Why Is DoorDash So Slow? - Financial Panther

If you’re wondering why DoorDash is so slow, this post can help you understand what’s going on. There are two people who might be wondering why DoorDash is slow. These include the following:

You’re a DoorDash driver (Dasher) and aren’t receiving any orders.
You’re a customer and are waiting a long time for your order to arrive.

Let’s take a look at all of the reasons why DoorDash could be slow.

I’m A Driver – Why Is DoorDash So Slow?

There are four main reasons why things might be slow when you’re Dashing. These include the following:

You’re Dashing during non-peak hours.
The DoorDash app is down.
You’re not in a busy area.
There are too many Dashers signed in.

Let’s address each of these in turn.

1. Dashing During Non-Peak Hours

Food delivery is predictable. People order food during two main hours – lunch and dinner. For the most part, you want to stick to doing deliveries during these times. That mainly means working between 11 am and 1 pm, and from 5 pm to 8 pm. I generally stick to working only during these prime hours so that I don’t waste my time sitting around.

Mornings are typically very slow on DoorDash, as people don’t seem to order breakfast food for delivery as much as they order lunch or dinner. While this might differ depending on your market, I’ve rarely had much luck working during the morning hours.

Mid-afternoon is also a bad time to dash. Again, you can understand why by thinking about eating patterns. Most people eat during lunch or dinner, so they’re not going to be ordering a lot of food during the mid-afternoon.

The exception to this is during the weekend. It seems like on weekends, people shift their eating styles, so you can have pretty constant delivery requests throughout the day. In addition, if there is a special event going on, that can change when you might want to start Dashing.

2. The DoorDash App Is Down

DoorDash is sometimes referred to by the pejorative – DoorCrash. And this is true. The DoorDash app is notorious for crashing, especially during peak hours.

If you’re logged in during peak hours and you find that you aren’t getting deliveries and there isn’t any other reason why DoorDash is slow, likely, the app is down.

To find out if the DoorDash app is down, I usually check the DoorDash customer service Twitter account. You can also search on Twitter for the term DoorDash. If the app is down, you’ll see tons of people complaining about it. Finally, the DoorDash subreddit is also a good place to check if the app is down.

3. You’re Not In A Busy Area

If you find that DoorDash is slow for you, it might be because you’re not in a busy area. DoorDash keeps track of hot zones in the Dasher app. While these zones aren’t perfect, they do give you a general idea of where you should be to get orders.

In general, you want to head towards busy downtown areas and areas with a lot of young people. Neighborhoods with young professionals are usually busy. College campuses are also generally busy. If you’re fortunate to live in an area like this, you can even get orders without having to leave your house (I live in a busy area, so I can sit on my couch and wait for orders).

4. There Are Too Many Dashers Logged In

There’s a paradox that happens with DoorDash. When demand is high, DoorDash often gives Dashers a bonus on every delivery. But when the bonus gets too high, every Dasher logs in to try to make some extra money, and then you end up getting few or no deliveries.

If you see a high bonus being offered, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up with few deliveries because so many Dashers will log in. It’s still worth logging in, but be careful about chasing bonuses because you might find yourself making less than if you had gone to a less busy area.

DoorDash offered a $4.50 bonus in that zone, but when I went there, I didn’t get any deliveries, most likely because too many Dashers had made their way over there for the bonus.

I’m A Customer – Why Is DoorDash So Slow?

If you’re a customer and DoorDash is slow for you, the primary reason is likely that you aren’t tipping. Dashers are paid per delivery and can accept or reject orders that get sent to them. The payment is made up of two parts – the base pay from DoorDash + the tip the customer leaves.

DoorDash generally pays a low base pay of $2-4. That means if you don’t tip, a Dasher might only get offered $2 or so for a delivery. At that amount, most Dashers won’t accept the order. As a result, your food will sit at the restaurant for a long time if you don’t leave an appropriate tip so that Dashers will accept your order.

And while Dashers can’t see the exact tip you leave until after they deliver your order, they can still get an idea if you tipped based on the payout being offered. The takeaway is if you want your order delivered to you quickly, be sure to tip.

The other reason DoorDash could be slow is that you’re ordering from a restaurant that’s too far away from your location. Again, Dashers are paid per delivery, so if your delivery address is too far away from the restaurant, most Dashers will reject the order and wait for a closer one. My recommendation is to order from restaurants that are closer to you.

Finally, it’s possible your Dasher is delivering multiple orders, which could slow them down. DoorDash Dashers can pickup multiple orders, which means your order won’t always be the only one. If they look like they aren’t moving, it’s possible they are dropping off an order with another customer.

Strategies For When DoorDash Is Slow

If you’re working as a Dasher and DoorDash is slow, your best bet is to multi-app. That means signing up for multiple delivery apps and turning them all on at the same time. That way, if DoorDash is slow, other apps can make up the slack.

Check out my post, How To Make $500 A Week With DoorDash. I have some good strategies there that can help you out.

And check out some of my other delivery app posts for more information:

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:

GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

GO2Bank ($100) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $100 referral bonus.
Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
US Bank Business ($750) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
Fifth Third Bank ($225) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
Netspend ($40 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $40 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $40 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $750 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.

Comments

Judy Jones says

March 29, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Hi, DD & Lyft driver here.
My question is if you are delivering for two food apps at the same time, do you get the nasty notes from DD about not being on the route to get to the delivery?
BTW, about died last night when Walmart wanted me to do multiple deliveries. Turned out in closer look it was 10 deliveries, 52 miles for $52…..And you know Walmart will have a million bags for each order! I declined!

- Financial Panther says
  
  March 30, 2022 at 3:30 pm
  
  I never get any of that. My main thing is just making sure I’m picking orders that are nearby or going in the same direction. With DoorDash, as long as you pick up the order within 10 minutes of the pickup time (i.e. don’t be more than 10 minutes late to pickup), then you’re good. And as long as you deliver it within 10 minutes of the delivery time, you’re good too.
  
  You just gotta be picky and strategic about which orders you accept when you multi-app.
  
Teresa says

August 11, 2022 at 4:41 pm

Lately I’ve had to cancel 2 walmart, 1 Sam’s, and a pizza delivery due to slow or non-existent DD drivers. The concept is good but apparently the business model is not sustainable as it currently exists. And I always tip extra… I’m just a little further out, I guess. Can someone please fix this?