UberEats St Catharines and Niagara Falls: Driver Pay and How To Sign Up

Updated 2019 – The market for food delivery in St Catharines and Niagara Falls has been heating up with big players like Skip the Dishes, Just Eat and of course Uber, competing for space. The UberEats St Catharines and Niagara Falls region is one delivery zone for drivers looking to learn how to sign up. 

We have included the delivery area maps below, along with all the information you need to sign up, contact Uber support, learn how your pay is calculated and more!

UberEats St. Catharines and Niagara Falls drivers are completely independent, which is in stark contrast to companies like Skip the Dishes, for example, where you have to sign up for “shifts” or blocks of time. With Uber, there are no shifts or hours, which means you can work for 15 minutes or 6 hours if you want. The unique flexibility of the Uber delivery service platform gives drivers complete control over their time. 

Let’s show you what the rates and requirements are for an UberEats driver in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls and how to get started!

Ready to get started as an UberEATS driver? Help keep us going and use our referral when you sign up!

Ways to Deliver

You can deliver with a bicycle, scooter or car but right now Ubereats St. Catharines and Niagara Falls is only accepting car applications.

UberEats St Catharines and Niagara Falls Driver Pay

You are paid a flat rate for picking up and dropping off orders, as well as a fee per kilometre and per minute. The Uber Fee, or Commission, can be between 5% – 35% and is taken off your fare. This fee depends on when you sign up as well as if you drive for UberX as well. UberX drivers that do Ubereats orders have a lower commission percentage but the boosts offered to them are also lower. 

“boost” is a bonus offered to drivers during peak periods in high demand areas. This is where Ubereats uses a multiplier to increase your earnings. If an in-demand delivery area advertises a multiplier, like 1.7, then your fare is multiplied by 1.7 and increased by 70%. The Uber commission is only applied to your fare, not the boost. 

You can accept tips in cash or customers have the option to tip you in the app after the delivery is made. 

How much will I make per hour?

Estimates are between $18-$25/hour, depending on demand, area, boosts, tips day and time. Some drivers have reported earnings up to $55/hour during peak times!

$1.50/Pick up

$0.37/km

$0.18/minute

$1.00/Drop off

35%

Uber Commission

Boosts Multiplier

Tips

Uber Eats Niagara and St Catharines Pay Calculations

With all these commissions, boosts, and compensation factors, it can get a bit confusing to calculate your pay. Although Uber does it for you, it is helpful to check your trip earnings for errors. Sometimes they are way off on the distance or the boost pay isn’t quite right. Maybe their commission seems too high?

We have your covered! Try our NEW Uber Eats Pay Calculator. Just enter all rates for your city (found above) and the Driver Pay Calculator will do the work for you!

Once you do a couple trips, you can see how long they take and even calculate what you are making per hour.

Interested in becoming an UberX driver too? Check out the rates and requirements page on How to Drive for Uber in Niagara. 

How do I get paid?

Method of Pay

Direct Deposit

Frequency of pay

Weekly unless you sign up with Payfareto get paid daily.

Bonuses & Incentives

Incentive Programs

Yes. Programs vary, but can include incentives like a $3 bonus per trip if you complete 8 trips in 3 hours downtown.

Hourly Guarantee or Standby Fee

No.

Referral Bonuses

Yes, paid to you when the driver completes a minimum number of trips.

Starting Bonus?

Yes, if you use an existing driver’s referral code. This bonus fluctuates and is often not what is advertised. You may have to complete a minimum number of trips within a certain time frame to be eligible.

UberEats St. Catharine and Niagara Falls Driver Requirements

  • Vehicle: 2 or 4 door vehicle no more than 20 years old
  • 21+ years old 
  • Proof of work eligibility: Birth certificate, Citizenship card, Passport, Residency card, SIN card, or Work permit
  • Phone: Iphone or Android (4.2 or newer) with data
  • Valid driver’s license, insurance and registration

UberEats St Catharines and Niagara Falls Region Delivery Area

Below is the Ubereats St Catharines and Niagara Falls delivery zone. As you can see there is a bit of a gap in the coverage area between the cities but you can deliver in both. 

ubereats-st-catharines-niagara-falls-delivery-area

As expected, you can see below the “hotspots” are basically downtown Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. You are likely going to be delivering to a lot more hotels in Niagara Falls because of the large volume of tourists.

ubereats-st-catharines-niagara-falls-hotspots

Generally, you want to avoid multi-unit buildings because the delivery takes longer and parking can be troublesome. The advantage to delivering to hotels though is that the tips are usually a bit better and you will sometimes receive American cash.

