DoorDash review [2025]: Get a taste of a gig as a food delivery driver

Not long ago, many of us were thoroughly accustomed to the day-to-day routine of working 9-to-5 — these days, side hustles are turning into lucrative full-time gigs and offering plenty of flexibility.

It’s all part of what has been dubbed the ‘gig economy’ — a term coined by broadcaster Tina Brown in 2009. The appeal is its flexibility — you don’t have to sign a lengthy contract or report to a boss. You are your own boss!

Perhaps someone you know has become a DoorDash driver, delivering food from restaurants to their hungry customers? If you like the idea of being the driver and making a little extra money along the way, this gig might be for you. But first, let's take a look at whether reality lives up to this vision.

What is DoorDash?

DoorDash was founded in the early 2010s by a quartet of Stanford University students. The crucial spark of inspiration struck when a macaroon store owner complained to the students about struggling to meet demand for deliveries. 

Today, DoorDash is part of a crowded market. Grubhub was founded in 2004, while the now-iconic ridesharing platform Uber launched its food delivery arm, Uber Eats, in 2014.

So, you could understandably be wondering whether you ought to seek work with one of these two platforms rather than DoorDash. A company with a longer history and a bigger name is also likely to offer a better experience for drivers, right?

That’s one of many questions this article will address in depth. At least on the face of it, though, DoorDash has much to recommend it.

How does DoorDash work?

Once you are all signed up as a DoorDash driver, you can log into the DoorDash smartphone app for drivers. This will give you a real-time view of delivery or task opportunities available in your area.

It’s up to you which of these you accept or reject. You really can complete as many or as few assignments as you want for DoorDash. Hence, it’s ideal work to have close at hand if you are…

• A student and need some temporary work to tide you over during the summer break.
• In part-time employment and seeking to fill the gap in your work schedule.
• Currently unemployed and want to take on some paid short-term work while you look for something more permanent. 

When you use the app to accept an order, the DoorDash - Dasher mobile app will instruct you on exactly what to do next. (DoorDash refers to its drivers as ‘Dashers’.)

When the assigned task is to deliver food, you will generally need to (in this order):

1. Visit the restaurant supplying the food. 
2. Collect this food from the restaurant.
3. Drive to the customer‘s address to drop the food off there.

As you might have gathered, it’s not just food you can deliver with DoorDash. Other merchants affiliated with DoorDash include: 

• Liquor stores offering beer, wine, and liquor.
• Flower shops stocking flower arrangements, plants, and succulents. 
• Grocery stores
• Retail shops selling beauty products, office supplies, electronics, clothes, and more.

Getting paid by DoorDash

During the DoorDash driver signup process, you will either disclose your personal bank account details or apply for a DasherDirect Business Prepaid Visa Card.

If you go for the first option, DoorDash will pay your earnings into your bank account on a weekly basis.

The DasherDirect Business Prepaid Visa Card is only an option for select US-based Dashers. However, those who do hold it can routinely (and automatically) get paid straight after completing a dash — without incurring any deposit fees.

US and Canada-based Dashers outside of the DasherDirect scheme could take advantage of Fast Pay instead. This feature lets you withdraw your earnings once daily, albeit by paying a fee of $1.99 per transfer.

Who can become a DoorDash driver?

The entry requirements to become a DoorDash driver are relatively low. Those requirements can be sorted into the following four categories…

1. The right location 

If you live in the United States, DoorDash opportunities could be abundant in your area. The company offers its services in thousands of cities across all 50 US states. 

DoorDash is also available in:

• The federal district of Washington, D.C. 
• The unincorporated US territory of Puerto Rico
• Over 80 cities in Canada 
• The Australian city of Melbourne 
• New Zealand 

You might be wondering: “How can I look up the number of DoorDash-affiliated restaurants near me?” Simple — by posing as a customer and entering your home address into the ‘Entry delivery address’ field at the top of the DoorDash homepage.

The higher the concentration of DoorDash-affiliated outlets in your area, the more money you could stand to make as a Dasher. So, what if there turn out to be very few — if any — such outlets within easy traveling distance of your home?

In that case, you could consider seeing if many eateries near you are served by alternative food delivery companies. The Grubhub homepage, for example, has its own ‘Enter your delivery address’ textbox for you to use.

