SherpaShare

15 Tuesday, May 15

The Complete Guide to Becoming an UberEats Driver

Are you considering becoming a delivery driver for UberEats? This guide will tell you everything you need to know about being an UberEats driver and help you decide if it's right for you.

If you've walked out onto the street of any somewhat populated city, you've surely seen Uber driving around. As Uber's popularity has grown, so has its reach-- introducing new features like UberEats. Now, many are wondering how they can become an UberEats driver.

Whether you're looking for a full-time gig, a great way to make some side income or need a break from passengers and rideshare driving, UberEats is a great and fulfilling way to make money. Now, where do you start? This is a comprehensive guide designed to give you all the knowledge that you need to become an UberEats driver in no time! Let's begin.

How Does UberEats Work?

For those who aren't too familiar yet, UberEats is a branch of Uber where an UberEats driver will go to a participating restaurant or eatery of sorts and pick up food that UberEats customers have ordered via their app. This is great for those who can't drive or don't have time to pick up and are really craving food from their favorite restaurant, especially one that doesn't deliver.

The customer begins by logging into the app and searching UberEats for local restaurants that partner with Uber. They can either browse the feed for restaurant deals and ideas or type their desired restaurant into the search bar. Once they've picked their eatery, they will choose from items on the menu and place an order. Then, they will be matched with an UberEats driver that is in the right area who will pick up and deliver the food to them.

How Does it Work as an UberEats Driver?

Now, for the driver, the process is different. A driver who is logged on and ready to receive assignments will park or drive around a certain area of their choosing and wait for an order to be placed.

Once an order is placed, the UberEats driver will be offered the assignment and will either accept or decline. Once accepted, they will go to the location where food was ordered, and then wait for the food until it's ready. If the food is ready, they will either pick up at a designated area in the eatery, or they will ask the staff where to pick up. Now that the order is received by the driver, they will simply drive to the customer's location and meet them at the curb. Once the food is delivered, they simply wait until the next assignment arrives.

How to Drive For UberEats

Now that you've learned a bit about how it works, you're probably eager to get started, right? Well, luckily, it is a pretty easy process to become a driver for UberEats.

Requirements

First thing's first, you are going to make sure that you meet all of the work requirements. In order to drive for UberEats you must:

Be at least 19 years old, 21 years in Canada
Have a valid Drivers License, insurance, and proof of registration
Have a vehicle that is 1998 or newer (may differ in areas that require a standard Uber profile and not an Eats-exclusive profile)
At least one year of driving experience

If you meet all of these requirements then you'll want to move to the next step.

Required Documents

There are certain documents that UberEats will require upon receiving employment, just as any other employer would require. Those documents include:

Valid Driver's License
Proof of address from either a utility bill, bank statement, or credit card bill
Proof of insurance

You may also be required to show proof of identity on top of your license with either a passport, birth certificate, or social security card.

Applying as an UberEats Driver

Now that you've got all your requirements and documents in order, you're ready to apply! It's super easy, you simply create a driver account on Uber's app or website and consent to their safety screening (background check) and upload your required documents.

Once you've done that and everything has gone through smoothly, you will receive notification that you are active, meaning you are ready to start delivering. Now, let's move on to one of the biggest reasons people drive for UberEats... the money!

How Does UberEats Pay?

This is probably the biggest question people have when inquiring about becoming an UberEats driver. How much do UberEats drivers make, and how do they get their money?

Well, how much you make and your success with UberEats or any other rideshare service for that matter depends solely on how much you work and how diligent you are with tracking your mileage and expenses to reduce your tax bill at the end of the year. The more deliveries you complete, the more cash you can make, the limits are all on you. That being said, there are certainly other factors to consider in your pay-- that is, what location you are in and what times you are delivering.

Obviously, there will be certain regions and certain times of day that are going to offer more opportunity for money. For instance, downtown Seattle will be a lot busier at lunchtime than a small town will be at 2:00 am.

Now, how is your pay calculated? Here are all the different parts that factor into your total pay:

Pickup fee- Each time you go to a restaurant to pick up an order for someone, you will receive a pickup fee.
Drop off fee- Similarly, every time you drop off an order to a customer you will receive a drop off fee.
Mileage fee- Depending on the distance that you drive for a delivery, you will receive payment per mile you travel. (All your business mileage while driving around waiting for orders and in between pickups are tax deductible, so be sure to track your mileage with a 3rd party app like SherpaShare!)
Minimum pay guarantee- UberEats promises that if you deliver within their recommended areas and times that you will receive a minimum payment that is about $6.30 before Uber's service fee.

Now, as you can see, the amount that you make with UberEats is virtually limitless. It all depends on the amount of time and effort that you put towards driving for UberEats.

It's Time to Get Started

Now you have all of the resources and information that you need to get on the road and become an UberEats driver! Before you get started make sure you’ve signed up for SherpaShare to log all your mileage and expenses to maximize your tax refund at the end of the year.

We hope that this information was informative and fun. Check out hour blog for more amazing tips and advice for Uber, Lyft, and more!