How does Doordash work – explained

This Doordash app makes the lives of restaurant owners a whole lot easier when it comes to delivery service. Doordash is a food delivery service that collaborates with restaurants to deliver food to businesses and homes.

Not only does it benefit restaurants but the users as well. It allows users to search for restaurants and order food while giving restaurants a chance to extend their customer base.

How exactly does DoorDash work?

Photo Credit: Doordash.com

Doordash works with restaurants and sends them menu prices while taking charge of service and delivery fees on their own. Currently, Doordash operates in a lot of cities working with fast food chains and restaurants, serving local food all across the US.

Since its launch in 2013, Doordash has received enough funding from investors, and plenty of popular restaurants in the USA have been partnering with Doordash. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to venture into a similar startup business, here’s how Doordash does the job.

1. Selecting order

You can choose your preferred food by pressing a button that will show you the list of restaurants nearby. It comes with a list of set menus on your Doordash app. Another bonus of this app is its search feature, choosing based on categories and the nearby local restaurants. These features help a lot in sorting out where to get your favorite food.

2. Your payment

After placing your orders, you’ll have to finish the required transactions. It’s quite convenient as you can pay using your debit card or credit card or with mobile payment services such as Cash App. Once Doordash receives your order, it sends the details to the designated restaurant, prepared and hauled for delivery.

3. Monitoring your order

Doordash has a system that allows them to track the food location to give you an accurate delivery time their best The delivery person will then pick up your food order from the restaurant. There’s also mobile phone software for Doordash drivers that enables them to accept orders if they have available time.

4. Food delivery

Doordashers’ delivery drivers do their best to shorten the estimated delivery time as it’s more practical for them to get as many orders as possible. Some Doordash users tip the drivers, although it’s not necessary to. The drivers can keep the whole trip for themselves.

When it comes to the organized system Doordash uses, the only difference with other apps is that they use their delivery drivers. These freelance delivery drivers are called Dashers and get paid a base pay from Doordash and tips from customers. It’s also the dasher’s choice if they want to work full-time or part-time.

How these segments benefit from Doordash

For the restaurant owners: Doordash gives them detailed information, including their delivery service options. Doordash offers Storefront, letting customers order even from the restaurant’s website and not just the mobile app. Another option is the DoorDash Drive which is designed for bulk orders like catering platters. Doordash also lets restaurants use their app exclusively for all deliveries.

For customers: This food delivery app makes it pretty accessible for you to satisfy your food cravings. By using the Doordash website or their mobile app, you’ll be able to search for nearby restaurants and browse their menu. Once there is a designated dasher to pick up and deliver your order, you can already track the order as soon as the driver picks it up.

How much do Doordash drivers make?

Dashers or the Doordash delivery drivers have their system of how they earn. Aside from the 100% tips, each dasher earns more than $22 per hour, including tips. The base pay of $2 to $10 is provided per order.

According to Mike Hayes, a dasher from Oregon, he earns $800 per week working for 45 hours on a lucky week. But if there’s much downtime, he makes around $200-$300. Whether you’re interested in being a dasher or you’re just curious about their base pay generation model works, here’s the detailed structure of how dashers earn from this app.

Base pay

This is Doordash’s base contribution for every Doordash order. It ranges from $2-$10, and it depends on the estimated time of travel, distance, and order desirability. Dashers who travel longer distances are commissioned with higher base pay as they will take more time. The customer tip amount doesn’t affect the base pay.

Promotions

These are additional pay once orders meet certain status, thus giving the Dashers a chance to earn more. The conditions to be met are as follows:

• Challenges – This wasn’t operational yet and will be in the coming months. Challenge bonuses, including other incentives, will give active Dashers better rewards. This will also help the Dashers meet specific goal earnings weekly.
• Peak Pay – This applies when it’s a busy time. Dashers can earn extra money by accepting orders during peak hours. When a Dasher is qualified for peak pay, it will be added to their total earnings.
• Drive – For bulk orders on groceries, Dashers can earn a large order fee. They will earn additional and on-time pay for Drive orders.

Tips

Dashers are entitled to a customer’s tip. Customers can give a tip after they check out or once the order process is completed. Dashers can get 100% of all the tips on top of the base pay and promotions.

The tip amount is not a basis for the base pay. Say, for example, a customer left a $3 tip, the Dasher will earn $3.

Doordash FAQs

How do Doordash drivers pay for food?

A prepaid card loaded with funds was given to Dashers which they use for every purchase. There are also some instances where Doordash has an account with the restaurant. In this case, the restaurant directly deposits the payment to Doordash.

Are you supposed to tip Doordash?

Customers are not required to give tips, but given their service efforts to deliver your orders, a little amount for tips won’t hurt. If you’re in doubt if you’ll get the kind of service you’re expecting, you can always tip Dashers in cash when they deliver your orders. There’s no regulation for drivers that they can receive cash through the Doordash app. A cash tip is viable and more practical for the dashers.

Is Doordash better than Uber?

Both food delivery apps have great offers. Uber eats edges over its simplicity and user-friendly features. Doordash has better and flexible features, plus they have fewer delivery vehicle qualifications and restrictions. If you’re applying as a delivery driver, Doordash wins.

Do Doordash drivers see how much you tip?

Doordash won’t know how much tip you give the drivers. Using the app or website will give you two options for the driver’s tip. You can either tip them before checking out your order online, or you can hand them cash upon delivery.

Key Takeaway

Doordash is a very useful app that is continuing to evolve with promising added features. You can download the app easily on your mobile phone or any gadget to order food from your local restaurants.

Currently, Doordash is solely focused on food delivery, but as fast as the technology evolves, it might expand to other spaces, such as meal kit delivery services, given the time.

Disclaimer: This article is not the official guide to the Doordash process but is based on the author’s research or personal experience.