Food Delivery Jobs For Felons (2024 Guide)
If you have a felony conviction and are looking for work, consider going into food delivery.
As a felon, being a food delivery driver can be a good paying job that also offers flexibility. Food delivery services are typically felon-friendly and are willing to give people with criminal records a chance if they are a good fit for the company.
Over the last few years there has been an explosion of companies that are delivering food from restaurants as well as from grocery stores right to people’s doors. This means that there are a lot of new jobs for delivery drivers!
What is the best food delivery service to work for?
When you are looking for a job, of course apply with big companies such as Amazon and Walmart. These have their own grocery delivery services and they hire drivers.
There is also Instacart, which is a food delivery service that brings people groceries from local supermarkets, such as Shaw’s, Wegman’s, Aldi, and any other local store that is partnering with Instacart. To apply for a delivery driver position simply go to instacartcareers.com
However, there is a host of other companies that are getting into the food delivery business and they offer both customers and delivery drivers the ability to do everything through the app on the phone (both iphone and android).
All these apps encourage clients to tip the driver automatically after completing the delivery, so you can earn more money.
4 Best food delivery apps
Here are the growing food delivery services that are worth applying with. Note, some of them may not be available in your area.
Doordash (strictly food delivery)
Uber Eats
Postmates (deliveries from different kidds of stores, such as supplies, in addition to food)
Grubhub (the largest online food delivery platform)
Out of these Uber Eats may be particularly attractive if you are already driving for the company, or would like to get a ride sharing job with Uber. Then you just use your app to deliver groceries as well.
Another big perk is that Uber is available in a wide range of cities and towns across the US. Other companies have a much smaller reach at this point and may not be available in some cities at all.
Keep in mind that Uber has a requirement for the age of your car. So if your car is very old you may not be hired for the job.
Apply to become a delivery driver
If food delivery sounds like a good job to you, its very easy to apply online or even through your phone. Simply go to the website of the company you want to drive for and fill out their online application.
Its also a good idea to look for food delivery jobs on big search engines such as indeed.com, snagajob.com, glassdoor.com
Another way to look for delivery work is to look for “food delivery jobs near me” in the google search to get local job openings. Here you may seen individual restaurants that are hiring their own drivers and can apply directly with each business.
Be prepared that there will be a standard criminal background check as part of the application process.
Keep in mind that while all of these delivery services are open to hiring felons, there is a still very high chance of getting turned down because of your criminal background. Don’t get discouraged and just keep applying. Drivers are in very high demand, so eventually you will land this job.
How much money can you earn doing food delivery
On average, food delivery drivers report earning between $10-12 per hour. At the higher end, its possible to make as much as $15-18 per hour.
Companies like Doordash are known to take the least commission (around 20%) while Uber takes the most (around 25%)
Postmates pays one of the top salaries in the industry. Experienced drivers can earn as much as $19-25 per hours. Another huge perk is that you actually don’t need a car to work for Postmates! You can use a bicycle or a motorcycle.
One of the biggest advantages of working for Grubhub is that you always make at least minimum wage when you are on the clock. This means that you will get paid even if you didn’t get an order during your working hours.
Keep in mind that your total salary can vary greatly depending on the area you are in and how many deliveries you do in one day. Also, to make the most money, its important to work during peak hours such as lunch and dinner time. This is also when you can get the most tips.
When considering your earnings, don’t forget to factor in the cost of car maintenance from doing so much driving every day as well as the cost of gas.
Pros and Cons
As with any job, there are distinct benefits, as well as down sides to getting into the food delivery business. Here are the main ones to keep in mind.
Pros of working as a food delivery driver
In general being a delivery driver is one of the most felon-friendly jobs out there.
– Most food delivery services are open to hiring people with criminal records and felony convictions
– Flexible hours (you make your own schedule)
– Part and full time options
– Great source of extra income
– Get a college degree while you work
– Not a labor intensive job
– You work alone: there are no bosses over your head
Cons
– Wear and tear on your vehicle (this can get expensive over time)
– Inconsistent earnings. This can be a challenge if you are struggling financially and need to pay for rent, food, etc.
– Penalties for dropped or canceled orders that some companies such as Grubhub have
– Sometimes its challenging to work with upset customers, and remain nice and polite
Additional driving job opportunities for felons
If you are into driving as a job, there are other types of delivery driver positions that you should consider. Now is a very good time to apply, because its the Holiday season. This means a lot of companies are hiring extra delivery drivers for the season to help deliver an increased amount of packages. Even if this will not turn into a permanent job, it can be a good way to earn some extra cash fast.
