Can a Doordash driver multi-app?

When an individual first gets involved in the food delivery industry, there is a first company that they begin working for. For a lot of people, Doordash is the first. They'll start making deliveries for Doordash, but they'll soon discover that there are other similar food delivery apps out there.

They'll apply with these other companies, and all of a sudden they are contracted with three or four different food delivery providers. All of these apps will be on their phone, and they'll feel good that they can work for anyone they want, but which one will they give most of their time to?

What does it mean to multiapp?

To multiapp is to work for multiple food delivery companies at the same time. Many Doordash drivers will find that turning on all of their apps at the same time will reduce down time. They will figure out that by having all of their apps on at once, there is a better chance of them continually being busy and making money. There shouldn't be any time wasted sitting around waiting for an order! They will also be able to utilize the better paying offers while declining the not so good paying offers.

Should a Doordash driver multiapp?

All gig workers are out there to make money, and they will do whatever it takes to make the most amount of money in the littlest amount of time possible. A dasher will eventually discover that by turning on their Uber Eats, Grubhub or other apps, they'll be flooded with more delivery opportunities; which possibly means more money in their pocket.

Now, is it wise for a dasher to multiapp? It depends. If an individual can handle multiapping, then by all means they should. I would,'t advise anybody that's new to food delivery to do so. Why? Because they will get confused and will most likely build a poor track record with the companies they are delivering for; more on that later.

Different methods of multiapping?

There are a few different methods when multiapping. One is a safe method while the other method can be a bit more risky. The first method, which is the safe method, is to turn on all of your apps at the same time. When you receive an offer from one of them that you want to accept, go on ahead and do so. Then, turn off all of your other apps so you don't receive any offers from them. As soon as you are about to make your delivery, go on ahead and turn all the apps back on again. This will always create a good chance of you always being busy.

The second method, the more risky method, is to take on multiple calls from different companies at the same time. For example, you may receive and accept a Jack in the Box order for Doordash that is going 2 miles south on Main St. While waiting for the order, you may receive a GrubHub order for Subway, which is in the same parking lot as Jack in the Box. The delivery is going to same way. It is 3 miles south on Main St. So, you decide to accept it and are now making two different deliveries for two different companies.

Why is method two dangerous? Well, you never know what can go wrong with an order. In the example just used, what if the GrubHub Subway order gives you problems such as having to wait 20 minutes. This will delay the Doordash Jack in the Box order, and the customer may see you at Subway wondering what the heck you are doing there. They may start texting you or even call up Doordash and complain. This is just one example of something going wrong. Trust me when I say that there are plenty of things that can go wrong.

Advice on multiapping?

If someone decides to go with method one while multiapping, it is quite safe and there really shouldn't be any problems. Those taking on method two will want to make sure that they know their area very well. They should know all of the restaurants well and know how to navigate around the neighborhood.

I would personally never multiapp using method number two if I didn't know an area well. When a dasher knows their area like the back of their hand, taking on two or more orders at the same time from the different food delivery apps is easy. The dasher will not be tempted or confused as to when they should deny an order. They will learn to only take orders that coincide with one another.

I remember when I first began multiapping. I accepted a Doordash order and an Uber Eats order since they were both at the same restaurant. I thought they were going the same direction, but low and behold, one delivery location was going in an entirely different direction. This was bad! The second customer that I delivered to wasn't happy as it took me almost an hour to get them their food after accepting their order.

Is Doordash okay with a dasher multiapping?

Doordash, as well as all of the other food delivery companies cannot stop anybody from multiapping. Do they like it? Probably not, but they really don't have any say in the matter. As an independent contractor, you are free to run your business anyway you choose, and that means being able to contract with whoever you want.

Can Doordash deactivate me for multiapping?

No, Doordash cannot deactivate you for multiapping. But, they can deactivate you for other various issues that can arise due to you multiapping. This may be things such as not completing orders, or not completing orders in a timely fashion. If you are always late to pickups or deliveries, you will increase your chance of having your dasher account deactivated.

What it comes down to is your performance. If multiapping is causing a terrible Doordash performance, you may have issues. With that said, when multiapping, as long as you continue to provide the service that Doordash expects from you, you'll be fine. If multiapping is causing customers and Doordash a negative experience, it would probably be best for you to not multiapp.

