What you’ll learn
Short answer: pick the app by what you drive and how fast you need the money.
No car? Uber Eats lets you deliver by bike or on foot in some cities, and DoorDash takes bikes in select cities.
Got a car and want plenty of orders to choose from? DoorDash and Uber Eats are the big two. Need cash fast? Grubhub earnings are available 15 minutes after a delivery, and Instacart lets you cash out in as little as 2 hours. Prefer groceries to takeout? Look at Instacart, Shipt or Spark Driver.
Pay swings a lot by city and time of day, so this page skips hourly guesses. Everything below comes from each company’s own driver page. When a company doesn’t say, the table says so.
Delivery App Jobs Compared (2026)
| App | Vehicle | Minimum age | How you get paid | Fastest cash-out | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DoorDashRestaurant takeout | Car, scooter or bike (bike in select cities) | 18 (19 in some states, 21 in California) | Base pay, promotions and tips | Instant with the DoorDash Crimson debit card, if you qualify | No dollar amounts on its driver page. The background check needs a Social Security number. |
 Uber EatsRestaurant takeout | Car, scooter, bike or on foot (varies by city) | 18 on a bike or on foot, 19 in a car (21 in California and New York) | Fare shown before you accept, you keep 100% of tips | Instant Pay up to 6 times a day (a charge applies), or weekly transfer | Activation takes a few minutes to 48 hours. Postmates drivers sign up here now. |
 InstacartGroceries | Car for full-service shopping | 18 | Paid per batch, you keep 100% of tips | As soon as 2 hours after delivery | Payment card arrives 5 to 7 business days after sign-up. You lift up to 40 pounds. |
 GrubhubRestaurant takeout | Car, motorcycle, bicycle or scooter (varies by market) | 18 (21 in Las Vegas) | Base pay for mileage, delivery type and time, you keep 100% of tips | 15 minutes after a delivery with Instant Cash Out | Some markets fill up, so you might land on a waitlist. |
 Spark DriverGroceries (Walmart's delivery gig) | Car with proof of insurance | 18 | Not described on its main page | Not stated | Available in all 50 states. The earnings snapshots on its page are estimates. |
 Amazon FlexPackages | Your own qualifying vehicle | 21 | Delivery blocks you reserve ahead | Not stated | You see what a block pays before you start it. Blocks can be reserved up to a week ahead. |
 ShiptGroceries | Dependable car you're insured on | 18 | Base pay per delivery, plus tips | Not stated | Not offered in Alaska, Wyoming or West Virginia. You lift up to 50 pounds. |
 RoadieLonger deliveries, up to 100 miles | Not listed on its sign-up page | Not listed | Average $12 per trip on local deliveries, per Roadie | Not stated | Check age and vehicle rules before you spend time applying. |
 Favor (Texas only)Restaurant orders, or H-E-B orders you shop and deliver | Not listed on its Runner page | Not listed | Base pay of $2 to $14+ per order, plus tips and promos | Not stated | Texas only, in more than 400 cities. You keep 100% of the tip. |
Ages and vehicle rules differ by state and city, so the sign-up screen has the last word for your area.
The 9 Best Delivery App Jobs for 2026
1. DoorDash
DoorDash is where most people start. You can deliver in a car, a scooter or on a bike (bikes in select cities). The sign-up needs a Social Security number for the background check, plus a driver’s license, or just another ID if you only ride a bike.
You pick which offers to accept. You get a base amount built from the estimated time, distance and how desirable the order is, and if you choose to earn by time, it’s a minimum guaranteed hourly rate while you’re actively on a delivery. Promotions and tips go on top.
DoorDash puts no dollar amounts on its driver page, so be careful with anyone who quotes you one.
Cash-out is instant once you’re approved and have the DoorDash Crimson Visa debit card, subject to eligibility.
Check your age first, though. The minimum is 18, but it’s 19 in Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and West Virginia, and 21 in California.
Bottom line: it’s the easiest one to join and the most flexible, as long as you meet your state’s age rule. Ready to apply? Start with the DoorDash driver application, and read whether DoorDash is worth it first if you’re on the fence.
