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When Does DoorDash Pay You? (Tips to Get Paid Fast!)

Don't Work Another Day is reader-supported. We may receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own.
  By Forrest McCall | Last Updated:  March 29, 2022

If you're a Doordash driver, you might be wondering when you get paid.

If you've been working all week, the last thing you want to think about is when you'll get paid for your work.

Doordash is a great app that pays you to drive and a simple way to make money with a truck or car.

In this post, I'll explore when Doordash drivers get paid, how to speed up your payment, and much more. Let's get started!

When Does Doordash Pay You

So, When Does DoorDash Pay You?

DoorDash pays its drivers every Monday, using the direct deposit system most drivers choose. Dasher earnings are paid via Direct deposit, and go directly into the drivers' bank accounts.

Doordash drivers who choose DoorDash Fast Pay can get their Fast Pay funds once per day, and DasherDirect users get instant pay.

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Direct Deposit vs. Fast Pay

You can access your DoorDash earnings in two different ways.

The first is to receive a direct deposit directly into your bank account. The second is to take advantage of DoorDash Fast Pay.

Let’s talk a little bit closer look at each payment method.

In most cases, DoorDash drivers are paid weekly via a direct deposit. The pay period runs from Monday to Sunday of the previous week.

To get paid, you'll first need to open the Dasher app, and set up your direct deposit options, and provide information like your driver's license number.

Your weekly direct deposit will be issued on Monday, and is normally available at 6:30 AM on the day your bank accepts the payment. Keep in mind that this will depend on how quickly your bank processes incoming payments.

In some cases, this can take a few business days. But in most cases, your direct deposit from the previous week should arrive by Tuesday.

If you want to get paid right away, you can switch to Fast Pay.

With Fast Pay, you can request an immediate withdrawal of all your DoorDash pay, up to once per day. This allows you to get paid immediately if you need to cover emergency expenses.

That said, there are a couple of limitations to Fast Pay. To begin with, you need to have 25 deliveries completed during the past week.

You'll also have to pay a small fee of $1.99 per DoorDash Fast Pay withdrawal. Finally, you'll have to provide a debit card number.

The debit card is necessary because a traditional direct deposit can take days to hit your bank account. With a card, you'll get your DoorDash pay in a matter of minutes rather than days.

One other alternative is DasherDirect. This is a prepaid card that's associated with its own bank account.

With this option, dashers get paid instantaneously, as soon as the order is complete.

Related Resources:

Make Extra Money with Doordash

How Much Does DoorDash Pay Drivers?

If you come to the question of DoorDash driver pay wondering how much it is, you're not alone. Thankfully DoorDash pay is pretty easy to understand.

DoorDash pay is calculated based on a variety of factors.

The bulk of driver pay comes from the base pay, which is calculated based on the distance, estimated time, and the type of neighborhood.

Deliveries to less popular areas tend to come with more base pay, and come with additional perks. As a DoorDash delivery driver, you'll need to choose the right deliveries if you want to earn more money.

This could mean driving to an out-of-the-way area, or going to a busy downtown area during rush hour.

In fact, DoorDash pays “peak pay” during high-demand times.

For example, you'll earn a significant premium for delivering pizza and subs on Super Bowl Sunday. On major holidays, this peak pay bonus can be as high as $12.

To put that in perspective, for most deliveries, base pay ranges from $2 to $10, although that's just a ballpark figure.

One important thing to remember is that each individual DoorDash driver is an independent contractor.

As contractors, DoorDash couriers are not directly employed by DoorDash. While DoorDash pays its drivers for their work, they're technically self-employed.

This means you only get paid when you deliver food, and DoorDash does not pay drivers an hourly wage or provide any employer benefits like health insurance.

It's also important to remember is that DoorDash does not reimburse delivery drivers for fuel costs, mileage, or any other driving-related expenses.

When you look at your monthly income from your Dasher pay, keep in mind that these expenses are coming out of your own pocket. This is going to affect your actual earnings.

Then again, as an independent contractor, your gas and mileage will be tax-deductible.

When you're working for any food order delivery service, always hang on to your receipts. They can be a big help come tax time.

There's a myth that DoorDash pays a minimum of $10 per hour to DoorDash drivers.

This is not true.

However, they do guarantee that Dashers get paid a minimum of $5 per completed delivery. This means that if the base pay is under $5 and you receive no tip, DoorDash will make up the difference.

What DoorDash does not do is guarantee any minimum hourly pay. If you have no deliveries completed, even if there are none available to accept, you won't get paid.

If you're looking to boost your Doordash driver pay, be sure to check out some of these hacks to make more money with Doordash!

Doordash Tips

Will I Get Paid More Money For Working at Night?

Like most food delivery services, like Uber Eats, DoorDash pay is designed to encourage drivers to meet the current level of demand.

You'll make extra money working during periods of peak demand, thanks to DoorDash's “peak pay” program.