When multiapping, a gig worker can certainly earn much more money than if they only worked one app. But, when you think about it, it is better to have that one app than to have your accounts with the various delivery apps put as risk. You never want to receive those deactivation notices because most of the time you will not get reactivated.

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Getting Prop 22 healthcare stipend from doordash

In 2020, when Prop 22 was passed in California, one of the benefits that gig workers began to receive was a healthcare stipend. This payment would be disbursed quarterly to gig workers that met the requirements. As Doordash drivers, we are all eligible for the healthcare stipend.

 

 

How do I qualify for a Doordash healthcare stipend?

You must be enrolled in an eligible healthcare plan in order to qualify for the stipend. Some of the most popular healthcare plans are from companies such as Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare and others.

Getting health insurance through "Covered California" is the easiest and most convenient way to obtain qualifying health insurance. Many dashers use a company called "Stride" that Doordash has partnered with. I have personally gotten my insurance through "Covered California," and the rates are really good. I pay $80 per month for an excellent health plan and have done so for a couple years now. Before Prop 22 came in to effect, I did not have health insurance.

How much will I receive from the Doordash healthcare stipend?

If you average 15 active hours per week for the quarter, you will receive a $638 payment. Those that average 25 active hours per week for the quarter will receive a $1,275 payment. As you can see, this will end up reimbursing you for the monthly premiums of your healthcare bills. Plus, you will have a lot of extra money in your pocket.

I always average more than 25 active hours per week. By receiving a $1,275 payment minus the $240 I pay for three months of health care coverage, I am getting an extra $1,035 every three months. This is a little over $500 per month of earnings on top of my regular earnings.

Even if a dasher is only averaging 15 hours per week, it is still well worth it. If anybody out there is putting in the active hours and not receiving the healthcare stipend from Doordash, they are making a big mistake.

When do I receive my Doordash healthcare stipend?

The deadline to submit your information each quarter is as follows. For January, February and March, the deadline to submit your information is April 15th. For April, May and June, the deadline is July 15th. For July, August and September, the deadline is October 15th. For October, November and December, the deadline is January 15th.

Your healthcare stipend from Doordash will be credited to your Doordash account just like your regular earnings and will be credited by the end of the month. For example, let's say you want to submit your information for January, February and March. The deadline is April 15th and you submit your information beforehand. You will receive your healthcare stipend from Doordash before the end of April.

If you pay attention to your emails from Doordash, you will notice that you are sent updates that show what your active hours are up to date. This information is really helpful and will let you know what track you're on as far as what your average hours are for the current quarter. You will also receive an email from Doordash letting you know that it's time to submit your healthcare information to them. Pay attention to your emails!

What do I do to receive my Doordash healthcare stipend?

When the time comes to submit your healthcare information, as already mentioned, you will receive an email from Doordash. From that email, there is a link you can click on that will take you to a page where your info can be submitted. It is really easy to do.

Are all healthcare plans accepted for the Doordash healthcare stipend?

We mentioned some of the healthcare providers earlier. Those, as well as most major healthcare providers will be accepted. To really make sure you qualify, it's best to get your healthcare from "Covered California."

Doordash does mention that certain healthcare does not qualify. This includes any plan where you are not the primary subscriber. You have to make sure that you are the primary subscriber. Not your spouse, your parents or anyone else.

Employer sponsored health care plans will not be accepted. Tricare or Promise Health Plan also will not be accepted as well as any government provided healthcare such as Medicaid, Medicare, etc.

Should I get the healthcare stipend from Doordash?

If you put in the active hours, you certainly should. There is no reason not to take advantage of the benefits that Prop 22 offers you. As a California gig worker, you are entitled to it. Again, it's more money in your pocket, and it's always nice to know that you have some form of health care coverage to stay healthy.

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Do Doordash drivers need auto insurance?

Dashers flood the streets everyday to make sure that customers promptly receive their food or other items. With that said, there's no doubt that the biggest hazard for dashers is the possibility of an on the road accident. If an unfortunate accident were to happen, a dasher will want to make sure that they are covered by their auto insurance company. But, what are the insurance requirements when driving for Doordash?

