How to Be a Top Earner on DoorDash: 11 Tips to Make More Money

Last Updated: November 28, 2022 References

If you’re in the know, DoorDash can be a great avenue to earn big paychecks on a flexible schedule. There's definitely a learning curve, but the truth is, mastering DoorDash is way easier than you’d think. Plus, we’re here to deliver the road map to becoming the best dasher in town. So, if you want to get up to speed on how to be an efficient dasher, check out our expert-backed advice on how to get more orders and make more money with DoorDash.

Things You Should Know

Stay inside your "dash zone," an area that attracts the most customers and experiences the most activity, to accept a steady stream of orders.
Make room in your schedule to drive around during DoorDash's "peak hours," the times during the day when there's a high demand for deliveries.
Pay attention to "hotspots," regions that have a sudden surge in customer activity, and "Peak Pay" campaigns, special events that give you higher pay-outs.
Boost your rep as a dasher by delivering food on time and communicating with your customers —you'll probably get higher tips and great reviews.

1

Earn a “Top Dasher” title.

Become a “Top Dasher” to receive special benefits. DoorDash rewards their hardest working Dashers by giving them 24/7 access to accepting orders. Normally, there are certain zones and specific times that are available to you as a dasher, and you must sign up ahead of time in order to be allowed to accept orders. A Top Dasher, however, gets access to work whenever and wherever they want.^{[1]
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- To qualify, you must have at least 200 total completed deliveries, 100 completed deliveries in the last month, a customer rating of at least 4.7, an order acceptance rate of at least 70%, and a delivery completion rate of at least 95%.

2

Don’t accept far away orders.

Save on time and gas by staying inside your usual dash zone. After you have been dashing for a little while, you’ll notice which areas around your “home base” attract the most customers and experience the most activity. If you get an order that requires you to drive far away from the busy zone, it might not only cost extra to get there, but the money you earn might also not be worth the hassle.^{[2]
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- Sometimes, you might like going outside your dash zone for extra opportunities. For example, you may head over to a city 45 minutes away because there’s a special event drawing in lots of customers.

3

Drive during peak hours.

The busiest times to work are typically 11 A.M.-2 P.M. and 4 P.M.-9 P.M. If you make room in your schedule for these two blocks of time, you’ll get a consistent stream of orders. While your best bet is to call dibs on peak hours in advance, these times are usually so busy you can just use the “Dash Now” feature.^{[3]
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- While the “Dash Now” button isn’t available all day, once it is, you can press it and immediately start accepting orders.
- The “Dash Now” button usually pops up when your area needs extra Dashers to help out with all the orders being put in.

4

Head to “hotspots.”

Dash in hotspots to rack up more orders in less time. Hotspots are areas with high order requests and are easy to find by checking out the fire symbol on your map. Keep an eye out on your map while you dash because the hotspots are constantly updated. If you want to maximize on your time, head to a “dynamic hotspot,” where one restaurant is suddenly experiencing a lot of orders.^{[4]
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- The busiest areas are marked in red on your Dash “heat map.” The darker the red tones are on the map, the busier the areas are.^{[5]
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- Stick to local hotspots instead of driving far. Hotspots constantly change, so let other dashers take advantage of ones that are close to them.
- You can always use the “Dash Now” button at a hotspot since there’s such a high demand for dashers.
- Review your map for “historic hotspots” that have been really busy in the past—these zones are marked by flame icons without any red area around them.

5

Schedule your deliveries ahead of time.

Take charge of your day and know exactly when you’ll accept orders. DoorDash limits the amount of drivers in a specific area based on customer demand. Reserve the times and zones you want to dash for ahead of time by clicking the “Schedule” tab in the app. Booking specific shifts lets you lock in the hours you want and actually gives you some priority over “Dash Now” drivers for incoming orders.^{[6]
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- Top Dashers can work whenever they want, regardless of how many drivers are in the area. Still, it’s best for them to schedule shifts—that’ll limit the amount of other Dashers serving one zone and keep the competition down.

6

Complete batch orders.

Accept a ton of orders at once to quickly make lots of money. Use the “Add Order to Route” button to stack your orders and pocket more cash than you’d get on a typical shift. During busy times, you might notice a huge uptick in order requests. If you accept all of them, the app will create the most efficient route for you, helping you boost your earnings without sacrificing convenience.^{[7]
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- Luckily, you don’t need to even search for multiple orders to stack them. DoorDash saves you time by making a batch for you, color coding them, and lining them up so you can fulfill all of them in one trip.

7

Use the “Peak Pay” campaigns.

Earn special bonuses when DoorDash promotes a “Peak Pay” event. During peak hours, DoorDash might sometimes offer a little extra money, which usually looks like 1-3 extra dollars tacked onto your deliveries. If you manage to batch your orders during a “Peak Pay” campaign, you might make a sudden windfall of cash or at least some of your highest profits on the app.^{[8]
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- Any dasher can take part in a “Peak Pay” campaign—you don’t have to be a Top Dasher or even accept a minimum amount of orders to enjoy this perk.
- Peak Pay is added on top of both your base pay and your tips, so you’ll have a much higher payout than you usually get.

8

Don’t drive around aimlessly.

Have a clear route and agenda in mind to get the best results. To make sure you end up with a whole line-up of deliveries to fulfill, wait for orders in an area that’s really busy for restaurants, like a shopping center. Driving around without a plan will probably just eat up your gas, and it’s unlikely you’ll get orders more quickly since you might roll past a lot of regions with little activity.^{[9]
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- Stick around go-to spots for deliveries. Drivers who are closest to the restaurant get priority for orders, since they will be able to complete the order the fastest.

9

Pay attention to the weather and traffic.

Think about bad conditions that may drive up demand for easy take-out. While rainy or cold weather might be a bummer, it also encourages people to stay indoors and order food from the comfort of their own homes. Check the forecast and the traffic report for your area⁠—if everything looks doable, then set your schedule on DoorDash. The bleakest weather might turn out to be a prime time for scoring extra cash.^{[10]
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- You might not only experience a surge in orders when it rains, but you may also get higher tips from customers who appreciate all the effort you went through.
- You may even have less competition with other dashers who might refuse orders or just won’t make room in their schedules for deliveries when there’s bad weather.
- Dress for the weather and go the extra mile by making sure your customers’ food is protected from the elements. For example, ask restaurant staff to put a takeout container in a plastic bag.

10

Complete your orders quickly.

Deliver food faster than your customers expect and they’ll love you. Efficient drivers get higher ratings, which increases the amount of orders DoorDash trusts them with. Don’t accept orders if you know you’ll be delayed in traffic, and make sure you have enough gas in your car before accepting an order.^{[11]
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- If you drop off take-out way before the projected cut-off time that DoorDash gives a customer, they’ll be seriously impressed. Plus, they’ll probably give you a nice tip on top of a 5-star rating.

11

Provide good customer service.

Be friendly and reliable to get an awesome rep as a dasher. Great customer service means more orders and more tips. Communicate with your customer, follow the delivery instructions, handle the orders carefully, be as quick as possible, and be super nice to get a higher rating.^{[12]
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- Throw in freebies like napkins, utensils, and sauces to enhance your customer’s experience.
- Carefully read any instructions you’re given. For example, someone might want their curry extra spicy, while another customer might want you to ring their doorbell when you show up.
- Check in with your customer. Update them about any delays or changes, let them know when you’re on your way, answer any of their questions, and take a picture of their food when you drop it off.