How to become a Doordash Driver: Complete Dasher Guide

Nowadays there are hundreds of driving gig jobs to pick between for a full-time or part-time job. This guide is designed to help anyone looking to make money delivering for DoorDash. With sign-up details as well as tips on how to maximize earnings as a delivery driver for DoorDash.

What is Doordash?

Doordash is a food delivery company that is available in over 4,000 cities in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Doordash connects people with local restaurants and offers a delivery service for restaurants that do not otherwise do so. Millions of people worldwide use Doordash to deliver all kinds of cuisine directly to their homes. 

How does Doordash work?

Doordash connects drivers to orders that were placed in their local area. Working for Doordash is relatively simple, there is no requirement for experience as a driver. DoorDash drivers, or Dashers, earn money by utilizing their phones and personal vehicles to deliver food to locals.

What does a Doordash Driver Do?

Dashers decide when they want to work by simply turning on their Dasher mobile application. From there they are connected to restaurants to pick up food. Once the food is picked up, Dashers are responsible for delivering food to customers. 

Where Can you Deliver for Doordash?

Doordash is available in the United States, Canada, and Australia. In the United States alone, Doordash is available to over 4,000 cities in all 50 states including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Some of their major U.S. cities include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and San Diego. Doordash also delivers food in over 80 cities in Canada including Torotono, Vancouver, and Montreal. While in Australia, Doordash is continuing to expand but caters to Sydney and Melbourne. 

Doordash Requirements

Doordash Driver & Delivery Partners Requirements

To begin working with DoorDash, a few requirements need to be met. The requirements include:

  1. Age 18 or older
  2. Mode of transportation: car, scooter, or bicycle (in select cities)
  3. Driver’s license number
  4. Social security number (only in United States)
  5. Consent to background check

DoorDash Vehicle Requirements

A mode of transportation is required in order to work as a DoorDash driver. Acceptable modes of transportation are bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, and cars.  If you have a vehicle, it is important to note that you have to be insured. 

How to work for Doordash: Step by Step Guide for “Dashers”

The steps to becoming a DoorDash are:

STEP 1: Sign Up

  1. Sign up to start working as a DoorDash driver here
  2. If DoorDash is looking for drivers in your area you will be prompted to continue, however, if there is a surplus of drivers then you will not be able to sign up and DoorDash will instead place you on a waiting list. 
doordash driver sign up

STEP 2: Mode of Transportation Details

  1.  If there is availability in your city you will then fill out your mode of transportation (car, bicycle, or motorcycle), driver’s license state, and driver’s license number
  2. You will also need insurance for your vehicle

STEP 3: Background Check Consent

  1. Next you will be prompted to consent for a background check thus you must provide your birthdate and Social Security Number

STEP 4: Get Activation Kit

  1. Lastly, you will provide your address for an activation kit to be sent to your home once you have passed the background check which gives instructions on how to get started
  2. After completing the W-9 form, an Activation Confirmation page will appear confirming your request was successful.
  3. You will receive an email with tracking information for your Activation Kit’s delivery status which will take 1 -4 business days. 

STEP 5: Attend Orientation (in person or online)

Depending on where you live, your DoorDash orientation may be in person at an office or online

Types of Orientations:

  1. Scheduled Orientation: Choose an office and sign up for a specific orientation session.
  2. Open Orientation – choose an office and go to the office during the hours which orientation sessions are offered.  If you go to an in person orientation, you will need:
  • Your smartphone (fully charged) for downloading the Dasher app.
  • Driver’s License (or government issued ID)
  • A credit/debit card if you would like to purchase Dasher gear.

3. Request an Activation Kit to be mailed to you so completing orientation in-person is no longer necessary.

  • If the Activation Kit is the only orientation option available to you, then in-person orientation sessions are not offered in your city at this time.
  • After all of this, you will set up your red card (DoorDash credit card) to be able to pay for deliveries so that you can begin working as a DoorDash driver.

DoorDash Driver Support

The best way to receive help from DoorDash as a DoorDash driver is through their support center.

 

Doordash Alternatives

Doordash is not the only food delivery service that is available worldwide. Other alternatives include companies such as Postmates, Grubhub, UberEats or Shipt. These companies are well known worldwide, however, many countries have specific food delivery services such as Foodora which is a Germany based company or Glovo which was established in Spain. There are many other delivery service companies that deliver other goods not only food as well such Amazon Flex.

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Summary

DoorDash is a great company to utilize as an extra or main source of income. Signing up for DoorDash is relatively easy and once approved starting is easy. When beginning to work, it is important to pay attention to peak hours within your city, promotions offered by DoorDash, as well as how to serve your customers best. Along with this, keeping track of your expenses and learning how to best gauge which orders are profitable and declining those that are not is a great way to maximize your earnings.