 

Do dashers need to have auto insurance?

Yes. Having auto insurance is one of the major requirements that Doordash stipulates upon hiring a dasher. By agreeing to deliver for Doordash, it is the dasher's responsibility to make sure that they have the proper and legal auto insurance. 

Will Doordash know if I have auto insurance?

Even though Doordash requires all dashers to carry auto insurance, they do not check. Doordash has never asked their drivers to provide proof of auto insurance to them. They basically take the dashers word for it.

This is unlike other similar apps that will ask for proof of auto insurance. For these companies, a driver will not be able to log on to work unless proof of insurance is furnished. Doordash drivers don't  have to worry about this. The only thing a dasher will have to provide Doordash with is a copy of their driver's license when initially hired.

What if a dasher doesn't have auto insurance?

It is never a wise idea to drive without auto insurance. This is true whether delivering for Doordash or just in your everyday life. If you are driving without auto insurance and are involved in any type of accident, whether you're at fault or not, you will likely face stiff penalties. It's even possible that you can be sued; which will dramatically impact your life. Never drive without auto insurance.

Will my auto insurance cover me if I'm working for Doordash?

It depends. If a dasher is working, but they do not actively have a call, and are involved in an accident, their auto insurance will cover them. This situation is no different than any other time the individual is driving and involved in an accident. Doordash would not be involved at all with this situation.

If a dasher is on an active call, the whole situation changes. Since the dasher was actively working, their auto insurance may not cover them. Why? They may state that the dasher did not have the proper auto insurance. What type of insurance are they talking about? Read on.

Do I need commercial insurance to deliver with Doordash?

Yes. While making deliveries with Doordash, dashers should have business commercial insurance. Why? Because you are in business for yourself, and this is one of the cost associated with business. Your risk of being involved in an accident highly increases due to the amount of time you are on the road.

You can protect yourself by letting your auto insurance company know that you do deliveries for Doordash. Most auto insurance companies will simply add this on to your insurance policy. Your bill will go up, but this is all part of being in business for yourself.

How much will your insurance go up? It all depends on your insurance company. You should expect a 15 to 20 percent increase in your monthly policy; although it may be cheaper. It would be best to talk to you insurance agent and check their requirements.

If involved in an accident, should I tell my auto insurance company that I was delivering for Doordash?

If you have the required commercial insurance that is needed when delivering for Doordash, by all means you should let your insurance company know that the accident happened while making a delivery. This is what you pay for, and your insurance company should take care of you.

If you only have your regular insurance (no commercial insurance,) you are probably not going to want to tell your insurance company that you were on an active call with Doordash. If you do, there's a great chance that they will not cover you.

Instead, you will want to report the accident to your insurance company just like you would if you were hit while driving to the supermarket. In their eyes, this would be a regular accident that they will cover.

A word of caution here. If you mention to the other driver that you are delivering for Doordash, they may mention this to either your or their insurance company. If so, you may not be covered so best to keep your mouth shut. Also, if the other driver sees Doordash hot bags or any other evidence that you are making deliveries, it may be held against you.

Should I report to Doordash that I was involved in an accident?

This would exclusively be up to the dasher. If you have the legal commercial insurance, it would be best to. If you want to possibly take advantage of Doordashs commercial insurance policy (more on that in a minute,) you will need to report the accident to Doordash.

If you feel that there is no need to let Doorash know about the accident, then you don't need to. I am not sure about how often it happens, but many dashers have reported that their dasher account has been deactivated after reporting an accident to Doordash.

I personally would not think that Doordash would do this unless the accident was the dasher's fault due to reckless driving or some other serious irresponsible driving behavior. Again, if not needed, it is probably best not to involve Doordash.

Does Doordash provide auto insurance for drivers?

Yes, but not the way you're thinking. Doordash provides a one million dollar excess commercial auto insurance policy to third parties that are involved in an accident with an active dasher. This auto insurance coverage only covers the other driver, not you the dasher. For this auto insurance to kick in, you, the dasher must be at fault and on an active delivery. If this is the case, the other driver will be covered for damages or injury.

