How Much Does The Average Deliveroo Driver Make?

The average rate for a Deliveroo driver or rider is approximately £7-12 per hour. However, working as a Deliveroo driver means taking on some uncertainties. You don’t get paid a fixed wage, and you can’t be sure of how many deliveries you’ll be able to secure. Therefore, you can never be certain of how much you’ll make in an hour, day, or even a week. The rate can change a lot.

With this in mind, to meet the latest Living wage figure of £9.90 per hour these drivers will likely have to make 3 drops per hour, considering costs. Driver data suggests, that although in an average hour a driver might deliver 2-4 drops, it’s not unusual to make well below the living wage in an hour. Deliveroo is just one of many online food delivery apps that you can work for, part or full time.

How Much Do Deliveroo Drivers Get Per Delivery?

The rate per delivery also varies depending on the restaurant, distance, the order, and tips. The higher rate for a delivery would reward the driver anywhere up to £6, whereas the lower end falls to £2.90.

Up until recently, some worthy drivers were paid a base rate and a smaller commission per drop, but since 2021 all drivers are paid purely on commission per drop, with no base pay.

What’s The Most You Can Make As A Deliveroo Driver?

Deliveroo has had many successful drivers that make very healthy salaries from being really determined, and dependable. These drivers can be pushing for £3,000 a month.

The app rewards the drivers that work really hard on being consistent, speedy and polite. The rewards are having pick of the bunch for driver and rider time slots, as well as more tips attributable to speed and customer service.

There are a couple of key factors that determine how much a rider or driver will earn. That’s their timings and their location. Riders can earn significantly more if they’re able to be on the road during the busy weekend dinner time slots.

However, whatever time slots you ride, there are some areas that are just much busier than others, and if you’re based in one of these busy areas you can expect above average earnings.

How Does Deliveroo Work?

Deliveroo is a company that provides food delivery services for many restaurants. Their famous uniformed riders have become synonymous with ordering out. They were the first company to make bicycle food delivery a mainstream service.

The company partners with all kinds of restaurants that operate in any area that they deem active enough. Over the 8 years that Deliveroo has been active it has expanded its operation to most main cities and some towns across the UK and now across Europe, Asia and Australia.

Most Deliveroo transactions are conducted via the app, where the customer can scroll through different restaurants in the area by category and then browse the menu, fill out their order and pay via debit card, Apple Pay or cash on delivery direct to the rider or driver. 

These orders will be visible to a driver or rider in that area and a delivery can be claimed, collected from the restaurant and then delivered to the customer via bike, scooter, or car.

Petrol

Although you can ride your bicycle, many drivers prefer the speed and comfort of a car or a moped and earn more with these vehicles. They do, however, require fuelling, and if you are driving between 100 and 300 miles a week this can drain your tank flat.

A re-fill can be upwards of £50 for a large tank, which will inevitably eat into your earnings. The price of petrol and the MPG of your vehicle will affect the figures, but it may be worth doing the maths before you get going.

Wear And Tear

Driving long distances will take its toll on your vehicle. This can come in the form of tyre or spring wear, chassis weakness, fluid spillages, clutch and brake damage.

If your deliveries are along bad pot-holed roads, these issues can crop up sooner than expected. A trip to the mechanic can set you back thousands and may also reduce the resale value of your vehicle.

Insurance

Any driver that uses a car, moped, motorbike or motor vehicle for their food deliveries will need a special type of insurance called “Deliveroo insurance”. This covers the driver in the same way as regular social domestic and pleasure insurance, that is standard across UK drivers, but is bought separately and must be held as well as standard insurance.

This type of insurance accounts for long hours of driving, nighttime driving, driving in pedestrian areas, and the added dangers inherent when driving under time pressure. For these reasons, Deliveroo drivers can expect to pay from £700 to upwards of £1,000 annually.

Deliveroo is partnered with Zego to offer an integrated policy that tracks the time that you work, but this is not always the best option, and it is worth comparing different policies to find the right hire and reward policy for you.

Deliveroo provides free personal injury protection and public liability to all its riders and drivers

If you decide to branch out and provide your own delivery service with multiple delivery vehicles, you may find that courier fleet insurance can provide savings compared to taking out individual courier polices for each vehicle type.

Deliveroo Can Offer Fun And Rewarding Work

Deliveroo is at the forefront of the gig economy sector, and offers some of the best benefits in the industry. The pay is variable, but there is great potential to earn. Riders and drivers alike can take home a healthy living while enjoying more freedom than ever before. Perfect for anybody of any age over 18, looking for a fun and flexible, part-time or full-time job.