Consider applying with these companies to become a delivery driver:
UPS
FedEx
Trucking companies
Ridesharing services: Lyft, Uber, and Via
Amazon Flex
Apps like Shipt and Deliv
Walmart
Let us know in the comments below if you have been hired for a food delivery job as a felon and how much you are getting paid. Any tips on how to get hired are greatly appreciated by our community of readers!
About The Author
Joe Hunter
Joe is the founder of HireFelons.org. Having had friends and co-workers who have a felony conviction, Joe Hunter decided to use his expert knowledge in starting a successful business to launch HireFelons.org and teach as many former felons as possible how to earn a decent income, when finding a traditional job is simply not an option.
Easy solution: Door Dash drivers (and GrubHub and all others except Uber and Lyft) are CONTRACTORS with the right to hire their own employees and or subcontractors to perform the delivery work or any part thereof, pursuant to the employment contract you sign when they hire you as well as federal law. If those rights are restricted too much, the companies run the very real risk of having the drivers be considered EMPLOYEES, which would decisively and immediately bankrupt all of them with the massive liability and extra expense they would be taking on by law if all drivers were employees. The business model that door dash, Postmates and GrubHub, etc. are all operating on does not at all tolerate having driver employees. The only way these companies exist is if they can convince the IRS and all state and federal civil law courts that the drivers are CONTRACTORS. The only way to do that is follow the rules of employment relationships with contractors, to wit: let them make their own schedule, use their own car, uniform and other supplies, send them 1099 forms instead of W-2’s, and never try to unduly restrict or regulate how they perform the job duties, including by what methods and through what person’s they see fit to use in order to complete performance of the work. I have been driving for door dash and GrubHub for years, and been a multi state offender with felony convictions in the double digits since before I could shave. I just have someone square sign up to be a driver and I connect my debit card, vehicle and insurance to the account and do all deliveries and collect all payments. Customer Service knows I’m not “Peggy Marie ——–” when I call in to resolve an issue in the field, I’m a male with male voice. They never say anything. Door Dash even knew my real name and used it to address me when we conversed. The account owner was a woman. Bottom line is they will lose that $4 billion annual revenue overnight if they try to get too nosey in who I am. As far as they are concerned, the account owner is the responsible party and that’s who gets the 1099 and that’s who ultimately controls the delivery business, of which I am just a small part. So, felons, go buy a door dash account from someone who doesn’t use it, or have your girlfriend sign up and you just do the work and get paid. Sall good. Ingenuity. If ya ain’t got none shouldn’t a been out there doing crimes. Cause this life ain’t for the faint of heart.
My felony conviction date was 11/8/16 for manufacture with intent to distribute a controlled substance (marijuana). I was turned down by uber, lyft, grubhub, door dash, roadie, postmates, amazon flex, and fiver. I was approved for instacart, spark, and dolly. Spark is the most profitable. I hope that helps.
I’m a felon & I have been denied for Uber, Roadie, DoorDash, Go Puff, Shipt & instacart…and my conviction was six years ago for a fraud charge where the offense occurred over 10 years ago! I do know felons that have been approved but only because they were convicted in a different state than where they were trying to work.
If anybody knows of a food delivery job or a basic delivery job or basic driving job for high-level offenders/felons can someone respond to this or drop a comment on any companies as of now..The date is 9.25.22
I have pending felony possession charges. Not even convicted and still fighting it in court. It was over a year ago I got charged. It only thing I have on my record. I was accepted with doordash and 6 months later was told the same background check I was hired on with was reason I no longer able to deliver. Uber grubhub instacart even pizza delivery rejected me because of pending charges.
I’m considering applying for Postmates, but apprehensive. My record is from 1989-90, did five on 20, twice convicted. Successfully COMPLETED parole in 2001. My problem is, the “great state” of Arkansas just passed a law in 2014 that I’d you have a class b felony, now you can’t even APPLY FOR a pardon! Watch out who you hang around with, your livelihood literally depends on it!
Bunch of b** I’ve applied for doordash grub hub Uber eats instacart and spark They all responded to me saying sorry I’m un hiredble because of a leaving the scene of an accident misdemeanor from 2015
I agree. I’ve been denied by more companies in this area than any other. Bottom line is customers don’t want a felon to know where they live.
So I interpret this corporate ‘ policy that they will hire felons, but seven years after conviction. I could be wrong, I do know from experience that large corporations use the background as their first filter in narrowing the application pool. I do not even bother applying with them anymore unless I know for sure they will hire felons. I was interested in delivery as a side gig to my full-time job to supplement my income, I was paroled out a month ago and I am starting over. After reading the comments about door dash, u er eats, etc I decided to focus on privately owned restaurants. I found one within two days. They didn’t even ask about my background. It’s a six-hour shift which they pay forty dollars a shift and tips.