This is great, but you, the dasher are not covered at all. This is why you need your own insurance. Another thing of interest here is that Doordashs auto insurance policy is a secondary policy. This means it is sort of a backup. You will have to go through your own insurance company first. The only way Doordsashs policy would apply is if your insurance company denied your claim.

In my opinion, Doordashs auto insurance policy is useless. If you have no insurance, nobody is going to cover you. Basically, you're screwed. If you have regular insurance (not commercial insurance,) and you report the accident to both Doordash and your insurance company, nobody is going to cover you because you didn't have the proper insurance coverage.

If you do have commercial insurance on your policy, your insurance company will cover you so there will be no use for Doordashs secondary insurance policy. In reality, in my opinion, this Doordash auto insurance policy is only there to protect Doordash from possibly being sued by a third party.

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How does California Prop 22 pay work?

In California, Doordash drivers and other gig workers are entitled to a guaranteed minimum pay of 120 percent of minimum wage for any active time they work. This began in 2020 when Prop 22 was passed in the state of California.

Under Prop 22, gig workers remained independent contractors, but they now had certain benefits that gig workers didn't have before. In this article, we are only going to talk about the pay benefit. We know that gig workers are guaranteed to receive 120 percent of minimum wage, but how exactly does that work?

 

 

How much money are Doordash drivers in California guaranteed with Prop 22?

We are going to concentrate on the money here that Doordash drivers are guaranteed for their active time. Although minimum wage in California can vary in certain sections and by the number of employees an employer has, most areas of California have a $15 minimum wage for employers with 25 or fewer employees and $15.50 for those with over 25 employees. Since Doordash has over 25 employees, I am assuming they must be going by the $15.50 minimum wage.

If you do the math, 120% of $15.50 is $18.60. So, dashers are guaranteed $18.60 for their active time while making deliveries. When you add in the $0.30 per mile (another perk of Prop 22,) we can estimate that a dasher is guaranteed about $20 per hour.

Dashers are only getting paid when they are on an active call

The guaranteed Prop 22 pay for a California dasher only happens when they are on an active call. This is what they call "Active time." There is a difference between "Dash time" and "Active time." For example, if a dasher is out working for 8 hours, but 3 of those hours are spent waiting for calls, they will have 5 active hours that they have accumulated. They will have 8 hours of "Dash time" and 5 hours of "Active time."

 

 

So how does the Prop 22 active time work for Doordash drivers in California?

I'm going to give an example call here to clearly explain how Prop 22 pay works. Let's pretend that a dasher logs on to dash at 2 pm, and he don't get a call until 2:30 pm. The offer pays $7 and from that $2 is the tip from the customer. He accepts the call at exactly 2:30 and proceeds to pick up the food and deliver it. He delivers the order at exactly 3:00 pm and slides delivered.

Without Prop 22, this dasher would receive $7 for this order, but with Prop 22 the pay may be different. As I fully explain this example we must assume that this is the only Doordash order that this dasher will do for the week. He will not complete anymore orders.

With Prop 22, this dasher will end up earning 120 percent of minimum wage for his active time; which was 30 minutes. That will come out to $10 (It's normally $20 for 1 hour of active time so 30 minutes would be $10.) He will also receive the $2 tip from the customer as tips are not counted toward the Prop 22 guaranteed pay. At the end of the week, this dasher will see a total payout of $12 for his work. On the breakdown, he will see $5 Doordash base pay, $2 tip and $5 Prop 22 pay.

Dashers Prop 22 earnings will be calculated at the end of the week

The total amount of Prop 22 earnings that a dasher earns will be calculated at the end of the pay period; which ends at midnight on Sunday night. When that time comes, Doordash will figure out how much (if any) Prop 22 pay they have to add to a dasher's earnings.

For example, let's say a dasher makes $300 for the week. $200 is Doordash base pay and $100 is from customer tips. Let's also say that it took this dasher 20 hours of active time to earn this money. With Prop 22, the dasher is guaranteed $400 ($20 per hour X 20 hours of active time.) The final pay for this dasher would be $500. He would earn $300 of Doordash pay, $100 in customer tips and $100 extra of Prop 22 pay. He gets the $100 of Prop 22 pay because he is guaranteed $400 for the week, but he only earned $300. 

