Driving for DoorDash and not getting orders isn’t fun. You sign up for the app to make extra income, but when the orders aren’t there, that doesn’t happen. So how can you get more deliveries and increase your side gig earnings?
Here are five ways to get more deliveries now.
5 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting DoorDash Orders
You may not be getting orders on DoorDash for many reasons. But fortunately, you can problem-solve most issues and start seeing the number of orders you want.
The first step is understanding why you’re not getting the DoorDash orders you hoped for. Then you can rectify it and determine the best ways to maximize your earnings.
Here are the top reasons you may not be getting orders.
1. Too Many Available Dashers
If you’re working in a highly saturated area, there’s more competition for every order coming through the app. If there’s a Dasher with a higher average rating than you or a little closer to the restaurant location, you may not be chosen for the order.
While this doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get any orders, it can significantly decrease your per-hour earnings if you don’t have frequent orders when logged into the app.
2. Not a Top Dasher
The DoorDash Top Dasher program allows Top Dashers to dash at any time rather than only when the map shows red ‘hot spots.’ This means you can log on anytime you are free and want to get to work.
However, even as a Top Dasher, if you log into an already saturated or low-demand area, there isn’t a guarantee you’ll get a lot of orders. It’s still a good idea to watch the heat map and focus your efforts on areas where dashers are needed most.
To be a Top Dasher, you must:
- Have an average rating of at least 4.7
- Have at least a 95% completion rate
- Have at least a 70% acceptance rate
- Complete at least 100 deliveries in the last month
- Complete at least 200 deliveries over your lifetime
Keep in mind that you can be a Top Dasher one month and not the next. You must qualify every month, meaning that you need to hit all of the above criteria by 11:59 pm on the last day of the previous month.
3. Not Logged Into a Dash
When you’re not logged in, you can’t get orders. It’s that simple.
But, as a new Dasher, you can’t just log in whenever and wherever you want. While you can work any shifts you want, you can only log into red areas on the heat map. If the area is grayed out, there are more than enough Dashers to serve the demand of orders.
But if you’re active and aren’t getting orders, ensure you are still logged into the app and near the area you want to work. DoorDash tracks your location to ensure you are close enough to the restaurant to accept any orders that come in.
4. Bad WiFi or Cellular Connection
An unfortunate fact of working for gig apps is that you need an internet connection. If you live in an area with spotty service or your cellphone isn’t reliable, you may miss opportunities because you must be connected to accept orders.
If you can’t get a good connection, consider talking with your cell phone provider or trying a different area to see if there is a better connection elsewhere so you can get notified of available orders.
5. Paused Dash
The DoorDash app allows you to pause notifications, which can be helpful when you need to take a break. But it could be frustrating when you’re actively waiting for orders and accidentally hit the ‘pause’ button.
Be extra careful when you have the app open that you don’t tap the pause button, and check the app frequently to be sure you didn’t.
Best Ways To Get More Deliveries From DoorDash
Signing up for DoorDash is the first step to making money, but you must know how to maximize your opportunities to make the most of it.
Here are the best ways to increase your earnings when you’re active on DoorDash.
Optimize Dashing Times
The best time to drive for DoorDash is when it’s the busiest. The more orders you can take, the more money you’ll make.
According to DoorDash, the best times to Dash are 11 am to 2 pm for lunch and 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm for dinner.
You can also keep an eye on the heat map screen. When an area turns red, it means there are a lot of orders and not enough Dashers. You’ll likely notice different shades of red on the map. The darker the red, the more urgently they need drivers.
You may also find areas or times when DoorDash offers promotions or incentives for drivers to hop onto the app. If you find an area in dire need, just click ‘Dash Now’ and hop in on the earnings.
Explore Different Locations
If you aren’t having luck in one location, try another. While it makes the most financial sense from an expense point of view to stay close to home, there may not be enough orders to make it worth it.
If you’re driving for DoorDash not getting orders, consider trying different locations. The heat map is a great source to help you position yourself where there are orders, but you can experiment with different areas to see how much you make.
Stack Your Orders
You can accept both orders and make more money if multiple orders exist at a single restaurant. Just be careful, though, because your tips are based on your customer service level and how fast customers get their food.
Ensure the delivery locations are within a reasonable distance, enabling you to deliver the orders while the food is hot and fresh. There’s no point in stacking orders if you can’t provide great customer service and have angry customers. You’ll get lower (or no) tips, and their rating could hurt your chances of getting future orders.
So while stacking orders is a great way to make money, be selective about which orders you accept.
