How Does Postmates Make Money

How Does Postmates Make Money

Dominic Tancredi
Dominic Tancredi

Co-founder, CEO & CTO

Table of Contents

- What is Postmates: How Does  It Work?

About Postmates

How Does Postmates Work?

Working for Postmates

Delivering for Postmates

How Much Do Delivery Drivers on Postmates Make Per Hour?

How to Get Started to Become a Postmates Driver?

- What is the Postmates Business and Revenue Model?

Postmates Funding, Revenue, and Valuation

Postmates Income: Sources of Revenue

1.Postmates Unlimited (Subscription Service)

2.Commissions from Partnering with Merchants

3.Selling Products Through Their e-Commerce Store

4.Fees (delivery, small cart, and service fees)

Delivery Fee

Small Cart Fee

Service Fee

5. Gift Cards

Blitz Pricing (Surge Pricing)

- How Much Money Does Postmates Make?

Postmates Revenue and Usage Statistics [2022]

Postmates Key Statistics

Postmates Funding (Total)

Postmates Revenue

Postmates Profit

PostmatesValuation

- Why Build a Profitable On-demand Delivery App Like Postmates?

- Choose Dom&Tom to Build a Profitable App Like Postmates

What is Postmates: How Does it Work?

You might have already heard of Postmates but maybe you aren’t sure exactly what it is or how it works. Below is an overview of what this mobile application or delivery service is all about.

About Postmates

In 2011, founders Bastian Lehmann, Sam Street, and Sean Plaice launched Postmates at their San Francisco headquarters. In July 2020, Uber bought Postmates in a $2.6 billion all-stock deal.

Postmates is one of today’s successful

on-demand delivery companies that provides online delivery services. Customers

can order food, beverages, and other items, and deliver them to their homes,

offices, hotels, or wherever they want.

From Starbucks to liquor and grocery,

users can order just about anything using the Postmates app.

In addition to food delivery service,

Postmates offers a pick-up service, which allows customers to order from the

Postmates app, and then pick up the order in-store.

Using the Postmates’ pick-up feature is

pretty straightforward. Users just have to open the app and click on the

‘Pickup’ button.

The pick-up feature is a great way to

save money and time. What’s more, there are no phone calls needed and no

delivery fees.

The Postmates food delivery services have

many useful features including:

- Online payments

- Real-time order tracking

- Contactless delivery

- In-app tipping option

While customers can use the platform to

find restaurants 24/7, it is not a 24-hour delivery service.

This online food delivery platform starts

delivering breakfast at 7:00 AM. Many restaurants take an order and deliver it

until 10:00 PM.

How late Postmates deliver food depends

on the hours of operation of its merchant partners.

How Does Postmates Work?

Postmates is an online courier services company that uses web and mobile app technology.

Through their Postmates account, users

can order whatever they want. Orders are delivered anywhere in the US and

Mexico.

So this is how Postmates work. When

customers place their order, the platform will then place a temporary

authorization on their accounts.

A temporary authorization confirms that a

user’s Postmates card is active and that there is enough available balance to

cover any transaction. And then, a Postmates driver picks the item up and

delivers it to the customer.

Working for Postmates

Working for Postmates can be a great way

to earn extra money during free time. The current pandemic has boosted delivery

jobs and on-demand delivery companies are hiring.

People who are looking to make money with

Postmates may join the fleet. One of the big advantages of gig delivery jobs is

flexibility. And being on the Postmates Fleet allows people to work when it’s

more convenient for them.

Postmates couriers are independent

contractors. Meaning, they are being paid per delivery instead of receiving a

salary.

Interestingly, Postmates drivers are

addressed as ‘postmates’. And thus, a Postmates delivery driver is also known

as a ‘postmate’.

Here’s the job review:

Delivering for Postmates

Again, delivering for Postmates is an

excellent way to earn extra cash. Postmates drivers get paid every week.

But they also have the option to get paid

daily via Postmates’ Instant Pay feature. The good thing is that there’s no

limit as to how many times a postmate can use the instant payout.

How Much Do Delivery Drivers on Postmates Make Per Hour?

According to Glassdoor, the average base

pay for Postmates couriers is $13 per hour.

Still, how much Postmates drivers make

depends on the amount of time they spend on the app to make deliveries. And so,

earning $25 per hour is possible.

Providing great customer service can be a

big help when working in this business. A good delivery person with excellent

customer service skills can earn more money from bonuses and customer tips. The

platform allows couriers to keep 100% of the tips earned during deliveries.

How to Get Started to Become a Postmates Driver?

Here’s a list of Postmates courier

requirements. The driver must:

- be at least 18 years old if the

mode of transportation is a bike and 19 years old for those who drive cars and

motorcycles

- own a smartphone (iOS or Android) to access the Postmates Fleet app

- have car insurance, a valid

driver’s license and Social Security Number, which is a requirement for the

background check

What is the Postmates Business and Revenue Model?

Postmates’ income is a combination of

several revenue models such as:

- Marketplace business model

- Fee-for-service (FFS) business

model

- Transaction-based business

model

- Commission based business model

- Software as a service (SaaS)

business model

Postmates Funding, Revenue, and Valuation

On the 1st of May 2011, Postmates raised

its first seed of funding at $750 thousand.

Since then, the on-demand delivery service has raised $763 million in over 11 rounds of funding. This was before Uber acquired Postmates in December 2020 for $2.65 billion. As of late 2019, Postmates had a valuation of $2.6 billion.

Postmates Income: Sources of Revenue

As of 2021, Postmakes generates

revenue in 5 ways.

2.Commissions from Partnering with Merchants

Postmates has partnered with 75,000

restaurants across 4,200 cities in the US. In 2019, the company handled over 35

million deliveries worth more than $6.6 billion in transactions. DoorDash took

a portion of each transaction, which was made possible through their own food

ordering marketplace.