 

 

Does a dasher always get Prop 22 pay?

No. Prop 22 is just there to make sure that a gig worker earns a certain minimum. If a dasher earns more than the minimum guaranteed, they will not receive any Prop 22 earnings.

For example, let's say that a dasher makes $600 for the week. $500 is Doordash pay and $100 is customer tips. The active time for this dasher to make his earnings was 20 hours. With Prop 22, his guaranteed pay was $400 ($20 per hour X 20 hours of active time.) Since this dasher earned $500 (more than the $400 guarantee) he will not receive any Prop 22 pay. His final weekly earnings will be $500 Doordash base pay plus $100 of customer tips which comes out to $600.

Prop 22 pay will change as a dasher works throughout the week

How does this happen. Let's say on Monday a dasher does 5 dashes in 3 hours of active time and earns $40 of base pay and $10 of tips for a total of $50. With the Prop 22 rules, he is deserving of $60 of Doordash base pay ($20 per hour X 3 hours of active time.) If he didn't dash for the rest of the week, his final earnings would be $40 base pay, $10 tips and $10 Prop 22 pay for a total of $60.

But, let's say that this dasher decided to work one other day during the week. On this day, he completed 10 dashes in 3 hours and earned $90 base pay and $10 of tips for a total of $100. We would have to add up this days earnings with the Monday earnings. This dasher's total would be $130 of Doordash base pay plus $20 of customer tips for a total of $150. The dashers total active time would be 6 hours. Under Prop 22 rules the minimum guaranteed earnings will be $120 ($20 per hour X 6 active time hours.) Since the dasher earned $130 base pay (which is more than the $120 minimum guarantee) he will not receive any Prop 22 earnings. His final earnings will be $130 base pay plus his $20 of tips for a total of $150.

 

 

Is it better to receive Prop 22 pay?

With Prop 22, a dasher in California is guaranteed to receive 120 percent of minimum wage. It by no means limits a dasher's ability to make more than those minimum earnings. If a dasher earns more than this minimum guarantee, it will usually be better for them. Prop 22 was set so that gig workers are not taken advantage of by earning mediocre earnings. Without Prop 22, there would be times when a dasher only earns $5 or $10 in a whole hour. If a dasher can earn more than the minimum and does not receive any Prop 22 pay, good for them.

 

 

When will a dasher know how much Prop 22 pay they get?

A dasher will not know how much their Prop 22 pay is until the end of the week. Once payments are tallied up, Doordash breaks it down for a dasher to view on their app. If a dasher wants to calculate for themselves during their workweek, they can do so by keeping track of all their calls. All it will take is a notepad and a pen. By using the formula that we explained above, the end of week results that a dasher comes up with will always be very close to Doordashs end of week calculations.

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How does Doordash figure out base pay?

To figure out a dasher's final payment for a delivery order, Doordash has to add up the base pay that they are offering for the order, the customer tip, as well as any promotions that are going on. Most of the time, there is no promotion happening, so it is basically the Doordash base pay and customer tip that makes up the final amount that a dasher will get paid to complete a particular order.

How does Doordash determine how much base pay is offered for an order?

Doordash states that they will pay $2 to $10 of base pay for each order. They also state that the amount will be based on the estimated time, the distance and desirability of the order. They lastly state that the base pay for an order will not change based on the customer's tip amount.

A longer Doordash order will have a higher base pay?

Well, according to how Doordash explains it; yes. If the travel distance is long, for example 10 miles, the base pay for that call should be a lot more than for a call that is two miles. When receiving an offer, dashers can see the amount of miles they will have to travel to make the delivery.

 

 

A longer estimated time for a Doordash order will have a higher base pay?

If Doordash estimates that an order will take long, the base pay may be more than usual. I am not sure how Doordash estimates this. It could be the information that they receive from live GPS. Maybe they can tell when an area in congested with traffic. Maybe they know that a certain merchant usually has a longer than normal wait. However they get their information, a longer estimated time should have a higher base pay for the dasher.

A less desirable Doordash order will have a larger base pay?

