If you are looking for a good side hustle, the food delivery service world is a good place to start looking. Popular apps like Uber Eats, Postmats, and Grubhub have become extremely popular both for customers and for those of us looking to make some extra money.
But how much does Grubhub pay? Is it worth my time and effort? These are the best questions to know the answer to before spending too much time on any side hustle. Even our spare time is valuable, and we need to get as much out of it as possible.
Keep reading to find out more about Grubhub and the answer to the question, how much does Grubhub pay?
What Is Grubhub?
So what is Grubhub? Grubhub is a service much like other food delivery services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. It started when its founder, Matt Maloney, wanted to streamline food ordering.
So instead of searching for individual restaurants and putting your credit card information into several sites, he created a way to have everything in one place.
Today, Grubhub is available in over 3200 cities in the US and UK. Customers can find local restaurants through the app with their menus. They can then order food through Grubhub for delivery.
Drivers can sign to do deliveries, helping both customers get their food quicker and assisting restaurants to reach more customers without hiring delivery drivers.
Related: Uber Eats vs Doordash
How To Become a Grubhub Driver
Becoming a driver for Grubhub driver is a relatively straightforward process. Still, there are a few requirements you’ll need to meet:
- You’ll need to be at least 19 years of age
- You’ll need a car
- You’ll need to have car insurance
- A valid drivers license is required
- Your phone will need to be able to support using the app
Suppose you are in an area that accepts bicycle delivery. In that case, you’ll still need to meet the age requirement, but the vehicle requirements are not needed. However, if you don’t have a driver’s license, you’ll still need a valid state ID.
If you meet the requirements, below are the steps you’ll need to take to get started as a Grubhub driver.
Sign Up
The first step in becoming a Grubhub driver is to simply sign up! Create an account online and submit your application.
Have your driver’s license and proof of insurance ready, as you’ll need to submit them with your application. If you are applying for bicycle delivery, you’ll need to send your state ID.
At this point, you’ll also need to consent to a background check.
Fill Out the Paperwork
Assuming your past doesn’t include anything that would fail the background check (felonies, violent crimes, poor driving record, etc. ), you’ll next need to set up a direct deposit.
Finally, you’ll need to fill out the necessary paperwork for a direct deposit plus some other new driver paperwork.
Go Through the Onboarding Process
The onboarding process isn’t required of you, but it’s certainly worth your time. Instead of fumbling around with the app and wasting your time learning other aspects, Grubhub will take you through how the apps works, setting your schedule, and how to pick up orders.
Get Your Grubhub Delivery Stuff
After all your paperwork is filled out, technically, you’re ready to start making deliveries. Grubhub will send you an insulated bag and a credit card to pay for deliveries that aren’t paid before you pick them up. However, you can use your own for both if you want to get started right away.
Setup Your Schedule
Part of the reason people love side hustles is that you can pick them up whenever you have spare time. However, with Grubhub, it can be to your benefit to pick a specific time when you know you’ll be free to do deliveries.
By choosing your hours in advance, you’ll get priority for deliveries over other drivers that suddenly open the app looking to make a few deliveries.
Having priority might not seem like, much when it’s busy, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. If you miss your scheduled time, you’ll still be able to make deliveries in the future, but it will lower your recognition level (more on the Recognition program later)
Determine Your Delivery Area
When setting up your account, you’ll be applying to deliver in a specific area. You’ll want to pick a delivery area near where you live, but also one that will have high amounts of delivery requests as well.
If you move or decide the location you’ve picked is not busy enough, you’ll need to contact GrubHbub directly to have your area changed. This can take a few weeks, so make sure you think hard before your original setup.
How Much Does Grubhub Pay?
The burning question is still how much does GrubHub pay? Like other food delivery services, it varies, but there is data out there to give you an idea of how much money you could make.
Base pay will vary by market, but drivers can typically expect an average base pay of around $4 per delivery. On top of that, GrubHub will pay drivers based on the number of miles you drive and the amount of time the delivery takes.