Try HotSpots
It’s best to position yourself near DoorDash hotspots. You can identify them by the flame on the map. A hotspot is a cluster of restaurants in one area, increasing your chances of earning more money there through increased order volume.
Because DoorDash sends orders to the Dashers nearest the restaurant, you can increase your chances of getting chosen when you’re in a ‘hot area’ with many restaurants around.
Schedule Your Dashes
You can schedule your Dashes in the app if you want to guarantee a certain time to Dash. The app usually allows Dashers to schedule shifts a few days in advance, allowing you to lock in hours during busier times.
If you wait to hit ‘Dash Now,’ you might not be able to Dash when you want. As soon as the map is ‘gray,’ it means the area has enough Dashers, and they aren’t accepting more at that time.
When scheduling Dashes, note that you might not always get the shifts you want. The earlier you log in to set your shifts, the better because they remove the available shift from the schedule once they reach a certain capacity.
Explore Other Driving Apps If You’re Not Getting DoorDash Orders
If you’re driving for DoorDash not getting orders, consider stacking the opportunity with other gig economy apps. You can work for as many apps as you want at a time, but ensure you can provide great customer service for each job you accept.
For example, if you’re active on DoorDash and GrubHub simultaneously, keep track of which app the orders come through and follow through on the customer service to ensure you get a good rating and a good tip to make the most money.
To diversify your efforts, here are other apps to consider besides DoorDash.
Instacart
Instacart is an app that allows shoppers to pick up a buyer’s order by shopping the list at the grocery store, checking out, and delivering it to their doorstep. The app offers a flat fee for shoppers, plus you keep 100% of the customer tips.
GrubHub
GrubHub is like DoorDash, allowing drivers to pick up prepared orders from restaurants and deliver them to the customers. While GrubHub isn’t as popular as DoorDash, some areas may have more GrubHub orders than DoorDash.
Uber Eats
Uber Eats is another DoorDash competitor, paying drivers to pick up restaurant orders and deliver them to customers. All Uber drivers are automatically approved to deliver for Uber Eats, or you can sign up for Uber Eats alone. The only downside is Uber Eats doesn’t offer as many promotions for additional income as DoorDash does.
AmazonFlex
AmazonFlex is an opportunity to deliver for Amazon using your vehicle. Amazon calls drivers ‘delivery partners,’ and you can earn $18 to $25 delivering Amazon orders (and sometimes grocery orders) from Amazon Fresh to customers.
Shipt
Shipt is like Instacart, paying shoppers to pick out a buyer’s grocery list, check out and deliver them to their doorstep. You may also find opportunities to shop in-store only, delivering the order to the customer’s car at the curb rather than driving it to their house.
FAQs
Here are answers to common questions I receive to help you fix the issue.
Why Does It Take So Long To Get Orders on DoorDash?
It can take some trial and error to get orders on DoorDash. New Dashers don’t have the ratings of experienced Dashers, so you may not be the first pick when an order becomes available. The key is to position yourself in areas with a high driver demand so there is enough to go around for everyone.
Why Does DoorDash Say It’s Very Busy When It’s Not?
DoorDash’s definition of very busy is in relation to the number of Dashers versus orders. This could mean there are five orders and three dashers or hundreds of orders and only a few Dashers. There isn’t a protocol to the numbers to consider it ‘very busy,’ so keep that in mind when looking at areas to DoorDash.
Why Is DoorDash So Slow Lately?
DoorDash was very busy during the last few years because so many people weren’t leaving their homes, and restaurants weren’t open to customers. Since most establishments are now open and people can come and go as they please, the demand for Dashers has decreased.
What Day Is DoorDash Least Busy?
The busy and slow times vary considerably by area, but Monday is generally the slowest day of the week. This is because many restaurants aren’t open on Mondays, and even if they are, there typically aren’t many orders right after the weekend.
Do Top Dashers Get More Orders?
Top Dashers get priority over other drivers if two or more drivers are available to take an order. They also get the option to ‘Dash Now’ in any area, even areas that are already filled with enough Dashers for the night.
Why Am I Not Getting High Paying Orders on DoorDash?
To get higher-paying orders, Dashers must have at least a 4.5 rating and a 50% acceptance rate. If you have an even higher acceptance rate of 70%, you’ll have an even higher priority for DoorDash orders.
Is DoorDash Not Worth It Anymore?
Driving for DoorDash and not getting orders might make you think it’s not worth it anymore, but for most Dashers, it is. You just have to know where to position yourself to get the most orders.
Then you must provide great customer service, get good ratings, and become a Top Dasher so you always get priority orders and make the most money on DoorDash.