According to Doordash, a less desirable order will receive a higher base pay. What constitutes an undesirable order is not really explained. Apparently, it is an order that most dashers would not want to do. Could be a three mile order when a customer didn't tip. Maybe Doordash will have to increase the base pay for the order to entice a dasher to do the order.

 

 

What is the average Doordash base pay?

I personally did a little test for a couple of weeks by keeping track of the base pay on all my orders. During these two weeks, I did 130 dashes. The average base pay for all of my orders was $3. I very rarely received anything above $5. Only one of my orders had a high base pay of $7 and that delivery was six miles in total. Four of my orders were for $5, and all the rest were below that.

If another dasher were to keep track, their experience may be different. But, I'm pretty sure that they would have a similar experience. I can only speak on my experience. Maybe different regions will have different results? Who knows.

Does Doordash determine the base pay based on a customer's tip?

A lot of people think this may be the case even though Doordash clearly states that they do not. Even if Doordash did do this, it would be very difficult to prove. If they were doing this, it would be almost the same thing as them stealing tips. It would be a very sly way of thievery. I have written an an article just on this subject. Feel free to read it here.

 

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How to deal with Doordash support

As a dasher, there will eventually come a time when you have to deal with dasher support. You may find yourself in a situation where you don't know what to do. Your car may have broken down and you might have to explain to them that you can't complete the order. Or, you might just have a general question you need to ask them. There are many reasons as to why you will have to contact dasher support.

Dashers will find out that dasher support is generally not very helpful

If you have an easy question that you need answered, dasher support can indeed help you. I am talking about easy questions such as "What day do we get paid?" or "How do I get a red dasher card?" This is great, but most of these easy questions can usually be answered with a simple Google search.

I can't count the number of times when dasher support could not help me with my problem. I once couldn't start my dash and had a very difficult time with the dasher agents giving me the support and answers that I needed. If the dasher support is coming from live chat, you will be flooded with copy and paste responses. Doordash sets up their agents with these to give answers to dashers.

I  had multiple agents send me the same old copy and paste responses, and as you can imagine it became really nerve-racking. This type of thing has happened on many occasions, and the bad part is that an agent will never say "I don't know, but let me find someone else that can help you."

Dasher support agents don't want to spend too much time with you

Dasher support agents are 99 percent of the time based in other countries. The Philippines seems to be the most popular country that Doordash outsources their agent work to. Others have reported India and a few other countries, but the Philippines is by far number one.

Many of these agents are very nice people, but trust me when I say that they don't want to spend too much time with you via chat support or on the telephone. Why is that? Well, they work at a call center, and it never looks good on them when they spend too much time trying to help one person out. If their boss sees this, they are most probably going to have a word with them.

The best thing for a call agent to do is get the individual that they are helping off the line as soon as possible. This makes it seem as if they are doing a good job, and this is certainly important for the worker. It also should be noted here that our dasher agents do not work exclusively for Doordash. After hanging up or ending a chat with a dasher, their next contact may be another individual from another company.

It's not all dasher support agents fault

Trust me when I say that I am not knocking the Doordash support agents. They are doing the best they can with what they have. With that said, they don't know as much about Doordash as you think. This is why a dasher will receive so many copy and paste responses.

When they are asked a question, they scroll through their database to see what the answer to your question should be. If they can't find it, you really mess them up. Then, they will tell you that you will be contacted by email or telephone, and half the time that never happens.

What to do when dasher support can't help you

If you can't get help from an agent, the best thing to do is to contact dasher support over and over until you get somebody that can help you. You may have to do this 20 times, but eventually, you will find an agent that will help you solve your problem.

I mentioned earlier how I couldn't begin my dash and needed help. Well, all of the agents told me the same thing. Restart your phone, reinstall the app, etc. It took me about 20 agents to help me solve my problem. That last agent did something on her end, and just like that I was back on the road. None of the other Doordash agents knew what to do, but this lady did.

Never give up, and contact dasher support over and over. You will surely eventually reach an agent that is more knowledgeable than the average call center rep. It will be frustrating, but never give up!

 

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Is Doordash still stealing tips from Doordash drivers in 2023?