- Deliver food from local restaurants and earn money on your own schedule
- Perfect if you want flexible hours and control over when and where you work
- Enjoy features like instant pay, peak pay bonuses, and the ability to dash anytime
- Great way to earn extra income while being your own boss
Gig’s tip Check Challenges and Peak Pay in the Dasher app before you head out. Those are the extra pay promotions in the app. Try DoorDash Dasher →
2. Uber Eats (and Postmates)
Postmates drivers, this is your new home. The Postmates site now sends “Sign up to deliver” to Uber’s delivery page, so it’s the same job. Uber Eats takes people on a bike or on foot in some cities (18 and up), or in a car (19 and up, 21 in California and New York State).
Everyone passes a background screening and uploads documents and a photo. Bike and on-foot couriers need a government ID and a Social Security number. Car drivers need a license in their own name and a 2-door or 4-door vehicle. Activation takes anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours.
You keep 100% of tips, and the fare shows before you accept an order.
Cash out up to 6 times a day with Instant Pay, which carries a charge the page doesn’t list, or let your earnings transfer to your bank weekly. Uber is also advertising a new courier promotion of $150 for every 15 unique deliveries in 14 days, up to $450, that expires November 1, 2026, with eligibility conditions.
Good fit if you don’t have a car, or you already drive for Uber. The Uber Eats driver guide walks through signup, or go straight to becoming an Uber Eats driver here.
- Signing up is a straightforward process and is done entirely online
- Earn about $20-25 per hour before incentives and bonuses
- Set your own schedule and drive whenever you want
Gig’s tip Have your government ID and Social Security number ready, because the background screening needs them. Try Uber Eats →
3. Instacart
Instacart is the grocery pick. You choose orders in the app, shop them in the store and deliver them.
You don’t pay for the groceries yourself. Instacart mails you a payment card, usually 5 to 7 business days after you finish signing up.
You must be 18 or older and legally allowed to work in the U.S. You also have to lift up to 40 pounds, and have regular access to a reliable car and a smartphone. Sign-up wants your driver’s license, Social Security number and bank info.
Full-service shoppers get paid per batch, with an estimate shown on every order, and keep 100% of customer tips. Cash-out takes as little as 2 hours.
The Instacart pay breakdown covers the money side. Ready? Sign up at the Instacart shoppers site.
4. Grubhub
Grubhub has the fastest cash-out of any app here: earnings are available 15 minutes after a delivery, by direct deposit or Instant Cash Out. What Instant Cash Out costs isn’t listed.
The minimum age is 18, or 21 in Las Vegas. Depending on the market, you deliver by car, motorcycle, bicycle or scooter. Car drivers need a license and auto insurance, bikers need a license or state ID, and everyone needs a smartphone with a data plan and a clean background check. No resume, interview or experience required.
You keep 100% of tips, and base pay covers mileage, delivery type and time spent. The catch: some markets fill up, so you might land on a waitlist. Check your market on the Grubhub driver page.
5. Spark Driver
Spark Driver is Walmart’s delivery gig, and it’s available in all 50 states.
You need to be 18 or older, authorized to work as an independent contractor in the U.S., and carry proof of valid auto insurance on the vehicle you use. A REAL ID compliant license (or a license issued by a U.S. state) and a Social Security card are required too, and a background screening may be run.
How and when you get paid isn’t on the main page, and the earnings snapshots there are labeled as estimates. Eligible drivers get fuel discounts through Walmart+ and cash back through OnePay.
A decent pick if you already shop at Walmart, but check the Earnings section before you commit. Spark Driver sign-up.
6. Amazon Flex
Flex is packages instead of food.
You download the app, set up an account and reserve delivery blocks up to a week ahead. You must be 21 or older with a valid license, a qualifying vehicle and a smartphone.
Amazon says most drivers earn $18 to $25 an hour, then notes that actual earnings vary with location, tips, delivery time and other factors. Treat that as Amazon’s claim, not a promise.
You can see what a block pays before you start it. When you get paid isn’t stated. See Amazon Flex.
7. Shipt
Shipt is the other grocery option.
You need to be 18 or older with a dependable, working car. You don’t have to own it, but you do have to be listed on its insurance policy. A valid U.S. driver’s license, a Social Security number, a current mailing address and the ability to lift 50 pounds are required, and sign-up takes about 15 minutes.
Base pay for each delivery depends on estimated time and effort. Tips come on top, and some orders carry bonuses. No dollar amounts are listed, and neither is a pay schedule.
Shipt doesn’t operate in Alaska, Wyoming or West Virginia. Apply as a Shipt shopper.
