Working as a contractor comes with many risks, such as not making as much money as you expect. Grubhub is one of those gigs where your hourly rate can vary.
To help offset some of that risk, Grubhub offers contribution pay in certain markets. That can help drivers better predict their earnings.
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What Is Contribution Pay on Grubhub?
Contribution pay on Grubhub is pay that the app offers to ensure you make at least a certain amount per hour. The specific rate can depend on the market. It also only applies to work during your scheduled block.
Unfortunately, you can negate your bonus if you take orders outside of your block. And Grubhub isn’t exactly clear on how contribution pay works.
How to Qualify for Grubhub Contribution
If you want to earn contribution pay on Grubhub, you have to do a few things. Consider the following to ensure you get contribution pay.
Schedule a Block
Grubhub only offers contribution pay for the time you scheduled a block. It doesn’t matter how long the block is, so it can be an hour or multiple hours.
Also, try to do as much of your work during blocks as possible. Grubhub won’t consider other hours you work when determining the minimum pay you should make. Unfortunately, it will consider your earnings for the entire day.
Don’t Work Too Much
Since Grubhub considers your total daily earnings, it can be easy to negate the contribution bonus. Even just working an extra hour can make your daily earnings surpass the minimum contribution pay.
So make sure you stick to your blocks as closely as possible. Try to end your shift when your block ends so that you don’t get any more orders that could affect your eligibility for the bonus.
Maintain a High Acceptance Rate
Depending on where you live and work, you might have to accept a certain percentage of orders or more. Sometimes, the minimum acceptance rate can be as high as 90%.
Grubhub should tell you what the minimum acceptance rate for you is. Then, you can plan for that when accepting or declining orders that pop up.
When Can You Access Grubhub Contribution Pay?
You can access your contribution pay the following day. Usually, the funds will be available around noon your time.
Then, you can cash out using Instant Cash Out. You’ll be able to use the extra money for whatever you want.
How Much Does Grubhub Guarantee Per Hour?
Grubhub might occasionally guarantee a minimum hourly rate. The exact rate depends on where you live, but some markets tend to come with a guarantee of $12.
However, you won’t always get that guarantee. As with any contract gig, you don’t get any guaranteed hourly or daily rate. It’s up to you to pick up enough orders and work enough to make the money you need to make that day.
Contribution Pay Example
To help understand how Grubhub contribution works, consider an example. Maybe you scheduled a block of four hours.
You work the entire time, but you only make $40 in that time, but the contribution guarantee is $12 per hour. That means Grubhub would give you an extra $8 since $12 times four hours is $48.
Using the same example, consider what would happen if you worked outside of your block. You work an extra hour, and you make a total of $50 in those five hours. The contribution pay uses your schedule block and your total daily earnings.
So even though it took five hours, you earned $50 that day. Grubhub wouldn’t pay you the contribution bonus since you exceed $48.
The app doesn’t explain why this is the case. Ideally, they would use the contribution pay for any hours you work, scheduled or not. But they don’t do that, so it’s especially important to stick to your schedule and to schedule as many hours as you think you can handle.
Can You Make More Than Grubhub Contribution Pay?
You can make more than Grubhub contribution pay. If you get a lot of good orders, you will probably make a significant amount per hour. The same can happen if you get good customers who leave large tips.
Now, you might still want to schedule blocks to work. Allegedly, Grubhub gives priority to scheduled drivers, especially when it comes to good orders.
Be sure to remain in good standing by accepting most orders as well. That can further tell Grubhub that you’re willing to work, so you could get better-paying orders.
How Does Grubhub Contribution Work?
Grubhub contribution is a bonus that ensures you make a certain amount per hour. But there are a lot of rules drivers have to follow to qualify for the bonus. To help get more money, schedule your shifts, and take as many orders as you can in that time. Then, if you don’t make enough per hour, Grubhub will offer extra payment.