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So when you see promo pay in certain areas within an area of your app, whether that's for Uber, Doordash, Postmates or whatever platform you are using to make money, there is a temptation that you can drive to that area for a couple of hours and drive.
It is totally understandable and I get how the appeal of driving for other locations can seem very enticing, however it isn't always lucrative to do so, at least in my experience.
So with that said, in this article I want to go over why there is promo pay at certain times, give you some pointers on whether or not it makes sense to chase it, and then I am going to tell you how to make the most of promo pay when you do have it.
My name is Joseph Mandracchia, I have been working full-time with the gig economy since 2018 and have completed over 7900 orders and deliveries across several different platforms and pay models, as well as other forms of income.
It is my hope to impart some of my knowledge and experience unto you to help you make the most money in your side hustle and help you on your journey to achieve financial independence.
Disclaimer: I am not a financial, tax or legal advisor of any kind. I am not giving you financial, tax or legal advice. I am simply expressing what I have done to overcome in this area and hoping you can find a take away for yourself within this article.
What is Peak Pay?
Peak pay, in terms of delivery apps, is a bonus payment during a period of time where there is a bonus that adds on to what you are already making. In some apps, it can be in the form of a dollar amount added per delivery or a multiplier of the funds.
For Example, with Doordash and most delivery driver apps, during a designated time you can earn a specific dollar amount more on top of a delivery you are already doing.
With Ubereats, there is also a multiplier that is added for those who choose to accept orders during the designated time, where the total amount of the orders is multiplied by a designated number.
There are also challenges and quests on some of these platforms where if you complete a certain number of deliveries in a specific time, you can earn an extra bonus pay on top of what you already earned.
Each platform has different rules and bonuses so make sure you look into what rules apply to what you do.
When does Promo Pay Apply?
So with these promo pay times, it is hard to give a one size fits all answer because of the different types of promo pays and various reasons to apply peak pay from a platforms perspective.
However, there are some patterns that I have noticed in my adventures going to various different areas to drive for these platforms.
Extremely Busy Times
So this is the self explanatory version of those who drive during the times where most people tend to order. During lunch time and dinner time for example. Some areas have a rush for breakfast as well, but not always.
Typically you will see more lunch rush in commercial areas and highly populated areas where people tend to work.
Dinner rush you will see in residential areas, where people are ordering dinner for their families.
Some breakfast times have peak pay, and depending on the area you drive in, you will mainly see large coffee orders and bagel orders, most likely to a commercial area on a weekday.
Graveyard Shift
This is for specifically for those who drive during the late night to begin with. This is not necessarily because it's super busy during this time, although it can be.
In most cases, this type of promo pay is designed to make it more enticing for drivers to drive at this time and to offset the normally low pay you would get for driving during these hours.
Weekends
This is where a majority of promo pay is brought out because most people would want to order in on the weekend or go out to some place rather than cook.
This kind of promo can range from breakfast and keep up all the way to the late night hours or even graveyard shift depending on your area.
Holidays
This might be my favorite out of all of the options on here, because this is one of the highest demand times for drivers because most people would want to spend a holiday with their loved ones, or attend a party where they get catering.
Who can fulfill that catering? You can! Why wouldn't you just want to spend the holiday with your family? VERY HIGH PROMO PAY! Either crazy multipliers or huge orders.
So you might want to consider driving on holidays and celebrating them at a later date.
Overwhelm
When some place has such a high volume of orders, and no one is accepting them, whether that is having the ability to or just choosing not to, the platform may add a promo pay last minute to entice drivers to drive during that period of time.
Usually this isn't the best way to make money unless the promo pay is that much higher, and even still I would be hesitant to do so.
This is how drivers lose money, they stop driving where they are, and go over to that other location to receive orders only to realize that the orders are so low it is literally to offset how bad these orders really are.
How to Make the Most Money Possible from Promo Pay
So in order for you to make the most money from promo pay, is to not change your driving strategy at all. Ironic, I know.
Adjust what they lowest order you are willing to accept by the amount of the promo pay and continue to drive normally.
If you chase promo pay like other drivers to, like moths to a flame, you will get burned and lose money and waste valuable time where you could be just chasing money.
In fact, if you want to be really meta about it, go to a location where there is no promo pay so you can take the good orders while other drivers take the bad ones where the promo pay is.
Final Remarks
This is not a one size fits all answer and I totally acknowledge that, in fact I know for this argument there will be someone out there who can challenge me with why you should chase it and it can very well be just as valid.
This is based off of my experience as a driver for these apps over an extended period of time and what I have found to be the most financially responsible course of action for my life and hopefully yours as well.
With that said, thank you so much for taking the time to read this article! I hope you found some value in what you read here and you can apply this information to your life and your success in side-hustle experience!