Try focusing on privately-owned companies, not corporate. It has also helped me immensely to network. Ask my friends and family if they know anybody hiring, the guys in my parole classes, the guys at the twelve-step group I attend. Sometimes all ii takes is an introduction and a heads up before you walk in
Being a guy in the workforce has so many advantages when it comes to felon friendly jobs. I’ve been out for over 4 years and off parole already. My last felonies were 5 years ago and these sisters couldn’t be more wrong. They never have any factual information and I’ve applied at every delivery job out there and have been turned down except for one Skip Cart, they are just starting out but hopefully they start growing. But I can’t wait for the 7 year mark. I’m so sick of being judged by my alcohol and drug charges. I made mistakes and served my time.
This is not true. The company that owns Waitr DoorDash Uber eats etc are ALL one company and don’t hire felons
No, your wrong they are separate companies and they do hire felons cause I work there at DOORDASH It depends on what crime you committed
Not true, Shannon, I don’t know how long you’ve been working for DoorDash or Uber, but both of them let me drive for them for 6-7 months and then came back and said that they couldn’t let me drive any longer. Mind you, I didn’t have so much as a parking ticket different on my record when they said this to me, AFTER giving me a copy of the EXACT SAME background check 6-7 months earlier. So… good luck…
I can confirm this…i have been working for Door dash faithfully for 7 months. All my ratings are 95% or higher. 5 star. No new tickets or charges. I went to log in last week and told me i cant dash till im active….i was so confused. A couple of day later i got an email from Checkr & Door dash saying that b/c of. My background [ my charges a 8 years old ] i was a no-hire….and now every other delivery company i apply for ..same thing …they all use Checkr
I have a felony and was approved to drive for Doordash so you can’t say they won’t hire felons lol
I am waiting for approval by Spark, Lyft wants me to have my car inspected. Why would Lyft tell me to get it inspected if I wasn’t approved?
Same here but they let me drive for 2 years, then cut me off! Nothing new and charges are over 10 years old! Denied on everything else
I went to welding school and make 50k a year easy. It’s the most felon friendly environment.
This right here everyone only sees that paper, I am like sone of you and got 5 felonies with my first set of charges ever. I have been in gotten rehab, stayed clean completed probation and drug court from two counties. Finished after care and continued on vivatrol for my first 2 years out and restaurants are the only place that will hire me and I cannot live on $10.00 an hour. I still have 3 years to go till I pass the 7 year mark now. I may as well been sentenced to 10 years hard labor. I’m trying I really am life is testing my gangster.
I wish I would have seen this comment sooner. I am running into the same exact problem. I have felony possession charges from 3 years ago, I’ve completed treatment and established a full-filling life for myself with the exception of 1 thing. A job. The most important aspect of being able to thrive in life. I’m even in college to become a Chemical Dependency Counselor and I still am not able to find work unless I want to work for less than minimum wage. Society expects people like us to rehabilitate, but they are not willing to give us a chance to prove ourselves. I’ve applied for most of the jobs on this list and I totally agree with you. These placed will not hire felons (unless you get very lucky or have some type of pull in the company).
I just want to say that these are full of crap and it is starting to really make me mad. I was released from prison 3 years ago and I will say that finding a job has been the hardest thing for me. I have not been able to get a job with any large corporation. The only people that have been willing to hire me were small businesses or restaurants. I have even passed the drug test for Amazon and still was denied because of my background. Now I have only been to prison once but I did obtain 6 charges at one time so it looks bad. But how the hell am I supposed to survive if nobody is willing to give a chance. I was turned down by Uber Eats as well. They didn’t hesitate to tell me it was because of my background. I’m not a s*x offender and I didn’t murder anyone. I can’t even deliver people’s food for them or go grocery shopping for them. So if you’re a felon and you’re on the website, don’t believe any of these lists of jobs that supposedly hire felons. It is a case by case situation and your best bet is somewhere small where you can talk to someone face to face and if it comes up you can share your story and let them see that you’re a real person who has changed their life around.
Hi there, sorry to hear you are struggling finding work. The pandemic certainly doesnt help. My little brother went to a temp agency after he was released, relapsed for several months and then decided he wanted treatment and got clean. He was placed with a company as a temp, showed up on time, worked hard and proved himself, and then was asked to stay permanently. It can be done but boy is it a pain. Best of luck to you in finding something if you haven’t already. Are there any Amazon distribution centers near you? I work in social services and they have hired some of my clients right out of prison.