Review: Grubhub offers drivers transparency and lots of gigs
What: GrubHub is one of the better food delivery apps, combining high demand with driver pay transparency.
Expected pay: $10 to $20 an hour
Husl $core: $$$ (out of 5)
Where: Major U.S. cities.
Requirements:
◆ 19 plus years of age (21 plus in Chicago)
◆ 2 plus years driving experience
◆ Own an iPhone with iOS 8 or higher or an Android phone with 4.0 or higher (with a data plan)
◆ Drivers must have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance
◆ Bikers must have a valid state ID
◆ Checking account for direct deposit
◆ Pass a background check
GrubHub is one of the better food delivery apps for drivers. It combines brisk demand with some pay guarantees and better-than-average delivery transparency.
Kevin Ha recently quit his day job, choosing to work gig-economy jobs on nights and weekends and spend his days with his new baby. He has strategies on how to optimize.
Although the site has revised its pay formula to eliminate base pay, drivers are given details about the delivery before they accept it — which is shockingly rare among delivery apps. And, if you commit to a set delivery block and take all the deliveries offered during that time, GrubHub also guarantees a minimum hourly wage. The hourly rate changes by market and demand, but, again, you know what it is in advance.
The app also encourages customers to tip at a restaurant-style rates and passes on 100% of the tip to the driver.
Driver reviews are generally positive, with some caveats.
Like other delivery jobs, parking can be tough, which makes it difficult to deliver orders on time. Additionally, you use your own car and pay for your own gas.
That said, GrubHub is one of the few delivery apps whose drivers maintain they consistently earn a decent hourly wage.
Other apps you may want to consider: Amazon Flex, Lyft and Wingz.
What drivers say:
(Reviews are edited solely for grammar, clarity and space.)
“I work 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. I made $17 an hour the first year. The last few months I am down to $12 an hour. Getting priority shifts is almost impossible. They are under new management now, and it has gone downhill with all the competition coming to town.”
“There are good paying days as well as bad paying days, where lots of mileage is used and not enough money made. It will get you by in hard times or to make some extra money.”
“I have been an independent contractor with this company since September 2016. I like that I can schedule a three-hour shift, but they change the ‘blocks’ (shifts) every few months.”
Also consider watching these videos:
Eric Evolving on GrubHub’s pros and cons (posted in 2016)
Jrv2succeed on how GrubHub works (posted in 2018)
Patrick on what it’s like to be a GrubHub driver (posted in 2019)
Kristof is the editor of SideHusl.com, an independent site that reviews hundreds of money-making opportunities in the gig economy.