8. Roadie
Roadie handles longer deliveries, up to 100 miles, through a network of more than 310,000 independent drivers that reaches 97% of U.S. households. Roadie says drivers average $12 per trip on local deliveries, and more on multi-stop ones.
There’s no minimum age, vehicle rule or pay schedule on the sign-up page, so check those before you spend time applying. It could suit you if you’d rather take one longer delivery than a string of short ones. Roadie driver sign-up.
9. Favor (Texas only)
Favor is part of H-E-B and runs only in Texas, in more than 400 cities. The motto on its site is “Sign up today, start earning tomorrow.” You can deliver restaurant orders, or shop and deliver H-E-B orders.
Base pay runs $2 to $14+ per order, based on time, distance and effort. You keep 100% of the customer’s tip, and Favor requires a minimum tip on orders placed in its app. Promos show up in select areas.
No minimum age or vehicle rule is listed. Run with Favor.
Apps We Left Off
A few names from the old version of this page are gone.
Postmates drivers sign up through Uber now. Caviar’s old address, caviar.com, goes to a shop that sells caviar, the food, and DoorDash’s driver page just invites people coming from Caviar to join as Dashers.
Gopuff, Saucey and Eaze are out too. None of their own sites has a driver sign-up page we could confirm, and Eaze’s careers page reads like regular employee hiring.
How to Pick a Delivery App
Start with your vehicle. Got a car? Every app here is open to you, though Amazon Flex needs you to be 21. No car? Look at Uber Eats, DoorDash or Grubhub, since they list bikes in some cities and Uber lists walking.
Then think about how fast you need the cash. Grubhub is 15 minutes, Instacart is as little as 2 hours, and DoorDash and Uber Eats have instant options with their own conditions. The other apps in the table don’t say, which is worth knowing before you count on a payday.
Next, what do you want to carry? Takeout means DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub. Groceries mean Instacart, Shipt or Spark. Packages mean Amazon Flex, and longer trips mean Roadie. Live in Texas? Favor is local.
One more thing. Nothing on these pages says you can only use one app, but each has its own contractor agreement, so read it before you stack a few. The guide to same day pay jobs and the earn hub have more ways to get money quickly.
How to Start This Week
- Check your age and vehicle against the table. Age limits change by state, and in a few places by city.
- Gather your license, Social Security number, proof of insurance and bank details, because most of these apps ask for some mix of them.
- Apply to two apps today. Uber activation takes a few minutes to 48 hours, Instacart’s payment card takes 5 to 7 business days, and most Dashers start earning within days of approval.
- Turn on the fastest cash-out once you’re approved: Instant Pay on Uber Eats, the Crimson card on DoorDash, Instant Cash Out on Grubhub.
- Run a few short deliveries and compare what each app shows per order before you commit. Then set some money aside for taxes, since these are independent contractor jobs.
Delivery App Jobs FAQ
The minimum is 18. It is 19 in Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and West Virginia, and 21 in California.
It can work either way. When you earn per offer, base pay depends on the estimated time, distance and desirability of the order. When you earn by time, base pay follows a minimum guaranteed hourly rate for the time you spend actively on a delivery. Promotions and tips are extra.
Grubhub earnings are available 15 minutes after a delivery. Instacart cash-out takes as little as 2 hours. Uber Eats has Instant Pay up to 6 times a day for a charge, and DoorDash has instant cash-out with its Crimson debit card if you qualify. Spark, Amazon Flex, Shipt, Roadie and Favor do not state a cash-out speed on the pages we read.
Yes, in some places. Uber Eats allows bike or on-foot delivery in some cities from age 18, DoorDash lists bicycles in select cities, and Grubhub lists bicycles and scooters depending on the market. Instacart, Shipt, Spark Driver and Amazon Flex all need a car or qualifying vehicle.
On Uber Eats, Grubhub, Instacart and Favor, yes. Shipt shoppers get customer tips on top of base pay. The DoorDash, Spark and Amazon Flex pages we read do not state a percentage.
DoorDash lists no dollar amounts on its driver page. Pay is base pay plus promotions and tips, and it changes with the order, your area and the time of day.
I’ve done delivery work for a long time. Be prepared to have car repairing issues and that is not cheap. Also, it’s tougher to make a living delivering food if you don’t live in a city large enough to support delivery services. Take this into account when deciding.
Very true, Ray. Car repairs and gas are expenses that definitely need to be considered. Living in a big enough city is also true. Great points!