Uber Eats Review – Is it Worth It?

Do you need extra cash or are you currently unemployed?

If so, you should consider delivering for Uber Eats, which I currently do now full-time when I found myself not making enough money at my previous sales job.

I could have chosen to drive passengers around with Uber, but I really didn’t feel comfortable being responsible for strangers in my car. Delivering for Uber Eats was more of an ideal option instead.

If you feel the same way, signing up is easy! The invite code is good for those who wish to drive passengers with Uber, deliver food with Uber Eats, or…you can do both.

In this Uber Eats Review, I will give you an honest overview about delivery food with Uber Eats and if you’re interested by the end of this post, definitely consider signing up.

All you need to get started is your car registration, current Driver’s License, and a photo of yourself that you can take using your Android or iPhone.

Once all the required documents have been submitted and you get approved, you can start delivering for Uber Eats within a few short days and start earning money.

 

My Uber Eats Review

What I Like – Uber Eats Review

The App is Easy to Use

Honestly, I wish I knew about Uber Eats earlier. I could have made some extra money to help pay for my student loans fast, save more for my emergency fund, or help pay off my car.

Delivering food is simple enough and I appreciate how easy it is to use the Uber Eats app.

When you are ready to start, all you have to do is click the blue “GO” button and wait for orders to come in. Once an order comes in:

 

1. Hit the shopping cart button if you wish to accept the order
2. Get the restaurant’s information and drive to the location
3. Pick up the order
4. Swipe right on the green “Start Delivery” button to get the customer’s address
5. Drive to the customer’s address and drop off their food
6. Swipe right on the blue “Delivered” button
7. Get paid

 

If you’re lucky, you can also receive a tip!

 

The Quest Promotions, Surges, and Boosts

Another thing I like based on my Uber Eats review, is that when you drive for Uber Eats, you get all kinds of incentives and opportunities to earn more money.

Incentives like Quest Promotions offer extra money for completing a certain number of rides. For example, you can earn an extra $4 for completing 10 trips or $25 for completing 30 trips. In larger markets, Quest Promotions can be as high as $100 or more for completing 20, 30, or 50 trips. Quest Promotions usually last for a certain time period and the offers change weekly.

Another way to earn extra money is during Surge times. Drivers are given an additional flat dollar rate on top of their delivery earnings during times when the demand for orders are high. Surge amounts and locations change daily.

Yet, another way to earn extra money with Uber Eats is to make deliveries within a Boost zone, which “boosts” drivers’ fares when they make deliveries during peak hours in busy areas. So essentially, your fare will be multiplied either by 1.1x, 1.3x or even as high as 2x. Boost amounts and locations also change daily and by location.

 

The Flexibility

Forget rushing home from work only to have to rush back out to get to a mall or waitress job to begin your shift. As a matter of fact, you won’t even NEED to depend on a part-time job to give you shifts.

When you deliver for Uber Eats, you create your own shifts and work whenever you want when you have availability.

Even better, if you’re unemployed and desperate for money, this is a perfect opportunity to start working for yourself full-time and become your own boss.

That’s what I’m currently doing!

I had a full-time job working 40-45 hours per week, but HAD to quit to work for Uber Eats. I explain the reason why I’m working for Uber Eats full-time in the video at the end of this post.

 

Be Your Own Boss

Why go from one job interview to another only to hope for someone to give you a job?

With Uber Eats, you can have a part-time or full-time job NOW, and become your own boss today!

That means you create your own schedule and earn the money you need on your own terms.

 

• No more reporting to a 9-5 job.
• No more having a supervisor or manager constantly look over your shoulder.
• No more having someone tell you when you can take breaks, take off work, or take vacations.

 

Again, when you sign up to drive for Uber Eats, you can begin earning money within a few days.

 

Instant Cash Out

The best part about driving for Uber Eats is the instant cash out!

One of the main reasons why I had to quit my full-time job is because it was a low paying sales job. Another reason why I quit was because the company I worked for changed the pay scale and changed the pay period.

Before I was getting paid weekly, but then I had to wait two weeks before I got any money. Luckily, I actively save for an emergency fund because several times it came in handy when I needed money to pay bills and simply couldn’t wait until pay day.

However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when my job paid me LATE and rent was due!

Plus, that same week, I just so happened to work this gig because I needed extra money and I kid you not, THEY PAID ME LATE TOO!!

I had to use money from my emergency fund to cover my entire rent. Trust me, I was grateful that I had the money, but I was pissed.

I did not like having someone else control my money like that anymore!!

With Uber Eats, if you need money instantly, you can cash out up to 5 times per day. The fee to do so is only $.50 per transaction and the money will usually be in your bank account within 1 business day (weekends and holidays can take longer).

Otherwise, the money will automatically transfer into your bank on Monday mornings.

Why wait 1-2 weeks to get paid for the work you already done? Delivering for Uber Eats gives you the opportunity to make extra money, but also gives you access to your money FAST!

 

What I Don’t Like – Uber Eats Review

This wouldn’t be a genuine and honest Uber Eats review if I didn’t discuss the negatives, right? The following is my experience in a small Uber market in Southern California.

The High Cost of Gas

When you drive for Uber, Uber Eats, or any of these rideshare type companies, you are going to be wasting a lot of gas; particularly if you are going to drive full-time and live in areas where gas prices are very high like here in CA.

Therefore, be sure to add the cost of gas into how much money you need to make for the day, week, or month.

