Looking to earn some extra? Are you into driving and want to earn some extra when driving? Here is a quick Uber Eats vs Postmates comparison, both popular options when it comes to the delivery system.

If only there were some other way to do this. Right?

Now, this is the point where all of you who are looking to make money, get to swoop in, and take advantage of this opportunity. With the rising popularity of gig economy jobs, platforms like Uber Eats, Postmates, and DoorDash are becoming more common.

Therefore, the question now arises: which one is better to make money?

While there are many of these platforms out there, we’ve pitted two of the best against each other: Uber Eats vs Postmates.

Once you’re done with this article, you’ll know exactly which one is a better side hustle for you.

What is Postmates and How Does it Work?

Postmates is another American company offering food and other goods delivery service. It was founded in 2011 and has headquarters in San Francisco, California.

As of April 2019, Postmates operated in more than 3,500 US cities and was available to almost three-quarters of all US households. It’s safe to say that they’ve got good coverage.

Essentially, Postmates works the same way as Uber Eats. You install the app, sign up, browse through the restaurants, place your order, and have your food delivered.

However, there are slight differences. There are more choices and variety with Postmates. The waiting time is longer since the driver places the order. You also have the option of tipping your driver.

Furthermore, another significant difference is that Postmates is not necessarily limited to food. Even though primarily it delivers food only, you can have other stuff delivered as well.

For instance, you can order groceries or have your clothes picked up from the dry cleaners. You’ll find all sorts of restaurants and shops available and not just big brands.

It might not seem that different for customers, but the experience is quite different for drivers. With Postmates, drivers have slightly more work cut out for them.

They have to place the order themselves, sometimes call customers to ask about substitutes, or make the payment for the order at the restaurant.

Other than that, it also takes slightly longer to start delivering for Postmates. The signing up process is pretty similar. You have to download the separate Postmates driver app.

Then, you will have to enter your basic information. If you pass their criteria, a Postmates representative will contact you for further details.

Finally, after everything is approved, you’ll receive your Postmates card and bag, and you’ll be all set to start delivering.

Hourly Pay Tip % Delivery Volume Next Steps $9-$14/hour 100% Very Good JOIN NOW Read Review

What is Uber Eats and How Does it Work?

As you can probably tell by the name, Uber Eats falls under the parent organization Uber, a popular ridesharing service.

Uber Eats was founded in 2014 when the whole food delivery business was really picking up. It wasn’t the first one in the market, but it has quickly become one of the most popular platforms.

If you’ve already used the Uber app, you’d be familiar with the Uber Eats app as well. It works much the same way.

For those who are totally new to it, here’s how it works. Once you’ve installed the app and set up your account, you open the app. You are immediately presented with a list of restaurants delivering through Uber Eats in your area.

You can browse around each place, see the menus, prices, deals, etc. When you’ve decided on an item, you can simply add it to your cart and place the order.

After that, you can track your order from the moment the restaurant receives it till the moment it reaches your door. The payment is all done through the app, and there’s no physical exchange of cash.

That was for customers. How does it work for the drivers?

We’ll get into it in more detail in a while, but we’ll tell you a little bit about it. For the drivers, there’s a separate Uber Eats Driver app.

You need to install this app and enter information like your social security number. This is used to run a background check on you.

Then, if you clear that and meet all their driver requirements, you can start delivering. All you have to do is pick up the order and deliver it.

Immediately after the delivery, your earnings for that delivery run is deposited in your account.

Uber Eats vs Postmates – What is Better to Make Money?

Now that you have a basic idea in mind about how Uber Eats and Postmates work, we can get down to discussing the real difference between Postmates and Uber Eats.

Which pays more? Which has better tips? What are their requirements?

We’ll cover everything so that you know exactly which one will work best for you and help you make the most money.

When you’re wondering which is better to make money, it’s not just the pay rate that counts. There are various other factors that influence which is the better platform. Therefore, we’ll discuss different aspects of delivery service and see how both the platforms perform.

Driver Requirements

Before you start delivering, you first need to make sure you fulfill all the driver requirements. Both platforms have their own set of requirements, which are necessary for various safety and legal reasons.

For Uber Eats, you need to meet the minimum working age requirements of that city. This could be different from place to place, but usually, it’s 18 or 19 years.

You’ll also need a driver’s license and at least one year of driving experience. Furthermore, you should also be able to carry some cash.

Additionally, you’ll also go through a background check, but that’s done on both platforms. Other than that, Postmates has only one requirement that you need to be at least 18 years old.

Vehicle Requirements

There are requirements not just for you but for your vehicle as well. Uber Eats requires that your car must be from 1998 or later. The vehicle’s insurance should be valid and up to date.

You should have proof of your vehicle’s registration as well. In the case of a scooter, it has to have a motor of at most 50cc.

If you plan on using your bike for the deliveries, you just need to carry your government-issued ID. Now, on the other hand, Postmates has no vehicle requirements.

