Interested in getting a job for Uber Eats bike delivery? Here is your guide to the gig in 2021! We answer your top questions including what are the uber eats bike requirements, what is the uber eats bike delivery pay, where do I get an uber eats delivery bag and where is the uber eats bike sign up?
In this comprehensive overview you’ll have all the answers you’re looking for, based on current, up-to-date information, backed by an experienced uber eats bike delivery courier with many completed trips. We’ll cover:
Uber Eats Bike Requirements
Uber Eats Bike vs Car
Best Places and Times to Deliver on Bike for Uber Eats
Uber Eats Bike Pay
Tips for Uber Eats Bike Delivery Riders
Uber Eats Bike Requirements
Before anything else, let’s get our eligibility sorted. Don’t worry, we’ll get into which method of transport is ideal a bit further down. Here’s what you’ll need
- At least 18 years old
- Proof of work eligibility and photo identification
- When signing up be sure to choose ‘Delivery by bicycle or foot’ under transportation method.
- Quick Tip: your background check can sometimes take a week or two so plan ahead! It’s also possible that you’ll have to retake photos of your ID for proof multiple times (I definitely did…). Don’t give up!
Uber’s photo recognition software can be a bit glitchy. Be persistent, as long as you have met your minimum requirements you’ll eventually get approved!
Uber Eats Bike vs Car
You have a ton of flexibility here choosing between Uber Eats Car, Bike or even Walk! Let’s have a look at your options and their pros and cons.
| Method of Transportation | Area best suited for | Pros | Cons |
| Car* | Suburbs or Midtown | You will get the “best” orders and more pay and tips. Can easily store food and bags Protection from the weather (rain/snow/thunder) Versatile, Comfortable, Safe More markets are open to you… tons of neighbourhoods to choose from | If you don’t have one already then, cars are expensive. You have to pay for gas, gradual wear and tear, insurance, etc. Parking can be tough/impossible downtown and you risk getting tickets. |
| Bicycle** | Midtown or Downtown | Low maintenance costs Great exercise Can take shortcuts and paths that cars can’t Can quickly pop in and out of restaurants, free from the stress of illegal or paid parking Can buy an affordable second-hand one. | Dangerous sharing the road with cars Also, night visibility is an issue sometimes A potential crash/fall could be severe. Spill potential. Cracks/potholes can destroy an order! Bicycle theft is rampant in bigger cities; locking can be a hassle Physically draining Best orders are delegated to cars Can’t delivery during harsher weather conditions |
| Walking | Downtown | Free! No upfront costs other than a good pair of shoes. No chance of spilling an order Great exercise | Less order volume, potentially earn less; again, the best orders are delegated to cars Only limited to very, very dense areas and very low distance orders. Relies on luck |
Which Delivery Method Is Right For You?
So… which method should you choose? Nobody can answer that other than you. Every person’s needs, market, accessibility, schedule, location, etc… are different. Personally, I’d recommend driving in the suburbs and cycling for city centers. Electric scooters are rising in popularity too, so that’s another option for some.
*Some of the car negatives can be mitigated by getting a smart car (easier parking) or hybrid (cheaper fuel)
**Some of the bicycle negatives can be partially mitigated by getting an e-bike (less physically draining, faster speed), but you will incur a greater initial cost (easily can cost $2,000 to buy one) and, very importantly, your bike—and also your battery—will become an even bigger thief magnet and require greater vigilance and paranoia. Beware.
Best places and times to deliver
Where are the best places to deliver on a bike with Uber Eats?
Generally speaking, the downtown and midtown core are always recommended, especially for bicycle couriers. Uber offers handy “earning forecasts” that can be accessed from within the app, and also a useful visualization system that shows boosts (earning multipliers) and surges (earning supplements).
I’d like to emphasize the fact that no two days are the same when it comes to this job. I’ve had many days when I worked an extra hour, yet earned noticeably less than the day before… all due to luck and tips. In some sense, the unpredictability of how much you’ll make is an alluring aspect of the job for some and a complete deal-breaker for others.
Try working in an area with greater surges/boosts and see how well it goes for you. Not getting the results you had expected? Switch up the area.
What are the best times to deliver with Uber Eats?