The extra money you can make from Quest Promotions, Surges, and Boosts I mentioned earlier are really helpful, but if you don’t live in a large market where the promotions are offered, you are either not going to see them or you won’t be able to take advantage of them unless you are willing to drive to areas where the promotions are available.

When I first started with Uber Eats, I did deliveries where I used to live over in Pasadena and the surrounding areas. Now that I moved an hour away to another county, my area in not in a large Uber market and I don’t get offered any of the Quest Promotions.

Offers for Surges and Boosts are mainly back in the Los Angeles metropolitan area or in Riverside County, which are both more than 30 minutes away. I already have to drive 15-20 minutes from my home into a city that’s at the start of Los Angeles County just to get decent orders and still…the market there is small.

All of this sucks for me because I could be earning a lot more money.

The only time I can take advantage of Surges and Boosts is when I visit my sister back in the Pasadena area where orders come in 2x times faster.

Quest Promotions simply will not be shown to me because my profile has a different address and a promotion would have to be accepted earlier in the week. To add, deliveries would have to be completed within the same city and not between two different counties.

Either way, opportunities to earn extra money are just not available to me, which means I have to work longer hours and do more deliveries to make the money I need.

 

Not Knowing the Drop Off Location

Another thing I don’t like based on this Uber Eats review is not knowing where the drop off location is going to be  until I swipe “Start Delivery.”

Sure, you get more money for longer distances, but sometimes the drop off location can take you far away into a residential area where there’s no restaurants nearby.

That means if your delivery is 25 minutes away, you get paid going there, but you won’t get paid for the 25 minute drive back, which wastes a lot of gas.

One thing I can say is that you will quickly learn which restaurants will typically have orders that are far away.

Food places like McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr., Jack in the Box, Starbucks, Subway, etc. you know are going to be local. For Chinese, Indian, or some other specialty cuisine, be prepared to make a delivery that’s going to be at least 15+ minutes out.

However, once you accept an order and see the restaurant, you don’t have to proceed to the location if you suspect a delivery is going to be out of the way. Simply click on the customer’s name, click on “Report Issue,” and cancel the order.

On the other hand, if you pick up the food and swipe “Start Delivery,” I’m not sure if you can cancel an order. At least I never tried to do it, but if anything, you can always contact customer service if you need or want to cancel a delivery.

 

When People Don’t Tip

I live in Ontario in San Bernardino County and as mentioned, I have to drive 15-20 minutes away back into Los Angeles County like Pomona just to get decent orders. Let’s just say that customers in that area are not great tippers.

Yet, when I visit my sister 45 minutes away and do deliveries in Pasadena, Arcadia, and the surrounding areas, I can get WAY MORE deliveries and WAY MORE tips.

I know people don’t have to tip, but I feel Uber Eats should at least automatically add a gratuity to deliveries that are more than a 18 minute drive.

Plus, in larger markets, drivers can rely on Quest Promotions, Surges, and Boosts for extra money, but if you live in a small market like I do, those incentives are rarely available where drivers like myself, have to depend on tips.

Consequently, without those tips again, I have to work longer hours and do more deliveries to make the money I need.

 

Wear and Tear on Your Car

Whether you decide to drive full-time or part-time, there is going to be wear and tear on your car where you will be putting on a lot of mileage.

If I was able to benefit from the pay incentives like those in larger markets, I wouldn’t mind it so much because the extra money I earn, I could easily set money aside for car maintenance.

However, since I live in a small market, it’s a challenge to squeeze out anything extra for car maintenance, in addition to the money I already have to set aside for gas.

To add, because I have some cosmetic damage to my car as seen in the video below, I can’t drive passengers around with Uber to make more money unless I decide to get that fixed. I’m not comfortable driving strangers around anyway, so getting the damaged repaired is not a priority.

If anything, I can write off any car maintenance, mileage, car washes, insurance, my cell phone, lunches, etc., because I am my own boss and this is my business.

 

In Conclusion 

To conclude my Uber Eats review, despite some of the cons, I say delivering for Uber Eats is worth it.

I am grateful for the fact that technology and app companies like Uber, Lyft, Instacart, etc., gives people the opportunity to work full or part-time by creating a job for themselves.

When you need extra money or have been unemployed for more than 6 months, this can be a real life saver!

I don’t intend to do Uber Eats full-time forever, but it’s something for right now that helps to keep a roof over my head. If anything, I most likely will do Uber Eats part-time for the next 1-2 years because the extra money I earn will go towards paying off my student loans.

Again, I’m grateful for the opportunity.

There people who work full-time and make as much as $100,000 per year, which is totally doable in a large market if you do Uber and Uber Eats together.

Can you believe that?!!

Therefore, if you like the idea of being your own boss, making your own schedule, and earning extra money, I say give Uber Eats a try here!

Who knows, the experience driving for Uber just might peak your interests to seek out other side business opportunities where you can become self-employed.

If you are really dedicated and willing to work at your side business until you make more than you do at your current job, you can kiss your employer good-bye!

Now that you have an overview about what’s it’s like to deliver for Uber Eats, watch my “Had to Quit My Job to Drive for Uber Eats” video below.

 

Music for “Had to Quit My Job to Drive for Uber Eats” Video

Artist: Jingle Punks
Track: In the Land of Rhinoplasty (Sting)
Genre: Rock | Happy

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Thanks!

-Tanisa

 

 

 

*I wish to be transparent with my readers and viewers. If you click on the link and decide to sign-up for Uber Eats, once you complete all the required introductory deliveries, I will earn a small bonus, and you can possibly earn a small bonus as well.