Make Cash With These Delivery Apps
1. Become an Uber Eats Driver
Daisy-Daisy/Getty Images
Ahhh, the sweet smell of takeout stinking up your car.
OK, it might not be the most appealing thing in the world — you might want to crack a few windows, depending on the type of cuisine you’re delivering — but Uber Eats offers flexible food-delivery opportunities.
Here are more details:
William DeShazer for The Penny Hoarder
If you sign up as a Shipt Shopper, it’s your job to pick and choose grocery orders to fill and deliver. Take notes from Destiny Frith, who used Shipt to earn up to $20 an hour when she was between jobs.
Here are more details:
3. Become an Instacart Shopper
Instacart is different from other grocery-delivery services because it offers shoppers two different money-making opportunities.Your first option is to sign up as a full-service shopper, which requires you to shop and deliver groceries. Then there’s the in-store shopper option, which doesn’t require making any deliveries. The in-store shopper simply shops in the store and bags the items so they’re ready for pick-up.
To be consistent with the delivery trend we have going, we’ll focus on the full-service shopper.
Here are more details:
Grubhub has been around for a while — since 2004. It satisfies all of our take-out needs.
Side note: If you’re wondering why Seamless, another food-delivery service, didn’t make the list, GrubHub and Seamless merged a while back. So if you want to drive with Seamless, it’ll redirect you to GrubHub’s driver page.
Here are more details:
This is arguably the best title on our list of food-delivery gigs: DoorDasher.
With DoorDash, you’ll be delivering food from restaurants in your area.
Here are more details:
MartinPrescott/Getty Images
Want to live life on the edge? You could deliver just about anything as a Postmates driver — food, drinks, groceries… You never know!
Here are more details:
************************************************************************************************************************************
1. Deliver Dry Cleaning — on a Flexible Schedule
Here’s a simple part-time money-making opportunity you might not be aware of. All you need is a vehicle.
You could make deliveries and pickups for Cleanly, an on-demand laundry and dry cleaning service. The startup operates in New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and it plans to expand further.
You’d be a part-time employee with a flexible schedule. You could work in the mornings or evenings. You could work on weekdays, weekends or both.
Cleanly has two daily shifts for drivers: An early shift from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and a late shift from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. You’re guaranteed to earn at least $55 per four-hour shift.
In the name of efficiency, each driver’s laundry pickups and deliveries are clustered in one or two zip codes, so you won’t get dispatched all over town. You’ll also be reimbursed for mileage.
Other upsides: You can earn tips from pleased customers. You’ll gain experience with a growing startup. And Cleanly offers round-the-clock support for its delivery driving contractors, whom it calls “concierges.”
The requirements: You must have your own car or van, and a valid driver’s license. You’ll need to be able to work at least three shifts per week.
Interested? Apply to become a Cleanly concierge here.
2. Drive Around Town (and Get Paid for It)
It’s a new day on NYC streets, where cars affiliated with ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber now outnumber cabs nearly four to one, reports the New York Times.
Naturally, New York City has special requirements for ride-share drivers. You’ll need a license from the Taxi & Limousine Commission, so you’ll need to take a defensive driving course, a driver-education course and wheelchair-passenger-assistance training. WikiHow explains the details.
That might sound like a lot. But once you get that out of the way, you’re free as a bird, and you’re working in a target-rich environment loaded with paying passengers.
Try driving with Lyft. Demand for ride-sharing is growing like crazy and shows no signs of slowing down.
To be eligible, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old with a year of driving experience, pass a background check and own a car made in 2007 or later.
Because it’s simple to switch between apps, many Lyft drivers also sign up as a driver partner with Uber.
As a partner driver with Uber, you’re an independent contractor. You set your own schedule and work as much or as little as you want.
If you want to give it a try, here are a few things to keep in mind: You must be at least 21 years old, have at least one year of licensed driving experience in the U.S. (three years if you're under 23 years old), have a valid U.S. driver's license and pass a background check.
Finally, your car must be a four-door, seat at least four passengers (excluding the driver), be registered in-state and be covered by in-state insurance.
Here's a link to apply with Uber.
2. List a Room for Rent on Airbnb
Have a spare room? Might as well try to earn some money by listing it on Airbnb.
If you’re a good host with a desirable space, you could add hundreds — even thousands — of dollars to your savings account with Airbnb.
A few simple steps can make the difference between a great experience and a less-than-satisfactory one.
