How To Become an Uber Eats Driver In Australia?

While ride-sharing took a heavy hit during the Covid-19 outbreak, demand for food delivery increased dramatically, and this trend does not appear to go anywhere any time soon.

So, if you are new to food delivery, read the guide below on how to sign up to deliver for Uber Eats in Australia and earn.

You need an Uber Eats Driver Account to start delivering food for Uber Eats in Australia. You can now create an account HERE if you don't have one.

1. What Is Uber Eats, And How Does It Work?

We all know that the Uber app is a well-known ride-sharing app. They provide around 5 million rides each day. However, this is not the only app they have.

Uber introduced the Uber Eats app in 2014. Their food delivery app is now available in several locations across six continents.

Customers can purchase meals from different local eateries using the Uber Eats app. The Uber Eats app in Australia allows people to order anything from fast food outlets to fine dining establishments and have it delivered right to their door.

The food delivery app is effortless and user-friendly. All an individual needs to do is go through different restaurants, select the food item of their choice from the in-app menu, and make an order.

Following that, a delivery person uses the Uber Eats platform to pick up the meal from the restaurant and safely deliver it to the consumer. All payments (including tips) are made using the Uber Eats application, making the entire procedure more accessible and convenient than traditional meal delivery.

Delivery people delivering for Uber Eats are independent contractors, much like drivers using the Uber App. You get to choose your own schedule with Uber Eats. You may work and earn whenever and wherever you want. All in all, it is a flexible option in the gig economy with good opportunities to earn.

2. Requirements For Working As an Uber Eats Driver In Australia

The following are some requirements that you must consider when signing up to deliver for Uber Eats in Australia:

• Age: You must be at least 18 years or above.

• Vehicle: Have your own vehicle or another mode of transportation (such as a scooter, car, or bicycle).

• Working Rights: You must have working rights in Australia.

• Uber Driver App: You need to download the Uber Driver app on your smartphone before you begin delivering for Uber Eats.

• Valid Licence: If you want to deliver food for Uber Eats with a motorbike or a car, you need to possess a valid driver's licence. Uber Eats accepts certain international driver’s licences in ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, and SA. A NAATI translation document along with your driver's licence is required if your international licence is not in English. EU licences are exempt from this.

• Background Check: You must also undergo a background check, which can be done online.

• ABN: When delivering for Uber Eats, you are considered someone who operates your own business. To deliver for Uber Eats, you will require an ABN (Australian Business Number).

• Health Insurance or Medicare: You will need to accept terms and conditions stating that you have Medicare or another type of health insurance.

• Bicycle Lights and Helmets: Among other things, the law requires bicycle riders to wear a helmet and have compliant lights in certain circumstances. This is all for safety purposes.

• Insulated Bag: Double-check that you have an insulated bag for your delivery to help maintain the food's temperature. Uber Eats will send you information on where to buy one online or you may buy one yourself elsewhere.

• Portable Charger: You may wish to have a portable phone charger as you'll be travelling a lot and using your phone frequently.

• Smartphone and Internet Access: You will require a smartphone and internet access to run your delivery app and connect with customers.

3. Steps To Sign Up To Deliver For Uber Eats In Australia

Here are the steps you need to follow to sign up to deliver for Uber Eats in Australia successfully.

Step 1: Create An Account On The Uber Website

Here Are The Uber Eats Sign Up Process Steps That You Need To Follow:

1. Create a new account on the Uber website and choose the city in Australia where you wish to deliver food. Click here to create an account.

2. Choose Uber Eats as the delivery method and the vehicle you will use to deliver meals – a scooter/ motorbike, car, or bicycle. 

3. Read and agree to the terms and conditions.

4. Give your legal approval to gather your information for a secure check of your evidence of identity document, such as your driver's licence or passport.

Note: From time to time, Uber Eats may also have a sign-up offer in some Australian cities.

Step 2: Download The Uber Driver App On Your Phone

Download the Uber Driver app, as this is where most of the sign up process takes place. The following are the links to download the application for both Android and iOS devices:

• Uber Driver App for your Android device

• Uber Driver App for your iOS device

You can also visit the Uber website and create a new account, but you will still need the application to complete the rest of the procedure.

