible to work for both Uber and Uber Eats within the same shift.
You can alternate between the jobs you pick up and go back and forth as many times as you wish.
Conclusion
Uber Eats offers drivers a great opportunity to have a flexible job that can pay well and allow them to work as much as they want at any time of day.
Whether someone wants to utilize Uber Eats as their primary income or secondary income, there are quite a few perks to driving for Uber Eats.
The perks listed above will help you determine that Uber Eats is worth it.