Here are some tips:
(Hosting laws vary from city to city. Please understand the rules and regulations applicable to New York City.)
3. Deliver Food
Takeout is a way of life in New York City, home to thousands and thousands of restaurants. Uber Eats, the food delivery service, is quite active here. In fact, it offers its own curated NYC menu featuring dishes from spots locals love.
Driving for Uber Eats offers flexible food delivery options.
Drivers are paid a pick-up fee, for the distance traveled and a drop-off fee. Uber takes a service fee. Delivery partners can cash out up to five times a day with instant pay.
As for requirements, you must:
4. Find a Flexible Work-From-Home Gig
Working from home has its perks. You don’t have to deal with rush-hour traffic or public transportation. There’s no ice or snow in your living room. You can make money without even leaving your apartment. Heck, you don’t even have to leave your couch.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Parking is at a premium in this city. It’s a hassle, and it’s expensive. If you have an extra parking space anywhere in the five boroughs, you might be able to establish a stream of passive income.
List your space on Craigslist. A quick look at Craiglist’s page for “parking and storage” in NYC shows more than 1,000 listings.
Note, many of these are commercial parking lots. But we also see spots in private driveways in Queens going for $175 to $300 a month. Parking spots a block or two from the beach in Long Beach are going for $300 a month.
Not bad for a slab of asphalt.
6. Invest in Real Estate (From Your Computer)
New York City is all about real estate. It always has been, ever since the Dutch bought Manhattanfrom the Native Americans in 1626.
Investing in real estate is hot right now, and why not? As Mark Twain supposedly pointed out, they’re not making any more land.
It’s usually complicated, though. You need a lot of money, and then you have to play landlord. But there’s a new way to invest, and you can get started with a minimum investment of just $500. A company called Fundrise does all the heavy lifting for you.
Through the Fundrise Starter Portfolio, your money will be split into two portfolios that support private real estate around the United States.
This isn’t an obscure investment, though. You can see exactly which properties are included in your portfolios — like a set of townhomes in Snoqualmie, Washington, or an apartment building in Charlotte, North Carolina.
You can earn money through quarterly dividend payments and potential appreciation in the value of your shares, just like a stock. Cash flow typically comes from interest payments and property income (e.g. rent).
(But remember: Investments come with risk. While Fundrise has paid distributions every quarter since at least Q2 2016, dividend and principal payments are never guaranteed.)
You’ll pay a 0.85% annual asset management fee and a 0.15% annual investment advisory fee.
Interested? Get started with Fundrise here.
7. Start Your Own Work-From-Home Business
Working from home sounds great, but maybe you want to set your own schedule, too. That’s where an online course can come in handy, like Bookkeeper Business Launch.
If you’re interested in bookkeeping, take notes from Daniel Honan. The former military officer decided to start his own virtual business, so he signed up for the free Bookkeeper Business Launch course. It helps folks start and grow their business.
Honan finished the courses in about three months. When we talked with him, he had about 10 clients spanning the U.S. and worked 40-hour weeks. He estimated he’d gross about $50,000 during his first year in business.
The first courses are free, so be sure to check them out.
8. Go Mystery Shopping — and Get Free Beer
The craft beer industry is hoppin’, so take advantage of it by, well, getting paid to visit breweries.
When you sign up as a mystery shopper, it’s your job to go to a grocery store, gas station, restaurant or, in this case, a breweries, and provide anonymous feedback.
Now, you can get paid to mystery shop — and drink — at breweries in your area through Secret Hopper. (Clever, right?)
The company is looking for detail-oriented beer-drinkers to hop around to different breweries and objectively rate and review their experiences. One Penny Hoarder gave the gig a try. He paid $16 on his visit to a local brewery. Secret Hopper paid him $20 via PayPal within a few days.
So, no, you’re not going to get rich, but you will get free beer, and that makes us hoppy.
All you have to do is sign up, then it’ll contact you when you’re needed.
9. Find Freelance Work, Small Jobs and Side Gigs
Still need money? Time to scratch up a side gig.
Look through job postings on sites like these:
1. Become an Uber Eats Driver
Daisy-Daisy/Getty Images
Ahhh, the sweet smell of takeout stinking up your car.
OK, it might not be the most appealing thing in the world — you might want to crack a few windows, depending on the type of cuisine you’re delivering — but Uber Eats offers flexible food-delivery opportunities.
Here are more details:
- Locations: Uber Eats is all over the U.S. — and the world, really. For a full list, go to its location page.
