What you’ll learn
Short answer: you can get a personal loan as a DoorDash driver, but lenders want to see your income on paper. Both lenders below ask for tax returns, so a Dasher with a year or less of history may get turned away. A cash advance app or DoorDash’s own instant cash out is quicker for a small gap.
Here’s what we found on each company’s own site. No approval odds, and no rates beyond the ones a company prints itself.
Loans and Quick Cash for DoorDash Drivers Compared
| Option | Counts gig or self employed income? | Amount | Cost | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upstart personal loan | Yes. Self employment income counts if you’ve earned it for a full calendar year and it shows on a tax return | $1,000 to $75,000, 3 or 5 year terms | Interest and an origination fee. Upstart’s page gives a range that depends on your profile and state | Not stated on the pages read |
| SoFi personal loan | Yes. Choose Self-Employed and send your last two years of filed returns, with Schedule C if you’re a sole proprietor or independent contractor | Not stated on the page read | Not stated on the page read | Not stated on the page read |
| Cash advance apps (Current, Grant, EarnIn) | Current counts independent contractor deposits. Grant doesn’t say. EarnIn says full time contractors usually won’t qualify | Up to $750, $500 and $1,000 per pay period | Mostly free standard delivery, paid express options | Days free, minutes with a charge |
| DoorDash Crimson instant cash out | It’s your own DoorDash earnings, not a loan | What you’ve earned | Check the app | Instant once approved, subject to eligibility |
What Lenders Ask a Dasher For
Dashing isn’t a W-2 job, so a lender can’t call an employer. It asks you to prove the income another way.
Upstart counts self employment income only if it was “consistently earned for a full calendar year and verified with a tax return.” Business income that isn’t on your personal return is left out. Its own guidance also says lenders usually look at net income after expenses, not what DoorDash paid you before gas and wear on the car.
SoFi wants you to pick Self-Employed on the application. Independent contractors send the last two years of filed tax returns including Schedule C, and SoFi may ask for your last three bank statements too. Returns have to be filed already, and extensions aren’t accepted.
So the lesson for a newer Dasher is simple. If you started this year, you may not have the paper trail yet.
Upstart
Upstart lists personal loans from $1,000 to $75,000 with 3 or 5 year terms on its own 1099 income page, and you may qualify with 1099 income. Costs include interest and, in its example, an origination fee taken out of the loan. Rates depend on your profile and state, so see your offer before you commit.
Dasher earnings are self employment income, reported on Schedule C, which is the paper trail Upstart asks for. Without a full calendar year of it, expect a harder time.
SoFi
SoFi is the other lender here that works with independent contractors. Its page doesn’t list a minimum credit score or a loan amount, so you won’t know your terms until you apply. If you’ve filed two years of Schedule C returns, you have what it asks for.
What to Watch For
- A loan has a fixed payment. A slow week in Dasher doesn’t change what you owe, which is the big difference from an advance you repay out of your next deposit.
- Origination charges come out of the loan, so you receive less than you borrowed.
- Applying costs time. Both lenders want tax paperwork, and extensions aren’t accepted at SoFi.
- Avoid anyone who promises approval before you apply. None of the companies here do.
Cheaper Ways to Cover a Gap
If you’re short a few hundred dollars, a cash advance as a DoorDash driver is quicker than a loan, and DoorDash’s own cash out costs nothing to look at. For a longer-term fix, build a small buffer, even $50 a week.
See what you can realistically earn in how much you can make with DoorDash in a week and what other delivery app jobs pay. The cash advance for gig workers guide compares more apps, and if you also drive for Uber, loans for Uber drivers covers the same lenders from that side.
Loans for DoorDash Drivers FAQ
Yes, if a lender accepts self employment income. Upstart counts it when it was earned for a full calendar year and shows on a tax return, and SoFi accepts independent contractors with two years of filed returns.
Tax returns, usually with Schedule C, and sometimes recent bank statements. SoFi asks independent contractors for the last two years of filed returns and may ask for the last three bank statements.
It’s harder. Upstart’s rule needs a full calendar year of self employment income on a tax return. If you’re newer than that, a cash advance app or DoorDash’s own instant cash out is more likely to work.
Not exactly. Advance apps give you money from your next deposit and take it back automatically. A personal loan has a fixed payment schedule and its own interest and charges.
Eligible Dashers can cash out instantly with the Crimson Visa debit card. Advance apps can be quick too, but express delivery usually costs extra.
Sources (10)
We use primary sources: each company’s own product pages and help centers. Terms change often, so check the app before you accept an advance.
- Upstart. What is considered income. upstarthelp.upstart.com.
- Upstart. Can you qualify for a personal loan with 1099 income?. upstart.com.
- SoFi. What income and income documents should I include on my loan application?. support.sofi.com.
- DoorDash. Dasher sign-up page. dasher.doordash.com.
- Current. Paycheck Advance support article. support.current.com.
- Current. Paycheck Advance. current.com.
- Grant. Pricing and fees. grantcash.com.
- EarnIn. Who can use EarnIn?. help.earnin.com.
- EarnIn. Cash advance questions answered for gig workers. earnin.com.
- EarnIn. Home page. earnin.com.