Step 3: Upload The Necessary Documentation

If you want to deliver meals in a car, you will need to provide the necessary documentation for both you and your vehicle. The Uber app explains exactly what you will require and how to upload everything properly.

You will also have continual access to the following three assistance options when uploading your documents:

• Direct call support.

• Uber chat: The representatives will assist you with the sign up process. They are available from 10 am to 7 pm (AEST)

• Get additional support through the Uber website.

Here are the documents you need to submit:

• Vehicle Registration Paperwork: These documents should clearly mention the VIN (vehicle identification number), vehicle plate number, document expiration date, and vehicle's year/model.

• Driver's licence: If you want to deliver by car or motorbike, you require a valid licence. Your name, photo, and address should be visible on the front of your driver's licence. The back of your licence should display the issuance date, birth date, and expiration date. Uber Eats accepts certain international drivers licences in ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, and SA. A NAATI translation document along with your driver's licence is required if your international licence is not in English. EU licences are exempt from this.

• Proof of Identification: Photo of your birth certificate (only Australian) or passport. Your birth state, birth country, legal name, gender, surname, birth date, and the birth city should all be clearly visible in the photo.

• ABN (Australian Business Number): You'll need an ABN to deliver for Uber Eats. Check out this link to apply for an ABN. It's free. It is crucial to remember that you may require an ABN to pay GST (Goods and Services Tax).

Step 4: Apply For The Right-To-Work Check And A Background Check

You can apply for both checks through the Uber Driver app. NCC (National Crime Check) conducts a background check. Most checks are returned in 2 days but this may take up to 14 days.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs processes the right-to-work check and verifies your eligibility to work in Australia. As part of the Uber Eats sign up process, you only need to submit this once.

Step 5: Complete The Safe Delivery Education Test

You will then be asked to complete an online education module on safe delivery before you can start delivering for Uber Eats in Australia.

This education module also includes information about how to know when it is unsafe to deliver and how to avoid fatigue.

Step 6: Review The Food Safety Modules And Delivery Basics

Even though it is not a necessary step to complete your sign up, Uber Eats provides access to some online information on how to deliver food, where to find and meet your customer, and how to obtain support.

You can visit the Uber Eats website to go through their delivery basics.

If you do not know anything about food delivery, you can learn about the significance of food safety and how to deliver food safely to the customers by reading some online materials. You can check out the Uber Eats food safety education modules to get more information.

It only takes a few days for your account to become active after you've finished the sign-up procedure, so you can begin delivering as soon as your account is active.

Note: You will only get delivery requests for the Australian city where your account is registered.

4. What Transport Vehicles Can You Use To Deliver For Uber Eats?

You can use three different modes of transportation to deliver meals with Uber Eats in Australia, which are as follows:

• Motorbike (including scooters)

• Car 

• Bicycle or Bike

No matter the type of transportation you use, you must be at least 18 years or more. Also, you need to fulfil some more requirements for the mode of transportation you plan to use:

For Car and Motorbike

For a car or motorbike, you must possess either a full Australian driver's licence or a foreign licence if you are a temporary visitor, such as an international student. It is important to remember that the international driver's licence must be a full licence and not a learner or any other licence.

Overseas licences are only valid in a few Australian cities. Additionally, your car or motorbike must be a 1990 model or newer, must have third-party insurance and must be registered.

For Bike or Bicycle

You do not require any licence paperwork to deliver food on a bike through Uber Eats, which is why bikes are one of the best-known modes of transportation for international students in Australia.

Furthermore, buying a bike is considerably cheaper and easier than buying a car or motorbike. Thus, many international students opt to deliver food for Uber Eats on bicycles or push bikes.

You can purchase a bike at a low price from stores like Kmart or purchase a secondhand one from Gumtree. If you currently do not have the funds to buy a bike, you can rent one from another person. You can also inquire whether your university or institution has any bicycles for rent.

Alternatively, you may rent or purchase an electric bicycle, which many students like to use. If you do not have enough money to purchase an electric bike, you can always rent one through a rental company. Renting an electric bike might cost you between $80 and $100 each week. Currently, Uber Eats has a partnership with Zoomo where you can get 50% off your first 4 weeks of a pro plan e-bike rental.