- Pay: Drivers are paid a pick-up fee, for the distance traveled and a drop-off fee. Uber takes a service fee. Delivery partners can cash out up to five times a day with instant pay.
- Schedule: Flexible.
- Be at least 19 years old if delivering by car.
- Delivery options via car (must be a 1997 or newer with at least two doors), bike, scooter or foot depending on your area.
- Pass a background check.
- Have a valid driver’s license and insurance (if you deliver by car or scooter).
- How to apply: For all the information you need, head over to the Uber Eats sign-up page.
William DeShazer for The Penny Hoarder
If you sign up as a Shipt Shopper, it’s your job to pick and choose grocery orders to fill and deliver. Take notes from Destiny Frith, who used Shipt to earn up to $20 an hour when she was between jobs.
Here are more details:
- Locations: Shipt is currently available in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, and expanding throughout the rest of the country. An easy way to see if it’s in your area is to enter your zip code here.
- Pay: The Shipt site says shoppers can earn up to $25 an hour. Shoppers are paid per order, so that’ll vary by order count and tips.
- Schedule: Flexible, though peak days are Sunday and Monday, according to the driver application.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a reliable vehicle that’s less than 15 years old.
- Have an iPhone (iOS 8 or newer) or Android (4.4.2 or newer) phone.
- Have a valid U.S. driver’s license and auto insurance with at least a year of driving experience.
- Pass a background check.
- Own an insulated cooler bag.
- Know your way around the produce section.
- Be able to lift at least 25 pounds.
- Be able to avoid smoking on the job.
- How to apply: Fill out the short online application. Shipt will email you with more details within 24 hours. You’ll have a virtual interview, either through your computer or on your phone. Shipt says it takes approximately 15 minutes.
3. Become an Instacart Shopper
Instacart is different from other grocery-delivery services because it offers shoppers two different money-making opportunities.Your first option is to sign up as a full-service shopper, which requires you to shop and deliver groceries. Then there’s the in-store shopper option, which doesn’t require making any deliveries. The in-store shopper simply shops in the store and bags the items so they’re ready for pick-up.
To be consistent with the delivery trend we have going, we’ll focus on the full-service shopper.
Here are more details:
- Locations: There’s a big ol‘ map of Instacart’s service areas. Enter your zip code to get more details about your area.
- Pay: Instacart doesn’t share any average earnings, though you’re paid per delivery. Some recent Indeed reviews of Instacart have mentioned $9 an hour in Indiana. In a bigger area, like San Francisco, one independent contractor cited making $15 to $20 an hour.
- Schedule: Flexible, no note of popular times.
- Be 18 years or older.
- Be eligible to work in the U.S.
- Have reliable access to a vehicle and two or more years of driving experience.
- Have a smartphone (iPhone 4S or Android 4.0 or newer).
- Be able to lift 30 to 40 pounds.
- How to apply: Enter basic information here. Then, attend an assigned in-person group session, where you’ll get an overview of Instacart, its app and your next steps.
Grubhub has been around for a while — since 2004. It satisfies all of our take-out needs.
Side note: If you’re wondering why Seamless, another food-delivery service, didn’t make the list, GrubHub and Seamless merged a while back. So if you want to drive with Seamless, it’ll redirect you to GrubHub’s driver page.
Here are more details:
- Locations: Here’s a long list of cities GrubHub delivers in.
- Pay: GrubHub deems pay “competitive” and notes that drivers keep 100% of their tips.
- Schedule: Flexible.
- Be at least 19 years old.
- Have two or more years of driving experience.
- Have an iPhone (iOS 8 or newer) or Android (4.4.2 or newer) phone.
- Have a valid driver’s license, insurance and clean driving record. You can also deliver via motorcycle, scooter, bike or food.
- Have a checking account for direct deposit.
- Pass a background check.
- How to apply: Submit an online application, then attend a local onboarding session.
This is arguably the best title on our list of food-delivery gigs: DoorDasher.
With DoorDash, you’ll be delivering food from restaurants in your area.
Here are more details:
- Locations: DoorDash is in more than 300 cities. Find out if yours makes the list.
- Pay: The site lists no specifics, but one guy reported making an average of $18 an hour last December, which he says was his lowest earning month.
- Schedule: Flexible, though many report Sundays are the busiest days.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have no major violations in the past seven years.
- Have less than three accidents or traffic violations in the past three years.
