What Is Postmates?

Postmates is a delivery service that was recently acquired by Uber, although it still maintains its own branding. As a result of the acquisition, when you click on the “Sign up to deliver” link on the Postmates website, you will be redirected to the sign-up page for Uber Eats.

                By                    Katy Hebebrand

  • About Postmates

  • What It’s Best For

  • How Much Drivers Make

  • Maximizing Earnings

  • Competitors

  • Flexibility

  • 5.0

  • Earning Potential

  • 4.0

  • Support Options

  • 4.0

  • Ease of Use

  • 5.0

Pros

  • Great flexibility
  • High demand for delivery drivers
  • Bonus earnings possible

Cons

  • Learning curve for success
  • Must calculate and pay taxes on your own as an independent contractor

Additionally, the Postmates Fleet platform for delivery drivers is no longer available, according to Ridester. Postmates drivers now do everything via the Uber Eats app. Read on to find out what driving for Postmates under the Uber Eats umbrella is like.

What Is Postmates Best For?

Postmates offers drivers the following advantages:

  • Flexibility: Postmates allows you to log in and out as you want to accept deliveries. There are no expectations for you to work a certain number of hours each month.
  • Earning potential: You’ll be able to see how much you’ll get paid for each order before accepting, and you get to keep 100% of any tips you receive.
  • Support options: You can get assistance via live chat through the Uber Eats app, via email or by calling.
  • Ease of use: The app is intuitive and easy to use for claiming orders and making deliveries.

How Much Do Postmates Drivers Actually Make?

According to data from Glassdoor, Postmates drivers make $18 per hour base pay.

Your earnings with Postmates are calculated by adding the following:

  • Trip fares
  • Tips
  • Fees, such as cancellation fees or split-fare fees
  • Special promotions
  • Referral rewards, when available
  • Rider toll reimbursements

Note that the following subscriptions, fees and payments are subtracted from driver earnings:

  • Device subscriptions, if applicable
  • Payments to third parties that you authorize
  • Vehicle leasing fees, if applicable

You can also earn money by referring other drivers. Earning a referral bonus depends on how many trips your referral completes and other conditions.

Filing Taxes

Postmates drivers are independent contractors. This means you are responsible for claiming your earnings and paying taxes when you file each year.

Postmates drivers who earn $600 or more in a single year receive a Form 1099-MISC from the IRS. This form reports your earnings from the company.

If you earn less than $600 in a single year with Postmates, you won’t receive a Form 1099-MISC. However, it is still your responsibility to know how much you earned and claim the amount when filing your taxes. If you’re not sure how much you made, you can look through your weekly payouts to add up the correct amount.

Pro Tips To Maximize Your Earnings

Postmates has peak hours when delivery requests are at the highest. If you’re available to work during these hours, you have a greater chance of earning more money. Its busiest times are:

  • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day
  • 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day
  • When it’s raining, delivery requests tend to increase.
  • Boost: If there is an unexpected demand for deliveries, Postmates may offer increased earning opportunities to encourage drivers to work.

Stack Orders

If you see several orders in a nearby area, claim each one. You may be able to claim one order that is still being prepared at a restaurant and then pick up another customer’s order as you wait. Time is money, so the more orders you can fit into a small time frame, the more you’ll make.

Communicate With Your Customers

When you think about earning tips, consider what factors help you serve the customer. Text them when you arrive at the restaurant or store to pick up their order. Double-check that the order is correct and then let them know you’re on the way. If it’s a contactless order that you leave on the porch, text them one last time to let them know you’re dropping it off.

Comparing Postmates to the Competition

Here’s how Postmates stacks up against competitors.

Postmates vs. DoorDash

These two delivery services are very similar. Both have peak times and offer similar base pay. But DoorDash averages a bit higher pay, according to Glassdoor data. Also, you might find it easier to drive with DoorDash, since it has a wider footprint than Postmates.

Postmates vs. Grubhub

Both Postmates and Grubhub have the same options for payment — weekly pay or instant cashouts. However, Grubhub has stricter requirements for its drivers — for example, you have to have an iPhone with iOS 11 or higher or an Android phone with 5.0 or higher, and you must have a data plan.

Is It Worth Driving for Postmates?

The short answer is: it depends. You’re putting wear and tear on your car by driving it around, so you have to set aside money for car maintenance. Services like Postmates may be right for you if you’re efficient with your time, know your way around town and offer good customer service. Other expenses to keep in mind include:

  • Monthly car payment or lease payment
  • Delivery insurance — check to see if your auto insurance company offers an add-on for your policy
  • Cellphone for the driver app and navigation around town
  • Gas
  • Parking fees
  • Tolls

Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting for this article.

Delivery Side Gigs

How Much They Pay

  • How Much Do Grubhub Drivers Make?
  • How Much Do Lyft Drivers Make?
  • How Much Do Shipt Drivers Make?
  • How Much Do Uber Eats Drivers Make?

Reviews

Comparison

  • DoorDash vs. Uber Eats

  • Postmates vs. DoorDash

  • Is Postmates better than DoorDash?

  • That all depends on where you are working as a delivery driver. Glassdoor does list average pay for DoorDash drivers a bit higher than Postmates drivers at $19 per hour versus $18 per hour.

  • Is Postmates the same as Uber Eats?

  • Postmates was acquired by Uber, but Postmates retained its own branding on the customer end, which means that customers can still order via the Postmates app. However, they may find that there are quite a few similarities between the Postmates and Uber Eats app, including many of the same restaurants.

  • As a contractor, you cannot sign up to work with Postmates. Instead you must sign up to work with Uber Eats and complete its hiring process.

  • How do I get paid?

  • The weekly payment cycle is from 4 a.m. Monday to 3:59 a.m. on the following Monday. Earnings are processed on Wednesday and deposited in your bank account on Thursday.

  • Depending on your bank’s processing time, however, earnings deposits could be delayed until Friday. You can also opt for instant cashout up to five times per day for 50 cents per cashout with your debit card and no fees if you use the Uber debit card from GoBank.

  • That all depends on where you are working as a delivery driver. Glassdoor does list average pay for DoorDash drivers a bit higher than Postmates drivers at $19 per hour versus $18 per hour.

  • Postmates was acquired by Uber, but Postmates retained its own branding on the customer end, which means that customers can still order via the Postmates app. However, they may find that there are quite a few similarities between the Postmates and Uber Eats app, including many of the same restaurants.

  • As a contractor, you cannot sign up to work with Postmates. Instead you must sign up to work with Uber Eats and complete its hiring process.

  • The weekly payment cycle is from 4 a.m. Monday to 3:59 a.m. on the following Monday. Earnings are processed on Wednesday and deposited in your bank account on Thursday.

  • Depending on your bank’s processing time, however, earnings deposits could be delayed until Friday. You can also opt for instant cashout up to five times per day for 50 cents per cashout with your debit card and no fees if you use the Uber debit card from GoBank.

Information is accurate as of Nov. 10, 2022.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

  • Ridester. 2022.
  • “Uber Buys Postmates: What This Means For Riders And Drivers.”
  • Ridester. 2022.
  • “Postmates Fleet App No Longer Available: Use This Instead.”
  • Glassdoor. 2022.
  • “Postmates Delivery Driver Hourly Pay.”
  • Glassdoor. 2022.
  • “DoorDash Delivery Driver Hourly Pay.”