5. How Does The Uber Eats App Work For Delivering Food?

Depending on your location, you will work in or outside the city or any other area where people order food via the Uber Eats App.

We have listed here the five easy steps that you need to follow to make a successful Uber Eats Delivery:
 

• Step 1 - Accept the Delivery: You will receive a notification when a customer orders food and you are selected. When selected, you can either accept or decline the order.

• Step 2 -  Pick up The Order: When you accept the order, you must go to the restaurant, introduce yourself, and show the order pick-up number to the staff. They will then hand over the food to you.

• Step 3 - Check The Order Number: Always double-check the order number in the App before accepting the food order the restaurant is giving you. You don't want to deliver the wrong food to customers.

• Step 4 - Deliver The Order To The Customer: Only deliver the food to the customer's address when you are one hundred per cent certain you have the correct order in your delivery bag.

• Step 5 - Confirm The Delivery: When you arrive at the correct destination for your order, confirm that you successfully delivered it, either by leaving the food at the door, giving it personally to the customer, or following other customer instructions. You can confirm the delivery via the Uber App.

6. How Much Does It Cost To Get Started With Uber Eats?

To get a better idea of how much it will cost to deliver food for Uber Eats, we have broken down the estimated cost for you:
 

• Vehicle Purchase - Bicycle $100, motorbike $4500, scooter $2000, and car $5000 (approx.)

• Insulated Bag - $50 (approx.)

• ABN Number - Free (click here)

• Background and Right to Work Check - $30 (approx.)

• Smartphone - $250 + (approx.)

• Phone Plan - $25 monthly

• Accessories - $60 (approx.)

7. What Is The Best Time To Deliver Food For Uber Eats?

Based on our research, the best time to deliver for Uber Eats to earn the most is as follows:

During The Week - (Monday to Friday)

• Morning - 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM - (Breakfast Time)

• Midday - 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM - (Lunchtime)

• Afternoon - 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM - (Least Busy)

• Evenings - 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM (Dinner Time) - Busy Period

During The Weekend

• Saturday - Busy all day, but fewer food deliveries around dinner time as more people are going out on Saturday evenings/nights.

• Sunday - Busy all day, but more food deliveries around dinner time. More people stay home and are getting ready for the work week.

Saturdays and Sundays can be very similar in terms of demand for food deliveries.

8. How Much Money Can You Earn Delivering For Uber Eats?

The amount of money you can earn with Uber Eats in Australia depends on multiple factors, such as the city you're delivering in, the distance travelled from picking up the food at the restaurant to the customer delivery address, including promotions during busy peak hours.

However, the total earnings consist of three elements. These are the base fare, trip supplements (boost or surge zones), and any additional promotions.

Below you can find more information about each one of them:

Base Fare

You will receive the upfront delivery information before accepting the delivery request. The base fare depends on the minimum earnings, the merchant name and place, and pick-up and drop-off locations, including the estimated time and distance from where you accept the delivery request.

Trip Supplement

In some cases, a trip supplement may be added to the base amount when there is a higher than usual traffic estimate or long wait times at pick-up locations, including for zones with limited delivery partner availability and a higher demand for deliveries.

Promotions

There are promotions for busy delivery areas. To find these areas with a high demand for delivery drivers, you can check the map on the app or the promotions section to find offers and promotions. 

There are usually more delivery trip request opportunities when there is high demand, which includes surge and boost zones.The app shows boost zones when they are available every week. They can reach up to 2.5 x of your base fare.

Surge zones are areas on the map with more demand for deliveries. If this applies to your delivery, the amount is added automatically to your base earnings. (Upfront minimum earning)

Your total income for when delivering with Uber Eats can vary on various factors like:

• Number of deliveries in a day

• The total number of delivery drivers around the area

• Time of the day you are delivering

• Any tips you earn (this varies a lot)

• The city you are working with Uber Eats

• Travel distance (the more distance you cover, the more money you can make).

• When you deliver the food to the customer successfully.

You can even make additional cash by delivering meals in surge zones, which appear on the app during peak or busy hours.

