Postmates

What is Postmates?

Postmates is a delivery service, owned by Uber, that enlists independent contractors to delivering food, alcohol and people in major cities across the U.S..

How it works

Purchased by Uber in 2020, the site has essentially melded driver terms of Uber, Uber Eats and Postmates. That gave people working for Uber Eats the ability to deliver by bicycle and scooter. And it gave those delivering for Postmates easy access to delivery jobs with other Uber entities.

To work for any of these three delivery/ride share services, you must be over the age of 18 (and, if you deliver by car or scooter, over the age of 19); have a government-issued ID, and be able to pass a background check.

Also, if you want to deliver by car or scooter, you need an appropriate vehicle and a driver’s license.

Assuming you have all of these, you simply download the app on your smart phone and sign up. The site will contact you to complete a background check and other onboarding steps. And, once approved, you’ll start getting job offers.

Postmates review:

Even if you officially sign up with Postmates, you will get job offers from all three Uber entities — Postmates, Uber and Uber Eats. You get to decide whether you want to take them, based on where the job is and what it pays.

The challenge with reviewing this gig company is that it operates all over the world. And the rules under which it operates vary. In some communities, Uber/Postmates provides relatively good pay for light work. In others, the cost of driving for the site makes it difficult to earn a living wage.

The one thing that’s undeniably attractive about this job is that it is completely flexible.

No one tells you when to work or how to work. Although you do get reviews, which could get you booted, if they’re bad enough, you’re pretty much your own boss. You do not need to commit to working set hours. You can simply flip your app and go to work, taking whatever gigs are available and nearby when you’re free. For people with unpredictable lives, this can make Postmates/Uber an attractive place to work.

Overall, it offers better-than-average average earnings opportunity for people with fuel-efficient cars, or who are able to handle deliveries with a bike or scooter. But, it’s usually just an average option for everyone else.

Pay

Postmates, Uber and Uber Eats drivers are all paid based on a formula that includes a basic fare, promotional pay and tips. However, how the basic fare is calculated varies by region. In some areas, you know the pay for a ride upfront. In other cases, you’re paid based on mileage and time. With these rides, you only know how much you’ll make when the ride is complete — much like driving a taxi.

However, Uber/Postmates also offers promotional fares when you drive during peak hours and the company sometimes offer “quests” and “boosts” for driving a set number of gigs or for taking fares in a promotional area. These little bonuses can add up to real money for drivers who pay close attention and know how to milk the system.

Drivers are generally paid once a week by direct deposit.

However, if you get an Uber “Pro” debit card, you can be paid immediately after each trip. And, even without that, you can get paid instantly for a small fee.

Expenses

The main thing to keep in mind with all ride share and delivery side hustles is that you have costs — sometimes significant costs. You pay for gas, insurance, maintenance and any sort of amenities that you offer your riders, such as water and snacks. Keep track of your expenses and the mileage you drive for work. All of these are tax deductible and can save you a few bucks at the end of the year.

Recommendations

The best way to earn good income in the ride share and delivery business is to be a player. Don’t drive for just one company. Sign up with Uber (which gets you Postmates and Uber Eats), as well as DoorDash, GrubHub, and Amazon Flex. And, while you’re at it, see if you can get a car advertising campaign with Carvertise, Nickelytics or Wrapify, too.

You can sign up with Uber/Postmates here.

What their drivers say (from Indeed):

Great work for people with very flexible hours, work on your own time but with your own vehicle and the base delivery fee could be higher since not everyone tips.

I enjoy driving but it’s become to the point where you’d have to work 80 hours a week to make a profit of 600….its become a joke and you truly are messing your car up with all the added weight and wear and tear

Jobs like these are great for some extra cash here and there but definitely not a reliable source life sustaining income on its own.

If you’re willing to work long hours and cherry pick orders, as well as putting a lot of mileage on your car, its a good job.

Good hours, bad pay

Uber has 2 and 3 dollar rides, where we make no money at all. They should adjust them to $4 and $5 at least. Last week I took a 2.52 ride and it took me 20 minutes to make 2 dollars. After the gas money and car maintenance there is very little money left. Where the 700 and 800 dollars per week they promise? I make $220 after gas. I’m very disappointed.

Liked the hours, because they were what I wanted to work. If I wanted to earn some quick money, it was as easy as logging into the app, and I’d have an order within a few minutes. The pay was ok, tips were better. The only problem I had was when an order was cancelled, sometimes after id driven across town to pick it up or when I was actually in the store selecting the merchandise. I had to spend some time on the phone for a day or two convincing them to pay me for my time and mileage.

Did not earn enough to get even minimum wage. Sometimes I waited about an hour for an offer. Not worth the wear and tear on your vehicle. Gas is also too high!

Updated 2/19/2024