Doordash, the popular food delivery app that has taken the world by storm during the past 10 years, especially the past five years, has really made a name for themselves. A few years ago, they began to dominate the food delivery industry by overtaking their competitors. Doordash has the most market share in the country and did so by overtaking GrubHub for that honor.

With all of their success, how has Doordash treated their delivery drivers? Also known as dashers. Have they treated and paid them fairly. Well, if you have been working in the gig economy long enough, you know that Doordash has somewhat of a sketchy reputation.

Years ago, they were straight out caught with their hand in the cookie jar stealing dasher's tips. But, are they still stealing tips from their drivers in 2023? Before we investigate and get in to that, we have to give a brief history lesson.

 

 

The history of Doordash and its delivery drivers pay

Doordash has had a very bad reputation for the way the company has handled its drivers pay. I am going to give a rundown that goes back to 2015, when I first began dashing.

Doordash pay in 2015 - 2017

During this time, Doordash offered their delivery drivers $5 plus the customer tip. The dasher was paid $5 for every single order they did, and when the customer tipped, they would receive 100% of the customer tip on top of their $5. The way dashers got paid was very easy to understand.

It was also very easy for dashers to know who the no tippers were as any $5 order was a no tipper. If a dasher received a $8 order, they knew that the customer tipped $3. If they received a $10 order, they knew the Doordash customer tipped $5. It was very simple to understand. You knew how much the customer tipped when you received the offer.

I want to point out that there were some areas of the country where Doordash would pay $4 per order instead of $5. There was also some areas that paid $6. The vast majority of the country received $5 though.

Although this  pay structure was working fine for dashers, Doordash ended up realizing that they had a problem with it. This was especially true for the no tip orders. Doordash was losing a lot of money with these orders! They had to figure out a way where they did not lose so much money on the no tip or low tip orders.

For those that wanted to cherry-pick a bit, it was quite easy. You could easily sit back and only accept the $7 and up orders if you wanted. You could even make your requirements more if you wanted to. Most people would tip a buck or two, so there were a lot of orders that paid $7 or $8.

Doordash pay in 2017 - 2019

During the middle of 2017, Doordash came out with a new pay structure for their dashers. They promised all dashers that they would be more happy with this new pay structure as they would earn more money than before. Doordash explained how it worked and many dashers were excited.

It sounded good! Doordash said that they would introduce a base pay for each order and that dashers would still receive 100% of customer tips. This had a lot of dashers thinking that they would earn much much more than before.

Doordash introduced what they called "Guaranteed Pay." They also introduced something called "Pay Boost." These two things were supposedly very beneficial to a dasher's pay.

This is what the new pay structure looked like. Doordash stated that there would always be at least a $1 base pay for each order. It also stated that the driver will receive 100% of the customer tip. When that $1 and the customer tip was less than what you were guaranteed for the delivery "Guaranteed Pay" (what you would see when you received an offer,) Doordash would add a "Pay Boost" to make sure the dasher received the "Guaranteed Pay." When the sum of the $1 Doordash has to pay you, and the customer tip was greater than what was guaranteed, you will pocket the difference.

This sounded great. If a Doordash delivery offer had a $7 guaranteed pay, it would not matter if the customer did not tip. Doordash would pay the $1 base pay (what they had to pay,) and they would make up the rest of the guaranteed pay since the dasher did not tip. Supposedly, they were being generous and putting in that extra $6 pay boost for you.

The problem here that was later exposed was that when customers tipped, dashers would not get it as it was applied to the guaranteed pay. So, if we go back to the $7 guaranteed pay order we just talked about, and the customer tipped $5 instead of nothing. The dasher would still only receive $7. Why? Because the dasher was guaranteed $7, so that's what they will get. In this case, Doordash would only have to put in $2.

Whether the customer tipped $5 or nothing at all, the dasher would still receive $7 for the order. This upset a lot of customers that believed that their generosity tip would go to the dasher on top of their regular pay. It came to a point where some customers wondered why they should tip anything at all if it was not going to the dasher. Both customers and dashers began to feel ripped off, and they were.