You can also take a look at other passive and active income ideas you can pursue with your phone.

2. Age

To become a Dasher, you would typically need to be at least 18 years of age. However, the minimum allowed age is 19 if you reside in any of these US states: 

• Arizona
• California 
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia 
• Idaho
• Kentucky 
• Montana
• New Jersey 
• New Mexico 
• Texas
• Utah 
• West Virginia 

If you are a college student wanting to earn money while studying, you might be worried about your lack of experience. Here’s what the company has to say about it in its FAQs…

So, as long as you satisfy the other specified requirements, you’re fine.

What if you can technically drive but don’t like to drive? In that case, it could work out much better for you to contemplate one of these side hustles from home.

3. Vehicle

Contrary to what the term ‘DoorDash driver’ might have planted in your mind, you don’t strictly need to use a car to fulfil DoorDash deliveries. 

Alternative options include scooters and motorcycles. DoorDash would even let you give yourself a nice workout by using a bicycle — but, crucially, only in select cities. Cycling to a more remote address outside of the city could prove too time-consuming for the customer’s liking.

DoorDash doesn’t impose any restrictions on what specific model of car you can use for deliveries. Even a relatively old car could suffice as long as you are licensed and insured to drive it. More on this below!

4. Documentation 

Before applying for a DoorDash account, you should gather the documentation required as part of the process. 

For a start, you might be intending to carry out deliveries with a vehicle requiring you to hold a driver’s license.

This license can serve as a form of ID, too. However, you can use an alternative form of ID if you are set to dash only via a bicycle.

Your application must also include your Social Security number. This is so that DoorDash can complete a background check to verify your eligibility to work as an independent contractor.

5. Smartphone 

Chances are, if you do have a smartphone, it’s also capable of running the DoorDash app aimed specifically at drivers. Why the bolded text? Well, because it’s important to distinguish this DoorDash app from the one intended for customers’ usage.

The latter app is called DoorDash - Food Delivery and looks like this in Apple’s iOS App Store for iPhones: 

This is the app that customers use to place orders for DoorDash drivers to accept. How will they accept them? By indicating so on their own DoorDash app. 

You will be using this app to keep an eye out for new DoorDash delivery opportunities as they emerge. Make sure you are logged into the app after you have installed it. That way, you will be able to pounce on exciting chances before other Dashers nab them.

Getting started with DoorDash: A complete walkthrough

According to DoorDash on the website’s homepage, it takes just minutes to sign up as a Dasher. Up for testing that claim? Take your first step towards doing so by scrolling down to the part of the page where it says ‘Become a Dasher’. Then, click the ‘Start earning’ link.

When you do that, you will be sent to the following page. Just below the ‘Your Postal Code’ text field are links to several pieces of documentation worth reading before you fill anything in.

You can click through to see the Independent Contractor Agreement for DoorDash contractors in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. There’s a separate ICA for each country. 

The same can be said of the Dasher Privacy Policy. Meanwhile, the Dasher Pay link brings up details of the Dasher pay model explaining how payments to DoorDash drivers are calculated.

Signing up

Finished reading the above-mentioned documents relevant to the country where you want to get work as a DoorDash driver? Return to the ‘Your Postal Code’ field and fill it with… exactly that.

Then, hit the orange ‘Next’ button. You will next be prompted to submit your email address and subsequently your phone number.

You might have to temporarily abandon the signup process at some point after providing your email address and phone number. 

Fortunately, you can pick up where you left off by returning to the Dasher signup page and clicking ‘Already started signing up?’. You will then be presented with the following screen, where you can re-enter your email address and phone number.

You can also do this if you have filled out and submitted all the signup fields but want to check the status of your application.

Using the platform

Most successful applicants to the DoorDash driver program only have to wait days before they can start earning money from Dashing.

Has your own application been approved? If so, you can log into the Dasher app and commence using it to track available delivery tasks.

DoorDash has put together a YouTube video explaining how to use the Dasher app. The video goes through each of the in-app tabs and what they mean.

The core functionality built into this app includes accepting or declining incoming orders, viewing account information, and adjusting payment settings.

How easy is DoorDash to use?