3.Selling Products Through Their e-Commerce Store

Postmates also makes money by selling

merchandise through their online store. Many of the items are for Postmates’

delivery drivers. The prices of the items range from $1.95 to $19.

4.Fees (delivery, small cart, and service fees)

Their fee structure is another way

Postmates earn money. The on-demand delivery platform charges things such as

delivery, small cart, and service fees.

Delivery Fee

Postmates adds a delivery fee for every

eligible order. The cost may vary depending on if the restaurant is a

partnering merchant or not. There is no delivery fee for Unlimited subscribers

with orders over $12.

Small Cart Fee

There is a small cart fee of $1.99 for

all customers (Unlimited members and non-members). Postmates tacks on a fee to

every order under $12. The small cart fee may vary depending on location.

Service Fee

Postmates charges a fee applied for every

purchase of an item, in which the percentage may vary depending on several

factors.

5. Gift Cards

Postmates offers gift cards to users to

purchase for their family, friends, colleagues, etc. Gift cards are available

online and on the Postmates app.

Solo gift cards are available in $25,

$50, $100, and $200 denominations. Gift cards available for Postmates Unlimited

members cost $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

Blitz Pricing (Surge Pricing)

The platform has a surge pricing feature that may raise Postmates’ income from the aforementioned fees. It is a dynamic pricing method that allows multiple price increases. Blitz pricing applies when demand for deliveries surpasses online courier supply.

This feature motivates delivery drivers

to go online, log on to the app, and start taking orders to meet the demand (of

drivers). Blitz pricing creates a strong financial incentive for delivery

drivers.

Since Postmates drivers will make

themselves available when customers need them the most, the payout will be

higher because customers are willing to pay more. Simply put, dynamic pricing

allows a Postmates driver to make more money when the demand is high.

How Much Money Does Postmates Make?

Here, we have gathered some stats regarding how much Postmates generate revenue.

Postmates Revenue and Usage Statistics [2022]

On its launch in May 2011, the founders

of Postmates marketed the app as the new Craigslist. People in San Francisco

could order anything from the app. Postmates deliver orders, from food to

goods, in 2 to 4 hours.

Postmates originally targeted small

businesses. The company pivoted to consumers a few years after the launch.

Postmates survived payment to payment for the first 2 years without today’s annual billion-dollar rounds. In 2013, Founder’s Fund legitimized the industry by investing $5 million dollars into Postmates, leading to a wave of further investments.

A few months later, both Postmates competitors Instacart and DoorDash would land large Series A Rounds.

Postmates shouldn’t have survived in the

on-demand food delivery industry. Originally, its delivery fee was $9.99 flat,

which was higher than rivals DoorDash and Grubhub. Interestingly, many

customers in California were willing to spend more on delivery charges for

their favorites.

2015 saw Postmates finally lowering their

delivery fee to $3.99 exclusively for preferred merchants.

Moreover, Postmates was the first in the

industry to launch a pro service called “Unlimited”. For $9.99 a month, this

pro service will waiver the delivery charge for all orders over $30.

Unfortunately, Postmates’ market share

tumbled as more and more companies launched their on-demand delivery services,

especially when DoorDash and Uber Eats superseded Grubhub.

And while Postmates saw continued growth

in certain cities such as Charlotte, NC, and Los Angeles, it was far behind the

top rivals in total US market share.

In an attempt to fend off Uber Eats and Grubhub, DoorDash tried to merge with Postmates in 2018. But instead, DoorDash acquired Square’s on-demand delivery service, Caviar, when Postmates declined the offer.

Two years later, Uber acquired Postmates

for $2.65 billion, which eventually led to the laying off of 15% of Postmates

employees.

Postmates Key Statistics

- In 2018, Postmates reached over $1 billion in total sales. (CNBC)

- In 2019, Postmates had revenue

of $500 million. Although Postmates did not disclose any official numbers, many

believed it increased to $880 million in 2020.

- In 2020, Postmates was acquired

by Uber for $2.65 billion.

- A staggering 10 million monthly

active Postmates app users order over 5 million products a month.

- Postmates have over 600,000

merchants as partners on the platform.

- The portion of Postmates’ customers subscribed to its premium service is around 23%. (Second Measure)

Postmates Funding (Total)

Source: Crunchbase

Postmates Revenue

Sources: TechCrunch, Recode, The Information

Postmates Profit

Source: TechCrunch, QZ, Recode

Postmates Valuation

Sources: Business Insider, Crunchbase

Why Build a Profitable On-demand Delivery App Like Postmates?

The current global pandemic has caused a

rise in the demand for food delivery services. It rose even further as the

people follow social distancing principles.

Even before that, the rising demand for food delivery is already making restaurant sales grow. Likewise, millennials seem to prefer food delivery services and takeout rather than dining in a restaurant.

While more and more companies report a

decrease in their revenue after the COVID-19 outbreak, delivery services became

more in-demand. Postmates, in particular, became more profitable and powerful.

 

From a simple minimum viable product

(MVP), Postmates grew into a very successful app. Would you like to build your

own on-demand food delivery app like Postmates? We can help.

Choose Dom&Tom to Build a Profitable App Like Postmates

The last thing you need is a qualified

expert to bring your brilliant app idea into reality.

Dom&Tom has been working on the

mobile, web, and app development market for a long time. We have managed to win

the reputation of a trusted digital partner that can accelerate growth and

transform your business.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about food delivery app development today.

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About the author

Dominic Tancredi
Dominic Tancredi

Co-founder, CEO & CTO

Dominic Tancredi co-founded Dom & Tom in 2009 and leads engineering, AI product development, and technical strategy. He writes on building, modernizing, and operating web, mobile, and AI-powered products.

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