 

 

 

During this time, here at Doordashdriver.blogspot.com, we were exposing the tip stealing going on by Doordash, and our readers began to take notice. Of course, it was not enough for Doordash to pay any attention as this is a small blog. If you want to read a few articles from those days and better understand how Doordash was stealing tips here is a link to a very old article back in those days. If you want to read more about it, here is another old article.

It wasn't until major outlets like NBC News and the New York Times wrote about the tactics Doordash was using to steal dasher tips that caught Doordashs attention. At first, Doordash tried to defend their deceptive tactics, but they eventually caved in. It took a lot for them to admit that they were stealing tips even though it was obvious. Here is a link of when Doordash gave in to the pressure that was on them for stealing tips.

Doordash Pay from 2019 - Present

Doordash would change their pay structure in the middle of 2019 to what we know it as today. They offered a base pay, plus any promotions, plus 100% of customer tips. Here is an article of when the change was announced.

From all of the pay structures, this one has seemed to be fair to most people, and it has lasted a very long time without any new changes. Dashers are happy to receive their base pay (which can be anywhere from $2 to $10) and the full 100% customer tip. Doordash customers are also happy to know that dashers are receiving their full tip amount.

Could Doordash still be stealing tips from dashers in 2023?

As mentioned earlier, Doordash is a company with a very sketchy past. They are very hard to trust as they have always put together complicated lingo that confuses people. Could Doordash have used confusing lingo to fool us with the current pay structure?

Let's see. Doordash says that the base pay that they offer a dasher for each order is based on the estimated time of the order, the distance of the order and the desirability of the order. That base pay will be anywhere from $2 to $10. Supposedly, their algorithm figures this out. That base pay plus the customer tip will make up the final figure of how much a dasher gets paid for the order. If there is a promotion, that will be added in too, but dashers are generally working without a promotion going on.

So, if the algorithm figures that a deliver should have a $2 base pay and the Doordash customer tips $4, the call will pay a dasher $6. The way it's explained, the dasher receives 100% of the customer's tip which is $4.

Doordash has explained how they figure out the base pay for an order, but could they be figuring out the base pay based on whatever the customer tipped? They clearly state that they do not. When explaining the pay structure, they make it very clear in writing.

But, with them saying that the base pay for an order is figured out from estimated time, distance and desirability of an order, it sure makes us think as it is very vague. There is no proof that this is what is really being used.

Doordash can have their algorithm set to figure out the base pay based on whatever a customer tips. When a customer tips more, Doordash will pay less. They can easily do this and nobody would ever know a thing.

With that said, under the current pay structure, no Doordash customer could ever say that Doordash stole their tip. If a customer asked a dasher if they received the $5 tip they left, the dasher would see that they received the $5 tip. No complaints about tip stealing could be made.

But, could it be that just maybe Doordashs algorithm makes the base pay as minimal as possible since the customer tipped good? If the customer didn't tip, maybe the Doordash pay would be more. This would be the same as stealing tips. They would just be doing it in a sly way where nobody could prove it.

This is what Doordash should do to prove they are not stealing tips

It is very simple. All Doordash has to do is base their base pay on distance. Forget all the other stuff. For example, they could give $1or $2 base pay for each mile. That way dashers will know that they are getting a fair base pay that is based on a transparent system.

Let's use the $1 base pay for each mile as an example. Say the order is for 3.3 miles. Doordash could round it to 3 miles and pay $3 base pay for the order. If the customer tipped $5, the total payout for the order would be $8.

It would be a very simple transparent pay structure. Nobody would ever be able to claim that Doordash is stealing tips either from the front or back end. This would prove that they were not stealing tips.

So is Doordash stealing tips in 2023

Personally, I do believe that Doordash is basing its base pay on what the customer tips. I don't care what they say. A lot of orders that I receive do not make sense. I've had very close orders that were not complicated nor undesirable pay me a $5 base pay while I've also had very far orders that were more complex pay $2 base pay.

I do give Doordash credit though for their great minds. They have always come up with a way to get what they want. In other words, they are very good thieves. Will anybody one day expose them of this new tip stealing scam? I'm pretty sure somebody will. When that happens, I guess dashers will receive more money from new lawsuits filed against Doordash.

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