How To Make $500 a Week With DoorDash (2024 Guide!)
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One of the advantages of working for gig apps like DoorDash is flexibility. You get to work whenever and however much you want. This also means your earning potential depends on you. So, can you make $500 a week with DoorDash?
In this guide, I’ll share DoorDash driver tips to help you maximize your earnings as a Dasher.
Whether you’re already delivering for DoorDash or just got on board, there’s always room for improvement.
And if you’re a new Dasher, you may be wondering if you can live off DoorDash. Read on for helpful tips to make the most of this side hustle and achieve your income goals.
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How To Make $500 a Week With DoorDash
Making $500 a week with DoorDash may seem ambitious but manageable.
If your target is $500 a week, it comes down to $100 a day if you work five days a week. You should make at least $20 an hour if you live in an area with high demand and are strategic about your work.
Your effort determines how much you make per hour since you work as an independent contractor. With a target amount in mind, it’s easier to implement strategies to help you reach your goals faster.
Here are 12 actionable tips you can use to make $500 or more a week with DoorDash.
1. Work During Peak Hours
If you want to make the most money dashing, you must know the best times to DoorDash. In most areas, mealtimes and weekends have more orders.
More people order meals around lunchtime and dinnertime, which is a no-brainer. Logging in to work at these times guarantees you’ll get more orders.
Aside from the increase in order volume, DoorDash offers Peak Pay incentives, where you earn more money working during busy times.
On weekdays, peak times are typically between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for the lunchtime rush and around 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the dinnertime rush.
Peak times may vary depending on where you are. For instance, if you live in a busy college town, you may deliver food late into the night for students.
Take time to determine the peak working hours in your area and work your schedule around then to make the most of your time dashing.
2. Be Strategic About Choosing Your Orders
You may be tempted to take as many orders as possible to increase your earnings, but choosing your orders strategically is more effective. Consider factors like pay, delivery distance, and even the restaurant you pick up the order from.
If an order will take you too far from the busy area you’re in, or if it’s too far out of your way, you can turn it down and wait for better orders.
As a new Dasher, you may be concerned about your DoorDash acceptance rate, but it doesn’t matter; you should only accept orders that compensate you generously for your time and effort.
Some orders may pay high, but they could take much time to complete, so you must also keep this in mind.
3. Work Efficiently
While DoorDash is a flexible weekend side hustle, developing a delivery strategy is essential to maximize your earnings. One of the strategies that can help you make $500 a week is to work efficiently.
You can start by planning your routes so you don’t spend too much time driving between deliveries. There are plenty of navigation tools and apps that you can use to find the fastest routes so you can cut down on your delivery time.
Another way to improve your efficiency is to learn and adapt. Always pay attention to your performance to determine what works best for you.
As you continue making deliveries, it’s easier to incorporate strategies you’ve learned to maximize your DoorDash earnings.
4. Increase Your Working Hours
Another tip to make $500 a week with DoorDash is increasing your working hours. For instance, if you make $20 an hour, you’d have to work 25 hours a week to hit the $500 target.
Increasing your working hours means you can accept more deliveries and earn more money.
This tip, coupled with other DoorDash hacks like working efficiently and during peak hours, can help you significantly increase your earnings.
If you can’t increase the number of hours you work, you can try increasing the deliveries you make in an hour, as this will also help boost your pay.
5. Change Your Dash Zone
If you notice DoorDash is slow in your area, it could be because there are few customers, so there are few orders.
In that case, finding a busier DoorDash zone would be better. Once you’ve found an area with decent traffic, try to stay there as you make deliveries.
Generally, the best places to DoorDash are major metropolitan cities. These areas have larger populations and a more extensive customer base.
You can change your zip code to a different Dash area on the DoorDash app. If you’re going to change your DoorDash location, ensure you’re not driving too far to Dash, as you’ll be spending too much on gas to get there.
You can also DoorDash in another state if you don’t mind moving to another city.
6. Take Batched Orders
Sometimes, DoorDash gives batched orders, where you get more than one order simultaneously.
This is an excellent opportunity to make more money in less time. The app suggests a specific order of operations to help you complete the batch efficiently, but you decide how to deliver the orders.
Batched orders increase your average hourly rate and help you reach your $500 weekly target.
When doing stacked orders, ensure you keep the orders separate so you don’t mess them up.
7. Use Multiple Apps
Another strategy that has worked for many gig workers is using multiple apps simultaneously.
There are plenty of platforms where you get paid to drive, and you can sign up for them to maximize your earning potential.
When you add other gig apps like Instacart to the mix, you increase the number of deliveries you make, which increases your weekly earnings.
Here are some of the top jobs like DoorDash you should consider:
- Amazon Flex: Sign up for Amazon Flex, where you get paid as an independent contractor to deliver Amazon packages to customers in your area.
- Instacart: Join Instacart to get paid to shop and deliver grocery items to customers in your area.
- Uber Eats: Another food delivery service under the rideshare company Uber. You can join Uber Eats and work as a driver, delivering fast food and restaurant meals in your city.
- Walmart Spark: A gig app where you get paid to deliver groceries and other convenience store items to Walmart customers.