- Have an iPhone or Android smartphone.
- How to apply: Head over to the DoorDash site to sign up.
MartinPrescott/Getty Images
Want to live life on the edge? You could deliver just about anything as a Postmates driver — food, drinks, groceries… You never know!
Here are more details:
- Locations: Check out this breakdown of cities by state.
- Pay: Postmates’ site says you can earn more than $25 an hour, plus tips.
- Schedule: Flexible.
- How to apply: Enter your email address and create a password here. Continue to enter basic information and authorize a background check. Next, you’ll get to create a profile, set up direct deposit and explore the dashboard. Wait for a welcome kit in the mail.
************************************************************************************************************************************
1. Deliver Dry Cleaning — on a Flexible Schedule
Here’s a simple part-time money-making opportunity you might not be aware of. All you need is a vehicle.
You could make deliveries and pickups for Cleanly, an on-demand laundry and dry cleaning service. The startup operates in New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and it plans to expand further.
You’d be a part-time employee with a flexible schedule. You could work in the mornings or evenings. You could work on weekdays, weekends or both.
Cleanly has two daily shifts for drivers: An early shift from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and a late shift from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. You’re guaranteed to earn at least $55 per four-hour shift.
In the name of efficiency, each driver’s laundry pickups and deliveries are clustered in one or two zip codes, so you won’t get dispatched all over town. You’ll also be reimbursed for mileage.
Other upsides: You can earn tips from pleased customers. You’ll gain experience with a growing startup. And Cleanly offers round-the-clock support for its delivery driving contractors, whom it calls “concierges.”
The requirements: You must have your own car or van, and a valid driver’s license. You’ll need to be able to work at least three shifts per week.
Interested? Apply to become a Cleanly concierge here.
2. Drive Around Town (and Get Paid for It)
It’s a new day on NYC streets, where cars affiliated with ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber now outnumber cabs nearly four to one, reports the New York Times.
Naturally, New York City has special requirements for ride-share drivers. You’ll need a license from the Taxi & Limousine Commission, so you’ll need to take a defensive driving course, a driver-education course and wheelchair-passenger-assistance training. WikiHow explains the details.
That might sound like a lot. But once you get that out of the way, you’re free as a bird, and you’re working in a target-rich environment loaded with paying passengers.
Try driving with Lyft. Demand for ride-sharing is growing like crazy and shows no signs of slowing down.
To be eligible, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old with a year of driving experience, pass a background check and own a car made in 2007 or later.
Because it’s simple to switch between apps, many Lyft drivers also sign up as a driver partner with Uber.
As a partner driver with Uber, you’re an independent contractor. You set your own schedule and work as much or as little as you want.
If you want to give it a try, here are a few things to keep in mind: You must be at least 21 years old, have at least one year of licensed driving experience in the U.S. (three years if you're under 23 years old), have a valid U.S. driver's license and pass a background check.
Finally, your car must be a four-door, seat at least four passengers (excluding the driver), be registered in-state and be covered by in-state insurance.
Here's a link to apply with Uber.
2. List a Room for Rent on Airbnb
Have a spare room? Might as well try to earn some money by listing it on Airbnb.
If you’re a good host with a desirable space, you could add hundreds — even thousands — of dollars to your savings account with Airbnb.
A few simple steps can make the difference between a great experience and a less-than-satisfactory one.
Here are some tips:
- Make your space available during high-demand times in your area. Think: concerts, conventions and sporting events.
- Be a good host, and stock your place with the toiletries you’d expect at a hotel — toilet paper, soap and towels.
- Be personable. A lot of travelers turn to Airbnb for the personal touch they won’t find at commercial properties.
(Hosting laws vary from city to city. Please understand the rules and regulations applicable to New York City.)
3. Deliver Food
Takeout is a way of life in New York City, home to thousands and thousands of restaurants. Uber Eats, the food delivery service, is quite active here. In fact, it offers its own curated NYC menu featuring dishes from spots locals love.
Driving for Uber Eats offers flexible food delivery options.
Drivers are paid a pick-up fee, for the distance traveled and a drop-off fee. Uber takes a service fee. Delivery partners can cash out up to five times a day with instant pay.
As for requirements, you must:
- Be at least 19 years old.
- Deliver via car (must be a 1997 or newer with at least two doors), bike, scooter or foot, depending on your area.
- Pass a background check.
- Have a valid driver’s license and insurance (if you deliver by car or scooter).
