DoorDash is a popular meal delivery service that allows people to place orders at their favorite restaurants and have them delivered.
Those who choose to work for DoorDash as delivery drivers are responsible for getting these orders to the correct place at the correct time.
DoorDash is a popular place to work, and many drivers find it profitable.
Although DoorDash does pay well, it does not pay for gas.
It’s important to keep this in mind if you are trying to decide if this is the right job or side gig for you.
Does DoorDash Pay For Gas?
DoorDash does not pay for gas.
The driver is responsible for their own gas and any other costs associated with the vehicle and vehicle maintenance.
Anyone who works for DoorDash is considered an independent contractor and is not entitled to any employer benefits.
DoorDash pays for the service of delivery but does not pay or reimburse for the cost of the gas for that delivery.
Can You Use The DoorDash Red Card To Pay For Gas?
When you sign up for DoorDash and receive your welcome kit, you get a credit card called the DoorDash Red Card.
This is the card you use to pay for food when you pick it up for your customer.
That is the only time you can use it.
DoorDash clearly states what this card can be used to purchase.
It’s also not possible to use the Red Card for anything other than the food purchase.
The card will only allow the exact price of the order to be charged to it and only at a specific time.
The app will tell you when you can use the card, and these notifications only occur when the store is ready to check out the order.
Even if you tried to use the Red Card for gas, it wouldn’t work and would simply decline.
How Do Gas Expenses Affect DoorDash Earnings?
If you are thinking about trying DoorDash and are concerned that the company does not cover the cost of gas, it’s worth taking some time to determine if the cost of gas will have a large impact on your earnings.
Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding if DoorDash is worth your time.
1. Earnings
Even though you have to pay for your own gas, you can still make a good bit of money with DoorDash.
Some people do DoorDash as a part time job, and others are able to make a full time income by doing it.
When you are trying to determine if the cost of gas will still allow you to make a good income, you will need to do a few calculations.
DoorDash claims that drivers make around $23 an hour.
Of course, there are many different factors that will determine your hourly rate.
Some of those factors include the following.
A. Time
The amount of time an order takes can affect how many orders you complete in a day.
Since DoorDash does not actually pay by the hour but rather by the number of orders you complete, it makes sense to try to complete as many as possible.
The more orders you do in a day, the more money you make.
You can pick which times are the best for you and which times offer the most orders so you can plan all your orders together and won’t have to make multiple trips to the same restaurant or even the same part of town to make a delivery.
This will save you a lot of gas.
B. Distance
Since DoorDash does not pay for the gas that you use to deliver your orders, you want to choose orders that are close to you.
Driving further away will not only cost more gas, but it can take more time.
You may be able to complete several orders that are close to you in the amount of time it took to deliver one a great distance.
C. Tips
You can’t plan for tips, but most DoorDash delivery drivers expect some type of tip.
When you factor this into the total amount you make per order, it makes your earnings go up.
Some customers will tip more than others, and some won’t tip at all.
You do have the option of choosing orders that are tipped or untipped.
You can also see how much the tip will be.
This can give you an idea of whether or not the order and the gas it will cost to make the delivery will be worth what you are getting paid.
2. Car’s Fuel Efficiency
The more fuel efficient your car is, the less money you will spend on gas and the more you will profit from each order.
If you have a small car that is easy on gas, you will be able to buzz around town, completing orders with ease, and you won’t have to stop to refill your tank often or worry about spending too much money to deliver your orders.
3. City Size
The more orders you get, the more money you will make, but if you live in a small town, it can be hard to get enough orders to make any decent cash.
If you live in a bigger city, you are much more likely to get more orders and have a chance to make more money per order and get more tips from your customers.
Living in a small city can also have some advantages.
Many small cities only have a small number of delivery drivers, which means there will be plenty of orders and work to go around for everyone.
Businesses and individuals are also more likely to know you personally and are more likely to tip you better for your delivery.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
There are more out-of-pocket expenses to consider than gas when you are trying to decide if DoorDash is worth your time.
You will need to keep your vehicle well-maintained so it will be able to get you around to make your deliveries.
