When is the Best Time to Doordash?

Is there really a best time to DoorDash?

Yes, in fact, there are hours that will have more orders available, and you will even get paid more for each order you deliver.

Quick tip: you can get cash back every time you fill up your gas tank by using the Upside app. It's free and pays out straight to your bank.

DoorDash also has a Peak Hours system, which will give you a guaranteed bonus for each delivery, but more on that later!

Excited to find out how it works?

Keep reading, and we’ll break it all down for you.

Click here to start delivering for DoorDash

What’s the best time to DoorDash?

While customers can DoorDash items from convenience stores and grocery stores, it’s still mainly used to order food.

While we’ve been known to order a plate of waffles after a long night out (don’t judge us), most people don’t think to order delivery for breakfast.

The vast majority of DoorDash orders are placed for lunch and dinner. Therefore, the peak hours are between 11am-2pm and 4:30pm-8pm.

Those are the best times to DoorDash because the busiest hours are when you will have the most demand. This benefits you in a few ways.

First, you’ll have lots of orders to choose from, so you won’t waste any time sitting around waiting for a job.

Next, your average earnings per order should increase because of the high demand. There’s more likely to be a higher number of orders available for each current Dasher, and that means DoorDash needs to increase the pay to keep deliveries moving.

Along the same lines, you will also see more Challenges, which show up when an order is left undelivered for a while. DoorDash pays extra for these deliveries in order to incentivize Dashers to pick them up.

And lastly, DoorDash now lets you pick up as second order while you’re on your way to deliver another order, which will massively increase your hourly rate. The odds of getting such an opportunity increases during the busiest hours of the day.

When you add up all these advantages, it’s easy to see how delivering during the lunch and dinner rushes will lead to higher earnings for you as a driver.

Is DoorDashing better at day or night?

The best part about DoorDash is that you can do it whenever you want. If you’re not concerned about maximizing your earnings, then Dash whenever you can/want.

If you want to earn as much as possible, then you can deliver during the day or night, but it’s best to stick to lunch and dinner time.

In other words, if you want to DoorDash during the day, try to be available between 11am-2pm.

If you prefer Dashing at night, aim for 4:30pm-8pm.

If you have to choose between Dashing before work or after work, it’s probably better to take deliveries after work. This is especially true if you deliver late at night.

Most people don’t want to work really late, like between 11am-4am, but there are still orders being placed on the app. As long as you feel comfortable delivering at these hours, you are likely to get Peak Pay and earn quite well.

Tip: DoorDash allows you to schedule time blocks in advance. It may be a good idea to schedule these hours beforehand to guarantee access to orders at these peak hours.

What is the best day to DoorDash?

The days that you Dash on don’t matter quite as much as the time of day. That said, you will see a lot of activity on Friday and Saturday nights when people are more likely to order out than to cook at home.

Since the peak hours happen around lunch and dinner time, you should still plan on working those same hours on the weekends. However, the dinner rush can happen later and be more extended on the weekends. You will have a lot more orders from 9-11pm on a Friday than on a Tuesday, for instance.

Basically, if you’re trying to work in some DoorDash hours around another job, don’t worry about whether you can only work on the weekends (or vice-versa). Try to hit the peak hours if you can and then focus on evening deliveries over morning or afternoon hours.

Is it worth it to DoorDash in the morning?

Whether or not it’s worth it is relative, but generally speaking, you will earn less Dashing in the morning.

Most people don’t even think to order breakfast on an app like they would for lunch or dinner. Furthermore, when it comes to orders from convenience stores and groceries, people tend to make these orders in the evening because they’re too tired to go back out after work.

You will, of course, still find orders in the mornings, but you will have fewer to choose from and may get paid less per delivery.

At the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world if you can only Dash in the mornings, but if it’s up to you, it’s best to take deliveries during lunch, dinner, and later in the evening.

What are the busiest DoorDash days?

It depends on where you live, but for most areas, Friday and Saturday are the busiest days, so they are the best delivery days for DoorDash.

People are much more likely to order out and bum around at home on the weekends, so Friday and Saturday tend to have the biggest dinner-time rushes. You can also do well on Sundays and Thursdays.

On the other hand, Monday through Wednesday tends to be much slower. Monday, in particular, is a very quiet day, so if you want to take a couple of days off, make it Monday and Tuesday instead of Saturday and Sunday.

How to make even more with Peak Pay

It’s always a good idea to schedule your hours in advance, and DoorDash lets you see what the Peak Pay will be too.

For you, this is easy money. DoorDash is going to pay you extra for every single delivery because this is a time of day when they are usually understaffed. As long as you’re okay with the hours, there’s nothing but upside for you as a Dasher.

While we’ve covered the basics in terms of the best time to DoorDash, if you find Peak Hours outside of the lunch and dinner rush, that can be a great way to boost your earnings when outside peak hours.

Start delivering at the best times

Now you know exactly when to start dashing.

If you want to get the most bang for your buck, then the best times to DoorDash are between 11am-2pm and 4:30pm-8pm.

Click here to start delivering for DoorDash

Remember, these hours are generalized across the entire USA, so there may be variations specific to your region. For instance, New Yorkers are notorious night owls, so the dinner-time rush might look more like 6pm-9:30pm.

You’ll get a good feel for your region’s peak hours after a few nights out Dashing 🙂

Save on gas & groceries: the Upside app gives you cash back when you fill up your tank, buy groceries, or eat out.

Thanks for reading this guide on the best time to DoorDash, and best of luck with your deliveries!