Postmates Fleet – Side Hustle Review
- Oct 15, 2017
- 3 min read
In today’s gig economy, Postmates provides a good opportunity to bank some extra cash. I took this side hustle for a spin and have the results below.
I live in Oklahoma City, it’s a big city by area, but definitely not a metropolis. There are probably other markets that yield much higher payout, but even in OKC, Postmates delivered on a part time opportunity for extra cash.
Pros:
It’s Easy! It’s essentially like running errands around town. The start up was pretty simple and the app is very easy to use. In most cases the order has already been placed and paid for, plus the Postmates payment card means there no cash at all!
Cash! My per hour earning potential was not too bad. It definitely depends on the tips, but overall I had good results. A full breakdown of earning is below.
Quick Payment – Postmates deposits daily so there is very little waiting to get paid. In general, I received the payment deposit 4 days after they were earned.
Cons:
Unknown delivery locations – This was probably my least favorite thing about Postmates. I can totally see why, but you can’t see the delivery location until after you pick up the order. This leaves you committing to a delivery without knowing how far you’ll have to go for delivery.
Pretty low payouts without tips – in most cases, my tips were bigger than the payout from the delivery. This means that if a customer didn’t tip I’d earn $4-$5 for the delivery.
Timing – This side hustle is perfect of after work or on the weekends when it’s in high demand. However, it’s likely not something you can do full time. It’s delivery food, so it really cycles with the demand around meal times.
Postmates Delivery Example 1:
Friday Night – Dinner Time
2 Deliveries
$18.78 Earned
Less than 1 Hour!
Approx $19/hour payout!
Postmates Delivery Example 2:
Thursday Night – Dinner Time
2 Deliveries
$15.19 Earned
Less than 1 Hour!
Approx $15/hour payout
Postmates Delivery Example 3 (Best Tip Day):
Friday Night – Dinner Time
4 Deliveries
$47.90 Earned
About 2 ½ Hours of work
Approx $19.16/hour payout
This is a good example of the impact tips can have.
Postmates Delivery Example 4 (Mixed Tips):
Sunday Afternoon – Football Season
4 Deliveries
$41.79 Earned
About 2 ½ Hours of work
Approx $16.72/hour payout
This example includes the longest delivery distance I had ($10.80 for delivery alone) and some of the few deliveries I received $0 tips.
Other Things to Think About!!
Although the per hour earning can be pretty impressive, this isn’t all profit. There are a few things to keep in mind:
Fuel Cost – Postmate deliveries can have you driving all over to complete your deliveries. The pick ups are usually close by, but the income you make is offset by the cost of the gas you use.
Taxes!!! – All of the income above is pre-tax. At certain levels of earning, you’ll need to anticipate paying out some of your earnings to the tax man.
Overall, Postmates is a great way to make some extra cash, but would be a tough full time gig due to the high and low demand time frames.
If you’d like to give it a spin, head over to…
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