The pay for these varies based on which part of the delivery you are doing:
- $.22 per mile times 2 when picking up the food
- $.22 per mile times 3 when dropping the food off
- $.13 per minute times 30 minutes for driving and waiting for the food
On average, when you add it all up, drivers for Grubhub make $12 to $15 per hour. Earnings can be different based on several variables.
More populated areas will have higher base pays, likely more deliveries available, and could take longer. There is also the opportunity for tips, but they are unpredictable.
Even for the same area, the time of day you are delivering can significantly impact how much you make. For example, delivering during busy lunch or dinner times will yield a higher average pay per hour than your typical non-meal times.
Grubhub Drivers – Getting Paid
What good is it to know how much does Grubhub pay if you don’t know how you’ll get paid? Grubhub drivers get paid once a week on Thursdays. You put in your bank account info to have any earnings deposited directly into your checking account as part of your setup.
Similar to other delivery services, there is an Instant Play option. Drivers are charged 50 cents per Instant Pay transaction and can have as much as $500 per day transferred to their accounts instantly.
Grubhub Recognition Program
To encourage drivers to do more deliveries and do them well, Grubhub uses a recognition program. The higher you move up in the Grubhub Recognition Program, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn money. There are three levels Premium, Pro, and Partner.
You’ll be at the Partner level when you first sign up, but you can quickly move up to the higher tiers after only 20 deliveries. Every week, GrubHub will update the levels of all drivers, and that update is based on delivery stats over the last 30 days.
Here is a guide on what GrubHub uses to determine your recognition level.
- Acceptance Percentage: Percentage of orders you accept.
- Attendance Percentage: Percentage of the time slots (blocks) you schedule in advance and attend.
- Block Drop Rate: Percentage of the blocks you schedule in advance but end up dropping before or during the time you previously scheduled.
There are several advantages to entering the higher tiers of the recognition program. Once you reach Premium or Pro level, you’ll be able to select catering orders, which are larger, so they pay more and typically see more significant tips.
Another advantage you’ll have as you move up in the Recognition program you’ll have a higher priority level for receiving orders. Finally, you’ll be able to pick your scheduling block before other drivers in the lower tiers as well.
Grubhub Driving Tips
Below are a few tips you should consider when becoming a GrubHub driver.
Reach and Maintain Premier Level of the Recognition Program
It should go without saying that reaching the Premier level of the GrubHub Recognition Program should be a priority. It will get you the best delivery options and times, therefore, maximizing your potential earnings.
Use a Navigation App
Using a navigation app like Waze can be super helpful. When it comes to how much does Grubhub pay, the name of the game is efficiency. Anything you can do to complete your deliveries faster means making that much more. Navigation apps typically have a “fastest route” option.
Deliver in Bad Weather
I’m not talking about going out in hurricanes or blizzards here, but don’t sit inside when the weather isn’t top-notch. Grubhub won’t pay you more to go out in the rain, but often, the tips from customers will be better for those braving some bad weather to bring them food.
Know Your Restaurants
Not all restaurants are created equal. Some are good at getting their takeout orders together fast, and some aren’t. Know which ones are which so you can maximize your delivery times.
Use Other Delivery Apps Too
Look, you’re already out there making deliveries; if you can, sign up for multiple apps (DoorDash, Postmates or UberEats) and make several deliveries at once. It could get a little confusing, so don’t go crazy on this one. But, if you can keep everything straight, multiple deliveries could boost your earnings.
Related: 7 Best Ways To Get Free Food Delivery
How Much Does Grubhub Pay – Final Thoughts
As with other similar apps, how much does Grubhub pay can vary based on many factors. Your delivery area, how often you deliver, your recognition level, and when you deliver are just a few factors that will change your earnings.
Typically speaking, Grubhub drivers see somewhere in the $12-$15 range, which is right in line with the other meal delivery apps. It can certainly be a great way to make more money on the side when done right.
Jeff is a fan of all things finance. When he's not out there changing the world with his blog, you can find him on a run, a Mets game, or just playing around with his kids