HST and Taxes for UberEats Drivers

As an independent contractor, you will have to pay taxes directly to the government like CPP (Canadian Pension Plan contributions), Employment Insurance (optional), Federal and Provincial Income tax. You are not an employee of Uber, so you are responsible for paying this yourself. It is recommended to consult with an accountant who can tell you how much to save from your earnings, especially if you have another job. 

You will likely NOT require a HST number. Uber will collect all required taxes from the customer and remit it directly to the government. If you drive for a living you may want to consult an accountant regarding possible registration. Once you pass a certain amount of income as an independent contractor (typically $30,000 annually), you may have to charge and remit HST. Tax rules change frequently so get some help!

Check out our Tax Help section for more information about rideshare deductions and expenses, income tax and sales tax. Though the sales tax information is geared towards rideshare drivers, most of the articles apply to Ubereats St Catharines drivers too!

Insurance Requirements

Most insurance companies require you to disclose to them you are using your vehicle for business related purposes. As a courier, this includes you delivering food. Before you start driving, you should talk with your insurance company or agent for more information. 

Uber does not provide insurance to Uber Eats only drivers. If you are transporting passengers for one of the ridesharing services, like UberX, you are then covered for delivery trips by Uber’s commercial insurance policy. 

5-Step Sign Up Process

1: Visit their website, download and sign up through their app for Android or Iphone.

Use a friend’s referral code or help support our site by using ours: g4j6h654ue. You can also click on this link

2: Upload the required documents. 

3: Wait for your background check to be completed and Uber to notify you when you have been activated.

4: Get an insulated bag (optional).

5: Log on and off the app whenever you want to start accepting delivery requests!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an insulated delivery bag? 

An insulated bag is not mandatory for UberEats St Catharines drivers but it sure does help. You can buy one from  their supplier for approximately $11.25 including shipping. It is important to note, some restaurants may not allow you to pickup an order without a bag, particularly when delivering pizzas. Either way, the cost is pretty low. If you are a cyclist, the cost is around $40.

Do I need to sign for shifts?

No need to sign up for shifts. Just log on and accept “Pings”, which are on-demand requests for deliveries. Accept or decline requests and log off whenever you want!

Are there a minimum number of deliveries I need to do to stay active on the platform?

No, but if your documents expire you will need to upload them again before you can start driving. 

Is there an orientation, interview or “onboarding” session?

No, everything is done online or you can you go the Greenlight Hub closest to you to sign up or get help if you need it!

What happens if they customer doesn’t answer the door when I arrive?

Contact the customer by phone first. If they don’t answer, a timer will start and typically have to wait for 5-8 minutes. Once the timer counts down to 0, you can cancel the order. You will still get paid the full fare and you can keep the food too! 

How do multiple orders work?

Sometimes you get a second or even third “ping” to accept a pick up request at the same restaurant you are already heading to. The main difference with the pay is that you get an additional drop-off fee for each delivery but only one pickup fee. Time and distance calculations are still the same. 

Contact Information

Support number: 1-800-593-7069 (only for current drivers)
Twitter Support: Uber_support
Uber Help Center: Help Center
UberEATS support number: 1-800-617-1979 (for drivers currently on deliveries)

Unfortunately, there is no permanent Uber office in Niagara Falls or St. Catharines. Sometimes they hold what are called “Greenlight Spots” which are temporary physical locations set up to assist drivers in the sign up process. You can check periodically for these on their website

The closest Uber office is in Mississauga but your best bet is to check for Greenlight Spots in Hamilton. You can find out when the next one is on their website.

Mississauga Greenlight Hub 
(Closest Permanent Uber Office)

1980 Matheson Blvd E, Unit A
Mississauga, ON, L4W 5N3

Check here for the hours of operation.


About The Author: Commercial Driver HQ

Commercial Driver HQ strives to provide you with quality information about driving for a living. Whether you’re an Uber driver or a long haul trucker, we are here to help you succeed!

For everything rideshare and commercial driving, follow us at CDHQ!


FEATURED USER REFERRAL CODE

“Make sure you gas up before you start driving. You will get a bad customer rating if you have to stop for fuel during a trip.”
Doug’s Referral Code

Doug J.


Get CDHQ Updates Right To Your Mailbox!


Helpful Rideshare Links