That being said, there aren’t a lot of out-of-pocket expenses directly related to DoorDash, other than your own gas.
Taxes
When it comes time to do your taxes, you will have to figure up any money you spent to make money at your job.
In the case of DoorDash, that means money that was spent on gas.
You may be able to write off some or all of your fuel costs on your tax return.
You will need to save your receipts every time you add gas to your car, so you know how much gas you spend in a year and to keep your tax records.
How To Save Money On Gas While Driving For DoorDash
Even though you do have to pay for your own gas while working for DoorDash, there are some things you can do to save money on gas while making your order deliveries.
Here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Join A Gas Station Loyalty Program
If you have a favorite gas station or one where you always stop to get gas, you should consider joining its loyalty program.
These programs are available at most major gas stations and allow you to earn points every time you spend money there.
The points can then be used to get discounts on gas and other things you buy from the gas station.
If you save up your loyalty points and only use them for gas discounts, you can save a lot of money on gas.
2. Stick To The Route
When you are making a delivery to a home or business, it can be easy to get distracted and want to try a different way or to stop somewhere else along the way.
This can waste gas and cause you to spend more money on fuel for each delivery.
It can also take away time that could be used to deliver other orders that could help you make more money.
Use GPS to help you find the quickest route to the delivery location and stick to it.
3. Change Your Schedule
If you want to use as little gas as possible while making the most money with DoorDash, you have to be smart about your schedule.
If you are able to deliver a lot of orders along one route, you will use less gas and make more money.
That means you need to be delivering orders during the peak hours.
Think about when people want food the most often and adjust your schedule to those times.
You may be able to make a plan to deliver several orders at a time and use less gas in the process.
4. Get A Fuel-Efficient Car
One of the best ways to save money while delivering for DoorDash is to get a car that is fuel-efficient.
If your car is hard on the gas, you are going to spend more money on gas and receive less profit per order.
There are many different types of cars that get good mileage and will allow you to make your deliveries without spending too much money out of pocket on gas.
5. Ride A Bike
DoorDash does not have any rules that say you must use a car.
If you are able to make your deliveries on a bike, you can save a lot of money.
Bikes may take a little longer to get the order to the destination, but they don’t require any cost to operate.
They also allow you to get plenty of exercise.
Many DoorDash delivery workers prefer to ride a bike for deliveries to avoid having to pay for gas.
6. Only Accept Tipped Orders
When you decide to accept an order, you can see if there is a tip and the amount of that tip.
If you are worried if an order will be worth the cost of the gas it will take to get it to the customer, you can check out the tipped amount.
If an order doesn’t offer a tip, you may not want to claim it.
7. Get A Rewards Credit Card
If you are going to be paying for gas, you may as well get a credit card that offers rewards or cash back.
You can use the credit card for your DoorDash gas and then consider any cash back or rewards as profit.
While this won’t help reduce the amount of money you pay for gas while making your deliveries, it could help you get some cash back.
Why Work For DoorDash?
Just because DoorDash doesn’t cover the cost of gas doesn’t mean it’s not a good company to work for.
In most cases, the payment and tip received for each order cover the cost of gas and still result in a profit.
Here are a few reasons to consider working for DoorDash.
1. Set Your Own Hours
One of the biggest perks of working for DoorDash is that you get to set your own hours and work as little or as much as you want.
You can decide if you want to work part time or full time.
You can also change your schedule each day.
Of course, the more you work, the more money you make, but there is no obligation to work at certain times.
2. DoorDash Rewards
DoorDash offers a reward program for drivers.
Drivers who do very well and maintain a high customer satisfaction level and a high completion rate are eligible to receive special rewards.
Some of these rewards do come in the form of gas cards.
3. Access To Plenty Of Orders
DoorDash is the largest meal delivery service, and in some areas, it is the only one available.
That means you have a chance for plenty of work and a chance to make plenty of money.
Of course, not all orders will be highly profitable.
You may also have to take some orders that pay less or are not tipped.
This is especially true if you are hoping to be a part of the rewards program.