- Shipt: Sign up for Shipt, a platform like Instacart. You’d get paid to deliver grocery items to customers.
- ParaWorks: This platform gives you plenty of earning opportunities like delivering food, pharmaceuticals, packages, and more.
- Grubhub: This food delivery platform partners with local restaurants, and you can sign up to get paid to deliver food locally.
8. Wait Around Busy Areas
One of the major advantages of gig economy apps like DoorDash is you can start accepting orders from the comfort of your couch.
But if you want to improve your chances of getting more orders, it’s advisable to park near busy restaurants and popular stores.
Location is one of the factors considered when assigning DoorDash orders, so being near popular restaurants significantly increases your chances of getting more orders.
You can use the heat map on the Dasher app to find DoorDash hotspots. These are typically busy downtown areas with clusters of restaurants. You can also find the hotspots using sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor to see which restaurants are rated the highest.
Aside from getting more orders, parking near restaurants enables you to get to work immediately, so you won’t have to drive far to get the food.
The faster you complete orders, the quicker you can take more and boost your hourly earnings.
9. Provide Excellent Customer Service
As a Dasher, you get to keep 100% of customer tips, which can significantly boost your earnings.
Good customer service is the key to getting good tips. Ensure you consistently provide excellent customer service, from when you accept the order to when you deliver it.
Good customer service starts with communication. Contact the customer to let them know you’ve received the order and are on it. You can also ask for clarification and give them an estimate of how long it will take to deliver the order.
Paying attention to ensure the order is correct and notifying the customer of any delays also increases your chances of getting a good tip.
Providing excellent customer service is one of the easiest ways to increase your tips and boost your earnings to reach your $500 weekly target.
10. Take Advantage of Bonuses and Promotions
Another hack to make $500 a week with DoorDash is capitalizing on bonuses and promotions.
DoorDash regularly offers incentives and promotions to motivate Dashers to take additional orders. For example, there could be challenges in your area. These are incentives where you can earn extra money for completing a specific number of deliveries within a specified period.
The Challenges differ from one area to another, so you should check for details in your Dasher app.
You don’t have to do anything special to participate, as you’re automatically enrolled in any active challenges you qualify for in your area.
Any time you notice an active Challenge, tap on it to see details like the number of deliveries needed, how long the challenge is valid, and the amount you’ll earn for completing it.
Participating in Challenges is a great way to boost your DoorDash earnings.
11. Treat Your Side Hustle as a Business
DoorDash hires you as an independent contractor, meaning you’re on the hook for all work-related expenses and filing your taxes.
DoorDash doesn’t pay for gas or any vehicle-related expenses, so keeping track of your expenses and earnings is vital to ensure the gig is profitable.
Tracking your hours and comparing them to your income is another great way to make decisions that help you going forward. Approach every decision as a small business owner and only accept orders that will be profitable.
You should also track your DoorDash mileage, which will help come tax season. With accurate records of your expenses, you can write them off when filing taxes to reduce your taxable income.
The IRS has a standard mileage deduction rate for business miles, so keeping track of your mileage will help you claim these deductions.
12. Use the Para App
One final tip on how to make $500 a week with DoorDash is to use the Para app. It’s a valuable app dedicated to full pay transparency.
With the Para app, you can use the tip prediction feature to view the tip value of an order before you accept it.
This means you can plan your deliveries more efficiently and choose only the jobs that are most likely to provide lucrative earnings.
The Para app also shows you the anticipated delivery time of an order, which helps you make more informed choices.
Lastly, the app also helps with mileage tracking, and you can use it with other driving gigs like Uber Eats and Instacart.
Is It Hard To Make $500 a Week With Doordash?
It takes effort, but making $500 a week with DoorDash is not hard. That said, your earning potential also depends on factors like your location and market demand.
You can make $500 a week with DoorDash by increasing your working hours and implementing strategies to maximize your earnings.
When working for gig apps like DoorDash, it might take some time to understand the patterns in your area and develop effective strategies to boost your earnings.
How Much Can You Make With Doordash in 3 Hours?
The amount you can make with DoorDash in three hours depends on factors like the demand, your location, your efficiency, and the tips you receive.
Most Dashers make between $15 to $25 an hour, so you can expect roughly $45 to $75 in 3 hours.
Can You Make $500 a Day with DoorDash?
Making $500 daily with DoorDash may not be achievable or sustainable for most Dashers. Your earnings depend on your location and demand, some of which may be out of your control.
When using gig apps like DoorDash, it’s important to have realistic expectations so you don’t burn out.
How Do You Make $1000 a Week With DoorDash?
To make $1,000 a week with DoorDash, combine various strategies. You must increase your working hours significantly. You should also choose high-demand times and work in high-volume areas.
Also, consider using multiple platforms, as sometimes DoorDash is slow. You could have more orders using another gig app.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this guide on how to make $500 a week with DoorDash will help you maximize your earnings on the platform.
It may take some time to develop strategies and learn the specific patterns in your area, but with time, you’ll be Dashing like a pro.
DoorDash is one of the gig apps with a decent earning potential, so it all comes down to how efficient you are as a worker.
Remember, some factors like low order volume may be out of your control, so trying other side hustle platforms can be beneficial.
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