4. Find a Flexible Work-From-Home Gig
Working from home has its perks. You don’t have to deal with rush-hour traffic or public transportation. There’s no ice or snow in your living room. You can make money without even leaving your apartment. Heck, you don’t even have to leave your couch.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- We recommend starting your search with ZipRecruiter. It sends you to a list of geo-tailored work-from-home job openings. (Because, yes, even some work-from-home job opportunities have location restrictions.)
- There are plenty of scams out there, so keep an eye out for red flags. Here’s how to detect a work-from-home-job scam.
- Check out The Penny Hoarder’s Jobs page on Facebook. You can find some flexible work-from-home opportunities there.
- If you’re looking for full-time work, here are five companies that hire remote workers. Although these positions generally don’t pay high wages, many do provide a regular paycheck and health insurance, among other benefits.
Parking is at a premium in this city. It’s a hassle, and it’s expensive. If you have an extra parking space anywhere in the five boroughs, you might be able to establish a stream of passive income.
List your space on Craigslist. A quick look at Craiglist’s page for “parking and storage” in NYC shows more than 1,000 listings.
Note, many of these are commercial parking lots. But we also see spots in private driveways in Queens going for $175 to $300 a month. Parking spots a block or two from the beach in Long Beach are going for $300 a month.
Not bad for a slab of asphalt.
6. Invest in Real Estate (From Your Computer)
New York City is all about real estate. It always has been, ever since the Dutch bought Manhattanfrom the Native Americans in 1626.
Investing in real estate is hot right now, and why not? As Mark Twain supposedly pointed out, they’re not making any more land.
It’s usually complicated, though. You need a lot of money, and then you have to play landlord. But there’s a new way to invest, and you can get started with a minimum investment of just $500. A company called Fundrise does all the heavy lifting for you.
Through the Fundrise Starter Portfolio, your money will be split into two portfolios that support private real estate around the United States.
This isn’t an obscure investment, though. You can see exactly which properties are included in your portfolios — like a set of townhomes in Snoqualmie, Washington, or an apartment building in Charlotte, North Carolina.
You can earn money through quarterly dividend payments and potential appreciation in the value of your shares, just like a stock. Cash flow typically comes from interest payments and property income (e.g. rent).
(But remember: Investments come with risk. While Fundrise has paid distributions every quarter since at least Q2 2016, dividend and principal payments are never guaranteed.)
You’ll pay a 0.85% annual asset management fee and a 0.15% annual investment advisory fee.
Interested? Get started with Fundrise here.
7. Start Your Own Work-From-Home Business
Working from home sounds great, but maybe you want to set your own schedule, too. That’s where an online course can come in handy, like Bookkeeper Business Launch.
If you’re interested in bookkeeping, take notes from Daniel Honan. The former military officer decided to start his own virtual business, so he signed up for the free Bookkeeper Business Launch course. It helps folks start and grow their business.
Honan finished the courses in about three months. When we talked with him, he had about 10 clients spanning the U.S. and worked 40-hour weeks. He estimated he’d gross about $50,000 during his first year in business.
The first courses are free, so be sure to check them out.
8. Go Mystery Shopping — and Get Free Beer
The craft beer industry is hoppin’, so take advantage of it by, well, getting paid to visit breweries.
When you sign up as a mystery shopper, it’s your job to go to a grocery store, gas station, restaurant or, in this case, a breweries, and provide anonymous feedback.
Now, you can get paid to mystery shop — and drink — at breweries in your area through Secret Hopper. (Clever, right?)
The company is looking for detail-oriented beer-drinkers to hop around to different breweries and objectively rate and review their experiences. One Penny Hoarder gave the gig a try. He paid $16 on his visit to a local brewery. Secret Hopper paid him $20 via PayPal within a few days.
So, no, you’re not going to get rich, but you will get free beer, and that makes us hoppy.
All you have to do is sign up, then it’ll contact you when you’re needed.
9. Find Freelance Work, Small Jobs and Side Gigs
Still need money? Time to scratch up a side gig.
Look through job postings on sites like these:
- Upwork: You create a profile and search for jobs based on your talents. There are all kinds of opportunities, from web and graphic design to IT and accounting. When you find a job posting that interests you, pitch for the job. If the client likes you, you’re hired.
- TaskRabbit: This gig site matches workers with people who need help with odd jobs like cleaning houses, making deliveries or completing tasks around the house. Here’s our guide to making money on TaskRabbit.
