If you are considering working as a Uber Eats or Instacart driver, you might want to know which one is better and pays more.
Uber Eats pays an hourly wage of $16, a bit more than the $15 you can make at Instacart.
However, the potential to earn is greater at Instacart as they reward the drivers based on the number of items they deliver.
To help you choose, we have written a complete guide on what pays more, Uber Eats or Instacart.
What Pays More, Uber Eats or Instacart?
Recently, the number of food and delivery services has increased tremendously.
As a result, businesses like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart have grown tremendously and started providing many opportunities for delivery drivers to make some extra cash.
Aside from a good hourly wage, you can earn tips and have a flexible schedule working as a driver for these delivery services. Uber Eats and Instacart are two of the most popular options.
However, if you are unfamiliar with the delivery industry, you might need clarification about which companies pay more.
In simple terms, Uber Eats pays its drivers $16 an hour, a bit more than Instacart, which pays $15/hour.
However, these values can also vary depending on time, demand, and location.
Moreover, the payment method between these two services differs quite a lot. While Uber Eats pays hourly, Instacart drivers earn based on the distance and the items they deliver.
Although you can make a consistent hourly wage at Uber Eats, you can earn higher at Instacart if you deliver more items.
You get to keep 100% of your tips at Instacart and Uber Eats.
Other Differentiating Factors Between Uber Eats and Instacart
Apart from the pay, there are also multiple other factors you need to consider to decide which one is the better alternative for you as a delivery deliver, between Uber Eats and Instacart.
1. Driver Requirements
There are specific requirements that you need to meet if you want to become a driver at any of the two grocery delivery services.
To be hired at Uber Eats, you must be 18 or older, have a spotless driving record, and own an insured vehicle. You must also have a smartphone and a bank account and pass Uber’s background check.
If you fulfill all of the above requirements, you can easily start your career as a driver with Uber.
For Instacart, most requirements are the same as above; however, you also need a permit to work in the US and have the ability to lift a minimum of 30 pounds of weight. They also don’t allow scooters or bikes, as Uber Eats does.
Instacart requires you to be older than 21 to accept alcohol orders.
2. Delivery Process
If you are trying to land a driving gig with Uber Eats or Instacart, you need to consider what their delivery process is like.
A great thing about the Uber Eats app is that they provide all the details you might need to deliver, including the distance, estimated pay, and the restaurant name. They also don’t have an acceptance rate, so you can easily decline any low-paying offers.
Uber Eats has location tracking within their app to help you navigate to the pick-up place and drop-off point easily.
Additionally, they offer a flexible schedule to the drivers, so you can log in and start delivering whenever you are available.
On the other hand, Instacart drivers must go through an extensive process of accepting an order, shopping for groceries, checking out, and delivering them to their destination.
The company also gives you a branded card preloaded to pay for the order.
These deliveries might take longer than Uber Eats, but they also pay you more depending on the number of products you need to shop for.
3. Getting Paid
Both companies pay their drivers through direct deposit weekly. Uber Eats charges $0.85 per instant cash out, while the Instacart cash out only has a $0.50 fee.
4. Gas and Other Expenses
Instacart and Uber Eats drivers are independent contractors, implying that you are in control of declaring all of your earnings and expenditures during tax season.
Additionally, neither of the company is responsible for your gas costs or vehicle maintenance.
5. Bonuses and Tips
A great thing about both Instacart and Uber Eats is that both companies give the drivers 100% of the tips they receive.
Moreover, they often run promotional campaigns to help drivers earn more.
Uber Eats promotions include the New driver bonuses, Uber Boost, Uber Quest, and Delivery Surge.
Instacart offers their drivers’ referral bonuses and a tip protection feature that prevents customers from reversing their tips.
According to Indeed, Uber Eats has a rating of 3.6 stars, and Instacart has 3.1 stars.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have discussed what pays more, Uber Eats or Instacart, and the answer is Instacart. Additionally, we also discussed multiple features that differentiate both services from each other.
We hope you found the information you were looking for in this article and now understand the factors you need to consider before choosing Uber Eats or Instacart as a delivery driver.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Far Does Instacart Deliver?
Instacart delivers to its customers anywhere within a 10-mile radius.
Is Instacart a Lot of Driving?
You need to do a lot of driving once you sign up with Instacart. You have to be prepared to stay on the road a lot since you’ll have to make a lot of stops to buy groceries.
What Day Is Best To Do Uber Eats?
The best days to work on Uber Eats are Friday nights and weekends, as there is an influx of orders during this time.
Can You Do Uber Eats Full-Time?
Yes. As an independent contractor with Uber Eats, you can put as many or as little time driving and delivering orders as you want.