See Related: 16 Best Jobs for Introverts

Registration

If you meet all the requirements, you can proceed to installing the app and registering yourself. You have to enter your basic information, after which it takes some to get verified. Once it’s all verified, you are notified, and you can start delivering.

Uber Eats takes a couple of days, while Postmates takes slightly more time. This is because Postmates sends you their card and bag, which you need for the deliveries.

See Related: 17 Best Part-Time Jobs

Placing the Order

All the restaurants on Uber Eats are partners with the platform. Whenever a customer places an order, it immediately goes to the restaurant as well as to a nearby delivery rider.

Therefore, when the delivery rider reaches the restaurant, all he has to do is pick up the order. Usually, these restaurants are quite fast and have the order all ready to go.

It takes a bit longer with Postmates. On this platform, there are lots of restaurants and shops, but they’re not all necessarily partnered with Postmates.

When a customer places an order, sometimes it goes directly to the restaurant and sometimes to the delivery guy. In the former case, it’s a similar situation as Uber Eats.

If the order went to the delivery guy, that means he has to place the order, wait for it to get ready, and then deliver it. As you can imagine, this takes a bit more time than Uber Eats.

Both platforms deal with all the payment through the app, but Postmates is slightly different. Remember that card we keep mentioning that Postmates deliverers receive?

Well, when an order is not prepaid, the delivery guy uses that Postmates card to pay for the order. Postmates loads it with the exact amount needed for the order.

Delivering the Order

Once the order is ready, it’s time to deliver it. There’s not much difference in the exact delivery process. The difference lies in where the delivery is made.

For Postmates, it’s a straight doorstep delivery. Regardless of anything else, you have to deliver the food to their house. If you run into some coded gate or security, you can call the customer and ask them to let you in.

In Uber Eats, it varies from place to place. Some cities will have the option of doorstep delivery, which is, then, the same as Postmates.

However, in some cities, you only have to deliver to the curbside. When you reach a curbside near the customer, the customer gets a notification and comes to take the order themself.

Curbside deliveries are much easier for drivers as they don’t get out of their car and look for the customer’s home. Moreover, they don’t have to look for parking spaces either.

Besides that, some Postmates orders don’t require delivery at all. Postmates allows customers to place an order and pick it up themselves to avoid the delivery fee.

See Related: 11 Ways to Make Money with Your Bike

Earnings

The exact rates can vary from place to place and situation to situation. However, we’ll try to give you a rough idea regarding how much do Postmates deliverers make and how much do Uber Eats delivery drivers make.

Uber Eats fees comprises of four things:

Drop-off fee

Pick-up fee

Mileage fee

Time fee

The pick-up and drop-off fee is somewhere between one and two dollars. The time fee is usually around $0.20, and the mileage fee is around $0.60 per mile.

Uber Eats deducts around 25% to 35% as their own profit cut. Considering all this, you can expect to earn somewhere between $8 to $12 per hour.

For Postmates, drivers start out with a basic $1.35 per order. Then, each minute they have to wait earns them $0.10, and each mile traveled an additional $1.03. They also get tips from customers.

You can earn more on both platforms by working during rush hours. During these times, both platforms offer higher pay as an incentive to the drivers.

See Related: 12 Best Rental Business Ideas

Pros and Cons

A good way to sum up our Uber Eats vs Postmates discussion would be to look at some pros and cons lists for both platforms.

Pros of Uber Eats

Flexible hours and days

No limit on the number of hours you can work

Can get your earnings instantly instead of waiting for a month

Can work for Uber as well as Uber Eats together

Cash bonuses on completing a certain number of deliveries at a certain time

Referral bonuses and discounts

Very little waiting time

Quick and simple delivery process

Cons of Uber Eats

Sometimes it takes time to check an order at the restaurant

No tips

Strict driver and vehicle requirements

Takes time to find parking space and the house

Pros of Postmates

More restaurants equal to more orders

Total freedom over your work schedule

No strict requirements

Can withdraw your earnings instantly any time

Available in most areas

Postmates card makes it easy to pay for the order

Cons of Postmates

Have to wait quite a bit

Some orders are hard and complicated

Finding parking and customer’s house add to the total time

Conclusion

The on-demand food delivery business is no joke. It can be tough at times, and the customers might not always be nice. However, it does have a lot to offer. If you’re looking to make some extra money, this is where you want to be.

While there are a lot of options out there, Uber Eats and Postmates are two of the best. Both have their own benefits and drawbacks, which we have discussed in detail in our Uber Eats vs Postmates comparison.

Ultimately, a lot of it will come down to you only. Where you live, and your preferences will play a big role in deciding which platform is the one for you.

Uber Eats isn’t available in all US cities, so in that case, Postmates will be the only option for you. Similarly, if you don’t want to go through all the waiting time, Uber Eats will be much better for you.

Related Resources