Starting with DoorDash takes about 15 minutes to apply and a few days to get approved. You’ll sign up through the Dasher app, pass a background check, and then you can start accepting delivery offers on your own schedule. Here’s everything you need to know before your first dash.
Requirements to Become a Dasher
The minimum age to deliver for DoorDash is 18 in most U.S. states, though some states require you to be 19 or 21. You don’t need any delivery experience or a college degree.
Beyond age, you’ll need:
- A vehicle: Car, bike, or scooter all work. Some cities also allow motorcycles. There are no make, model, or year requirements for cars.
- A valid driver’s license (if you’re delivering by car)
- Auto insurance: DoorDash requires a commercial auto insurance policy if you’re using a car
- A smartphone: You’ll need an iPhone or Android phone to run the Dasher app
- A clean background: DoorDash runs a criminal background check and driving record review. The check screens for sexual offenses, violent crimes, DUIs, felonies, and other safety-related flags.
If you plan to deliver by bike or on foot (available in some dense urban areas), you won’t need a license or car insurance, which lowers the barrier significantly.
How to Sign Up
Download the DoorDash Dasher app (separate from the customer app) or go to the Dasher signup page online. You’ll enter your name, email, phone number, and delivery area. Then you’ll provide your Social Security number and consent to the background check.
The background check typically takes a few days, though it can sometimes finish within 24 hours. Once you’re approved, you can start accepting orders immediately through the app. You don’t need to wait for any physical materials to arrive before making your first delivery.
Your Starter Kit and Red Card
After you complete your first delivery, DoorDash ships you a free Dasher Kit. This includes a physical Red Card, which is a prepaid card DoorDash loads with funds for certain orders. Some deliveries require you to shop for items or pay at the restaurant yourself using this card.
You can also activate a virtual Red Card through the app right away, which lets you handle these “shop and deliver” orders before the physical card arrives. To set it up, go to the Account tab in the Dasher app and follow the activation instructions. If you ever lose your physical card, DoorDash will ship a replacement for free.
How DoorDash Pay Works
DoorDash offers two earning modes. The default is earning per offer, where each delivery has its own payout based on estimated time, distance, and how desirable the order is (short-distance orders from popular restaurants tend to pay less because more Dashers want them). The other option, Earn by Time, pays a guaranteed hourly rate for the time you’re actively on a delivery.
Your total earnings on any delivery come from three parts:
- Base pay: DoorDash’s contribution for the order, which varies by delivery
- Tips: You keep 100% of customer tips. Tips tend to be less frequent when using the Earn by Time mode.
- Promotions: Peak Pay and Boosts add extra money during busy times or in high-demand zones. These apply automatically when active.
You see the estimated payout before you accept any offer, so you can decide whether a delivery is worth your time. This is one of the most important skills new Dashers develop: learning which orders to accept and which to skip.
Getting Paid
DoorDash deposits your earnings weekly through direct deposit at no charge. If you want faster access, DoorDash also offers instant cashouts to a debit card, though there’s a small fee per transfer. You’ll set up your payment method in the Earnings section of the Dasher app.
Expenses You Should Track
As a Dasher, you’re an independent contractor, not an employee. That means DoorDash doesn’t withhold taxes from your pay, and you’re responsible for reporting your income and paying self-employment tax. The upside is that you can deduct legitimate business expenses, which reduces the income you owe taxes on.
The biggest deduction for most Dashers is vehicle mileage. You can either deduct the IRS standard mileage rate for every mile driven on deliveries, or you can track actual expenses like gas, oil changes, tires, insurance, car payments, registration fees, tolls, parking, and depreciation. The standard mileage rate is simpler and often works out better for delivery drivers, but you should track both during your first year to compare.
Other deductible expenses include your phone bill (the portion used for work), an insulated delivery bag, snacks and drinks you keep on hand for customers, and any supplies you buy specifically for dashing. If you pay for your own health insurance and aren’t eligible for coverage through a spouse’s employer plan, those premiums may be deductible as well.
Use a mileage tracking app from day one. It’s easy to forget to log miles after the fact, and those miles add up fast. Many Dashers drive 100 to 200 miles in a busy week, and that deduction can save you hundreds of dollars at tax time. DoorDash will send you a 1099 form at the beginning of the following year if you earn $600 or more, which you’ll use to file your taxes.
Tips for Your First Week
Start during a lunch or dinner rush, typically 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. These windows have the most orders and the best chance of Peak Pay promotions. Weekends, especially Friday and Saturday evenings, are consistently the busiest times in most markets.
Stick to areas you already know well. Familiarity with local streets and restaurant locations makes a real difference in how quickly you complete deliveries, and faster completions mean more orders per hour. As you get comfortable, you’ll learn which restaurants have food ready on time and which ones keep you waiting.
Keep a hot bag in your car even if DoorDash doesn’t require one right away. Customers notice when their food arrives warm, and better service generally means better tips. A basic insulated bag costs $10 to $20 and pays for itself quickly.
Finally, pay attention to the total payout shown before you accept an order. A delivery paying $3 for a 15-minute round trip isn’t worth your gas and time. Many experienced Dashers use a personal minimum, like $1 to $2 per mile, as a quick filter for which offers to take. You’ll develop your own threshold as you learn your local market.