You very much get out of DoorDash what you put in. For example, by regularly checking the app’s Map tab, you can see where orders are often placed. By venturing to these geographic areas, you can help increase the number of lucrative orders you are offered.

Also, pay close attention to the Ratings tab. You shouldn’t just settle for the bare minimum when it comes to the standard of service you provide. It can pay off to go the extra mile for a customer. (Maybe don’t always go a literal extra mile. You might be able to find some shortcuts enabling you to deliver the food more quickly!) 

You want the food’s eventual recipients to be especially impressed with what you do for them. That way, they will hopefully award you a high score reflected in the Ratings tab. If you consistently attract favorable ratings from customers, you can qualify for special programs and incentives.

How much does DoorDash pay?

In practice, how much you earn from Dashing depends on a myriad of factors. These include:

• How many deliveries or tasks you accept and complete
• When and where you Dash
• Any costs arising from working as a DoorDash driver

On its website, DoorDash goes into much more detail about this subject:

DoorDash delivery earnings come from…

Base pay

No matter what kind of DoorDash offer you accept, you will get Base Pay for it. Of course, some jobs are bound to take longer, cover a longer distance, and simply be — on the whole — more desirable than others. However, this will all be accounted for in the exact amount of money comprising the Base Pay.

Tips

When you do accept an offer, the customer can opt to tip you. On the other hand, they could add a tip up to 30 days after you complete the order.

Either way, they can send you the tip via their DoorDash - Food Delivery app so that it turns up in your DoorDash - Dasher app.

Customers can still provide cash tips instead. Indeed, the key to keeping customers happy is ensuring they can choose from a wide range of payment methods.

Promotions 

These include Peak Pay, where select assignments pay higher than the standard rate.

Think you are pretty good with your time management? You can put that to the test by taking on DoorDash Challenges. With these, completing a pre-decided tally of orders within a specific duration will entitle you to extra money.

Delivery Streaks work similarly — letting you earn more by completing consecutive orders all on a single dash.

Is DoorDash worth it?

Hopefully, you now have a much better idea of whether you should seriously consider becoming a DoorDash driver. However, before making a final decision, it’s worth looking at online reviews of Dashers’ personal experiences with DoorDash.

DoorDash employees have rated it 3.3 out of 5 on average on Indeed. This score is based on 14,239 reviews at the time of writing.

One DoorDash delivery driver from Indiana says the work lends itself especially well to part-time hours. Judging from this review, though, Dashing could take its toll on your vehicle, while tips from customers might not be as generous as you expect.

In another four-star review, an Arizona driver hails this “good side hustle” as “flexible” and “simple” to do. Reportedly, however, orders are not always forthcoming.

On this review site, the DoorDash ratings compare favorably to those of Grubhub. Drivers have given the latter platform 3.2 out of 5 overall, but on the basis of far fewer reviews (896).

As for Uber Eats, that’s got an average score of 3.4 out of 5, the highest of the three. Still, the number of reviews — 2,053 — posted by Uber Eats employees is much lower than that left on Indeed’s DoorDash listing.

Maybe you have ultimately decided to dash (ahem) DoorDash’s way or instead opt for one of this company’s competitors in the food delivery space.

Fortunately, food delivery work means not having to make too big a commitment to just one platform. Why not experiment with several platforms to see which reaps the best returns for you?

Deliver the goods (in a very different way) with Whop

Still tempted by the world of food delivery? All in all, then, how much money you stand to make as a DoorDash driver is likely to depend largely on where you live. If you aren’t based in the ‘right’ area, there’s a shrewd alternative strategy to food delivery: going into ecommerce.

You could launch your online shop right here on Whop — and wouldn’t even have to spend any money upfront. Depending on how exactly people discover your whop, you will be able to keep as much as 97% of the revenue you raise from it.

It’s possible to sell a vast range of digital solutions on Whop — all while indulging a love of good food. Here are just a few examples of activities you could consider engaging in on the platform…

• Run courses teaching how to cook.
• Publish eBooks packed with recipes for sweet treats.
• Coach people on how the right food can complement their fitness regimen.

As long as you can connect to a customer online, you can provide them with digital products and services from your whop. 

Get started today. Sign up in under 10 minutes and start selling on Whop, where all the ecommerce tools you need are ready for you in one place.