When demand for drivers is very high, Dashers get paid an additional DoorDash payment called a peak charge, which can be even higher than the base pay.

For this reason, food delivery payments tend to be highest during mealtime, particularly lunch and dinner. When all the restaurants are closed, all you'll see are a handful of late night grocery deliveries.

This means that depending on where you live, your DoorDash pay may be higher at night, or it might not be.

Driving late at night might not be the best way to maximize earnings. That said, one of the most common reasons people become a DoorDash driver is because of the flexible schedule.

If night time is the only time you can drive, go for it! It will at least mean a few extra dollars in your bank account.

How Does DoorDash Fast Pay Work?

To be eligible for Fast Pay, you'll first need to have 25 deliveries completed during your career as a DoorDash delivery driver. You also have to have been driving for them for at least two weeks.

At that point, you can go into the DoorDash app and add a debit card as a payment method, along with any other requested details.

This allows for you to get paid faster, in just a few minutes, as opposed to waiting days for a direct deposit to your bank account.

When you use Fast Pay, you can withdraw all the money you've earned. Funds are available to withdraw as soon as a delivery is complete, and you can withdraw them up to once a day.

For example, if you earned $50 yesterday and $40 today, you could withdraw $90.

But if you make more deliveries later and earn another $25, those funds won't be available until tomorrow.

Should I Use Fast Pay?

Keep in mind that DoorDash charges a flat fee of $1.99 for every Fast Pay withdrawal.

If you're only withdrawing small amounts, or you're doing it all the time, this can add up. You'll get paid faster, but you'll save money by taking your pay weekly whenever possible.

Then again, if you have to pay for an emergency, it can be worth taking a penalty on your DoorDash transfers.

It's certainly better than doing something drastic like visiting payday loan companies.

How Do I Set Up Direct Deposit?

Most food delivery companies pay their drivers weekly, and DoorDash pays their employees the same way.

For this to work, you'll first need to enter your information via the Dasher app.

To start with, navigate to the Earnings tab.

Next, touch the red symbol at the top right. This will take you to a screen where you enter all your bank account information. Make sure to have the following info handy:

  • Your legal name, as it appears on your checks or bank card

  • Your Social Security number

  • Your bank account number

  • Your routing number

Once you've filled everything out, click the Submit button, and you'll be all ready to collect the money you earn as a DoorDash delivery driver.

How Do DoorDash Tips Work?

Customers can add a tip to their order at two different stages. First off, they can add a tip when they place the order. This is similar to how many delivery companies, like Uber Eats, handle tipping.

However, DoorDash customers can also add a tip after the order.

Not only that, DoorDash pays you 100% of the money you've earned in tips.

This can significantly increase your hourly pay.

What Is the Top Dasher Program?

The top performing drivers are eligible for a special program that gives them access to special perks. Your pay is calculated the same way, but you get to choose from a wider variety of delivery options.

For most people, there will be areas on the map that are greyed out. These are areas where there's minimal demand, and there are already enough drivers to handle it.

As a Top Dasher, you'll have access to local restaurants and shops in that area. Keep in mind that pay will still be better in the red, high-demand areas. But if you prefer to be close to home, you'll definitely appreciate this feature.

DoorDash pays an extra bonus to Top Dashers in the form of rewards. To see how many rewards you've earned, you can navigate to the Account section of the app, and click “Dasher Rewards.”

How Do I Qualify For the Top Dasher Program?

Because this program is designed to rewards the hardest-working Dashers, you'll need to meet certain criteria.

To begin with, it depends on how many deliveries you complete. To qualify for any given month, you'll need to have at least 100 completed deliveries during the previous month.

You also need to have completed at least 200 total deliveries since becoming a DoorDash driver.

In addition, you'll need to meet the following performance criteria:

  • Minimum of 70% acceptance rate

  • Minimum of 95% completion rate

  • Minimum customer service rating of 4.7

Eligibility is determined on the first of the month, based on the last month's performance.

If you qualify, you'll earn rewards and get your perks for the entire month!

Will DoorDash Hold My First Paycheck?

There's a popular misconception that DoorDash will hold your first paycheck.

Remember, you're not actually working for DoorDash; you're working for yourself. As with all delivery apps, you're entitled to receive your earnings in a reasonable time frame.

Final Thoughts on When Does Doordash Pay You

DoorDash pays most of its drivers on a weekly basis, via direct deposit for the previous week of work. That said, most drivers are able to opt in to Fast Pay, and you can even receive instant payments to a prepaid card.

How much DoorDash pays is entirely up to you. The more deliveries you complete and the happier your customers are, the more you'll get paid.

When compared to other food delivery service options, Doordash offers slightly higher pay after tips.

Forrest is a personal finance, entrepreneurship, and investing expert dedicated to helping others obtain life long wealth. He has a Bachelor's degree in business and has been featured in many popular publications including Forbes, Business Insider, Bankrate, CNET Money, and many others. To learn more about Forrest, visit the About Us Page for more info.
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