Note: In Australia, you are usually paid weekly via deposits into your linked bank account.

9. Benefits of Being an Uber Eats Driver in Australia?

You have many benefits when working as an Uber eats driver in Australia:

• You Are Your Own Boss: When working for Uber Eats, you technically run a small business with an ABN (Australian Business Number) in Australia as an independent contractor to Uber Eats. You can offset some costs incurred by being an independent contractor to relieve your tax bill at the end of the financial year. Since you have an ABN, you are not an employee and must take care of your tax payments yourself.

• Flexibility: It allows you to work on your schedule. You can decide when and where you would like to make food deliveries. Since it's your small business, you are in charge of how much you want to work.

• Stay Fit: Picking up food from restaurants by bicycle is a great workout keeping you in shape. You will drive numerous kilometres in a day. Even when delivering by motorbike, scooter or car, you will walk many steps from your vehicle to the restaurant and then to the customer.

• Get to Know The City: When receiving food orders across the city, you will get to know new suburbs you didn't know before and explore, including people waiting to pick up food, which is a great opportunity to build new friendships.

• Knowing The Best Food in Town: Accepting food orders from various restaurants from different cuisines worldwide in one city will expand your horizon and introduce you to new food options that you may not know about before. Next time when ordering food with friends, you know the best place with the tastiest food.

10. Disadvantages of Working as an Uber Eats Delivery Person

There are also certain disadvantages when working as an Uber Eats delivery person:

• Vehicle Maintenance Cost: Depending on the vehicle you use for the deliveries, the maintenance cost can vary. The cost to maintain a motorbike and car is higher than for a bicycle, and the more you work, you may need to do more checkups to keep your vehicle road worthy.

• Physical Work: When using a bicycle to deliver food, cycling all day across the city might become exhausting, especially when under pressure to deliver food on time.

• Spending Money Eating Out: Since you are out and about all day, you may tend to spend more money on food as you know the best restaurants, which is tempting to buy food for yourself when having a lunch or dinner break.

11. Tax Deductions For Delivering For Uber Eats In Australia

Since being an Uber Eats Delivery Person is similar to running your own business as an independent contractor, there are various tax deductions that you may claim as a delivery driver:
 

• Parking 

• Tolls

• Insurance

• Renewal for vehicle licensing or registration 

• Car Expenses

• Tax agent and Accountant fee

• Mobile phone bills

• Personal protection equipment

• Safety equipment, such as hi-vis vests etc.

• Bank fees (Only when maintaining a separate account for food deliveries)

• Costs for cleaning, repairing, and servicing your car, scooter or motorbike

Things That You Can Not Claim Tax Deductions For:

• Fines for parking and speeding etc.

• Clothing that is not safety clothing, such as buying a new shirt.

• Meals and drinks bought while working

• Driver's license cost

12. Can International Students Work For Uber Eats In Australia?

International students can work and deliver food for Uber Eats in Australia if they meet the Uber Eats delivery driver requirements. It is an opportunity for all students in Australia to earn money while studying. It helps them to pay bills and tuition fees.

13. How Many Hours Can International Students Work For Uber Eats?

Students in Australia can currently work more than 40 hours per fortnight for Uber Eats. The Australian government temporarily relaxed the student visa work hours. However, this is only temporarily, and the government may introduce the previous work hour limit again.

Before the relaxation of the student visa work hours, international students could only work a maximum of 20 hours per week or 40 hours per fortnight.

14. Conclusion

Now that you know everything about how to sign up to deliver for Uber Eats in Australia, you are ready to follow the process and start earning money.

Remember, you must create an Uber Eats Driver Account to get started. Click HERE to create an account.

Useful Links to Explore:

• How To Become An Uber Driver in Australia?
• Cultural differences you may experience in Australia
• How to find Part-Time work as a Student in Australia
• Seven Tips for Students on a Budget in Australia
• How to get a Scholarship to Study in Australia
• Driving in Australia as an International Student
• How to change your Course or Institute in Australia
• The Benefits of a Professional Year Program (PYP)
• A Complete Guide to Study in Australia
• Types of Education in Australia
• What to Study in Australia?