Generally, the lunch rush (11-2) and dinnertime (5-9) are the best times to deliver in most markets. Friday and Saturday evenings until maybe 10 or 11 are still profitable since many people stay up later and order in more frequently.
Colder months and rainy days mean more earnings too since there are fewer drivers on the road to compete with.
How much do Uber Eats Bike Drivers Make?
If you are delivering on a bike with Uber Eats you can expect to make:
- $15-18 CAD an hour on a bad day
- $19-26 CAD an hour on an average/decent day
- $27-35 CAD an hour on an exceptional day
This is for the larger city market with a higher cost of living. Slower markets and smaller cities will receive proportionally smaller earnings. For instance, these estimates are based on my uber eats delivery pay in Toronto, Canada.
It really really depends on your area, mode of transport, weather conditions and honestly… luck! Two good tips could drastically change your hourly wage for the better, while a day with minimal tips could severely decrease your hourly rate.
PS: Don’t forget that since we are considered independent contractors none of the numbers above include taxes, which have to be paid at the end of the year.
Pay Structure for Uber Eats delivery riders:
Uber calculates each order payout based on many factors:
- your proximity to the restaurant
- the distance from the restaurant to the customer
- if it’s a single or double order
- the size of the order
- boosts/surges that are applicable
- the saturation of the market (number of riders vs number of orders)
…meaning there’s no universal answer! Typical ranges are $3-20 depending on the above factors and method of transport
Uber takes a sizeable cut from the delivery/processing fee but allows you to keep 100% of any tips that you get. Tips make all the difference between a good and bad shift.
Uber will, by default, payout once a week but the option to cash out sooner exists too.
Tips for new Uber Eats bike delivery drivers
Here are some helpful tips for new Uber Eats bike delivery riders that I have learned along the way:
- Go online whenever works for you. The beauty of Uber, unlike other platforms, is that no scheduling is necessary and you can turn on and deliver when you feel like it. Take advantage of this flexibility!
- Don’t get frustrated if you don’t receive an order in a long time… this happens periodically. Uber doesn’t regulate how many drivers are on the road at any given time, meaning there can be a massive shortage or a great abundance of delivery drivers compared to the number of orders available in a given city.
- Get your gear sorted! A phone mount for your bike is a must so you can use your GPS while riding.
- Also, a solar powered phone bank is crucial because the app takes up a lot of batter power, especially on older phones. Plus you can keep charging it on sunny days. Make sure you have a decent data plan, a reliable phone and latest Uber application installed.
More Uber Eats Bike Delivery Tips
- You don’t have to accept every order! Some orders will make you travel too much out of your preferred zone, some orders might make you take undesirable or poorly paved streets, some may be too far, too hilly etc… reject orders when you feel it’s not right. That’s the beauty of being an “independent contractor”… you don’t have to accept every order.
- Many restaurants have a separate lineup for pickups, saving you lots of time.
- If a restaurant says you’ll need to wait more than 5 minutes I’d suggest cancelling it and moving on to another delivery… unless you’re in a place with few alternatives.
- Delivery bags are apparently optional, according to Uber policy, and are not supplied by the company. I’d say they are a must. You need a way to keep food warm and customers won’t be happy if their meal arrives cold. Here is the one I use.
- Smile, be polite and remain courteous. It will earn you tips and make the job more pleasant.
- Ride safely, but efficiently. Saving a minute is not worth risking a your life or getting a ticket.
- Call Uber support if something wrong happens (aggressive customer, order spilled, app problems, payment disputes, etc…) They are there to help and protect you.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try new areas, different times, different delivery bags, different phone mounts, etc… see what works for you.
- Check out Uber’s “Tips & Info” (located at the bottom of the menu) for some great general advice.
Uber Eats Bike Delivery Tips Infographic
That’s about it. I hope this guide was helpful. Many of the concepts here would apply to other delivery companies and for other geographical areas in North America, so if you’re reading this and you’re not from Toronto… the same principles and guidelines apply.
Do you meet the minimum requirements? Awesome! Sign up with referral code BENNYU60YUE and you´ll unlock a cash bonus after successfully completing 100 trips in Toronto. Full disclosure: I benefit from this too, so we both have something to gain.
– Benny, Uber Eats bike courier
