How to Make Extra Money Delivering Part Time

Make Money Delivering Part Time

There are a ton of differerent delivery platforms in the sharing economy and gig workers are cashing in on some of the profits.  Today we are going to talk about how to make money delivering goods.

The delivery market in the U.S. is valued at over $26 billion and is expected to reach 46 billion by 2028!

Specific to food delivery, Americans spend approximately $9 billion a year on take-out.

Many sharing economy platforms are tapping into this market by introducing smart technology to deliveries. This in turn is empowering micro-entrepreneurs like you to make side income.

If you are making regular trips on a daily basis or have spare time, why not become a deliverer?

There are currently 250 million vehicles on the road on any given day, with more than 1 billion square feet of cargo space that is unused. Sharing economy shipping services are tapping into this unused asset. You can too.

“Fact: 1 billion sq ft of unused vehicle space on daily basis – Sharing economy is monetizing this. You can too.”

 

What Makes A Good Sharing Economy Deliverer?
Over and over, we hear the same two pieces of advice from the Casual Capitalist Community about the delivery space. First, confirm your deliveries within 2 minutes via smartphone. And lastly, always hang out in the busiest areas of your city.

Colin, for instance, is new to the Casual Capitalist Community. But Colin is a veteran deliverer, and platform stacks with both Instacart and Postmates. Colin works 3 hours a day delivering for both platforms during his spare time.

Colin hangs out at his favorite downtown San Fransisco coffee shop working on his ebook business. When Colin wants a break, or during peak hours, he turns on his apps and waits for delivery requests. Colin has the flexibility to accept or deny any delivery request if something else comes up. Colin makes a cool $1,300 a month from his Monday-Friday 3-hour side job as a deliverer.

Research and common sense dictates that deliverers who are on top of checking their smartphone on a regular basis earn more money.

According to Colin, it’s a good practice to remain proactive as a deliverer. Remind customers about where you are and the status of their delivery. This can help you get a 5-star rating on the various delivery platforms.

When you pick something up, make sure you double check that all the items are included. This way, you’re never stuck when you get to someone’s house and the order is incomplete.

Many in the Casual Capitalist Community say that they ask the store to double check the goods in front of them. Tell people that you make it a practice of doing this. You can say that although the delivery is going to be complete, the person ordering asked to double-check.

 

When Is The Best Time To Work As A Deliverer?
According to studies, the best times to take deliveries is between 10:30am and 3pm, as well as 5pm and 10pm. These times are when delivery volume is at its highest.

So what are the best delivery platforms out there? There are dozens. Below is a selection of what the Casual Capitalist Community has experience with.

 

1. Postmates: Postmates is a sharing economy delivery service where U.S. deliverers earn up to $25 an hour. Postmates operates in 40 U.S. markets, overseeing 18,000 independent contractors who work as couriers.

Anyone needing a shipment is matched with the Postmates courier. This courier will then travel to the restaurant or store, buy the product, and deliver it to the buyer.

One of the benefits of delivering for Postmates is that they don’t require a certain year or make for your vehicle. Where other platforms have specific vehicle requirements, Postmates allows you to drive the vehicle you choose.

Want to double dip as a ride-sharer and deliverer? Postmates reports that 25% of their couriers drive for other sharing economy services, including Uber and Lyft.

The most interesting aspect to Postmates is their credit card. Postmates will provide couriers with a card that acts just like a credit card. This is used to pay for whatever you pick up.

 

2. Instacart: Another popular U.S. platform is Instacart, which operates in almost every major city. Instacart has become so popular that Target has partnered with them to provide grocery delivery to Target customers.

Instacart currently works with over 4,000 personal shoppers around the U.S.

In the delivery space, Instacart is one of the biggest. Consider that Instacart is currently valued at $2 billion. Or, that in 2015 Forbes declared Instacart to be the #1 company on Forbes Americas Most Promising Companies list.

Much like other sharing economy platforms, workers for Instacart are classified as independent contractors. In June 2015 however, Instacart has given the option to couriers in certain locations to become part-time employees.

 

3. DoorDash: DoorDash is an on-demand delivery service that promises food delivery within an hour. DoorDash operates in over 250 U.S. cities.

A deliverer, or ‘DoorDasher’, can make up to $25 an hour delivering for DoorDash.

DoorDashers make money through deliveries as well as tips. According to many Casual Capitalists, they enjoy working with DoorDash because it affords them flexibility. They can turn on the app if they have a spare hour or two. Or not. It’s up to them.

What is required for the DoorDash job? You must be at least 18 years old and own a smartphone. You can use any type of car for deliveries. You can also use motorcycles, scooters, bikes, or even walk to deliver.

DoorDash provides DoorDashers with $1 million of insurance liability. This is common among all delivery platforms.

DoorDash also gives DoorDashers a t-shirt that can help them skip lines at many restaurants who know the DoorDash service.

According to DoorDash, 1 in 3 households in the San Francisco Bay Area have ordered food through DoorDash.

 

4. Uber: This sharing economy behemoth has even entered this space with UberRUSH. UberRUSH is currently available in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, and is expanding to other markets.

If you’re already an Uber driver, you might as well join UberRUSH. With UberRUSH, you can drive your own vehicle or even ride a bike.

To become a deliverer for Uber, you need to be at least 19 years old and able to lift 50 pounds. You also must have a valid driver’s license, insurance, vehicle registration, and have at least 1 year of driving experience.

For biking, the requirements are less. You need to be 19 years of age and be able to lift 30 pounds.

 

There you go folks, five solid options for earning income in the sharing economy delivery space. All of these services will pay you between $15-$40 an hour to deliver goods.

Do you already drive with Uber or Lyft? Do you have spare chunks of time you want to monetize? Does making $60 in 3 hours sound appealing to you? Just like Colin, you can easily make money by delivering goods when it’s convenient for you. Sign me up (wait…I already am).