How much of the delivery fee gets paid to the driver?

[Via]

A question for anyone who works (or has recently worked) delivering food: how much of the stated delivery fee do you get per trip? I delivered pizza for a very short time, and iirc I logged my miles and got paid (very little) per mile.

I ordered a pizza today and went with a special that was $10. The total came out a bit over $17 after tax and "delivery fee". The tax couldn't have been more than $2, so the delivery fee must have been $5. This isn't a new thing; delivery fees have been rising a bunch the past few years.

I wouldn't mind if I knew the driver was getting the bulk of that, but are they? Or are these places taking a page out of the airline fee manual and milking this for all they can get?

 

[lothar]

If I'm charged a delivery fee, I don't tip.

 

[arcenite]

If I'm charged a delivery fee, I don't tip.

:'(

 

[iamwiz82]

a delivery fee does not go to the driver, in most cases. I believe Domino's makes that very clear.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I've always been curious about this too. I would hope the driver gets 100% of it because there is zero cost to the restaurant, but we all well know that's probably not the case. They'll milk it to make more money knowing lot of people get stuff delivered. I bet the driver gets like a dollar and the store gets 2. (most places I've seen it's about 3-4 bucks to deliver).

 

[iamwiz82]

I've always been curious about this too. I would hope the driver gets 100% of it because there is zero cost to the restaurant, but we all well know that's probably not the case. They'll milk it to make more money knowing lot of people get stuff delivered. I bet the driver gets like a dollar and the store gets 2. (most places I've seen it's about 3-4 bucks to deliver).

It's not zero cost. I would imagine that the delivery place has to carry some pretty heavy insurance in case their driver mows down a bus stop full of nuns and such. Plus there is that person's salary and the backend infrastructure to support it.

 

[JEDIYoda]

The delivery fee almost never goes to the driver...some times the driver gets mileage and a say 50 cents per trip or something like that...but the driver never to my knowledge gets the delivery fee!!

Then again if the driver is using his own vehicle the fee usually gores to the store and if he is using a company vehicle the fee helps somewhat pay for maintenance and gas!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

When I was driving for dominos, we got minimum wage, $0.75 per delivery, ostensibly for gas, and tips.

Since you can take a bazillion orders and make a gazillion pizzas in the time if takes you to make one or two deliveries, the delivery fees are basically about the same as their labor costs. (The minimum wage part.)

 

[Via]

It's not zero cost. I would imagine that the delivery place has to carry some pretty heavy insurance in case their driver mows down a bus stop full of nuns and such. Plus there is that person's salary and the backend infrastructure to support it.

When I delivered pizza there was no delivery fee, and the places seemed to do fine without that extra charge.

 

[SirStev0]

When I was in college I got it all (5+ years ago) but I worked at the only place in town that did that.. Everywhere else it was an "operation" cost and went to the bank.

 

[Via]

Like I said before - if this fee meant drivers would get paid a decent wage for the dangerous, shitty job they do I would be all for it.

The pizza I ordered took about an hour and a half to arrive, so I don't think it's a stretch to say the driver delivered 10 pizzas on that trip. That's $50 for that trip alone, and he surely made at least 5 trips on an NFL Sunday, probably more.

That's hundreds of dollars in fees, way more than enough to pay the driver many times over. And I would assume there were other drivers today. When I delivered there were usually three drivers at a time, more for weekends.

 

[lothar]

It's not zero cost. I would imagine that the delivery place has to carry some pretty heavy insurance in case their driver mows down a bus stop full of nuns and such. Plus there is that person's salary and the backend infrastructure to support it.

I was under the impression that the delivery drivers use their own car(and therefore their own car insurance), and buy their own gas(they may receive some compensation for gas but I doubt it's enough to cover the cost)?

If so, then...
Your vehicle, your insurance?
Why again should Domino's or Papa Johns be responsible for mowing down a bus stop full of nuns and such?

If they're delivering pizza using company cars then I can see the company as being completely responsible.

 

[uclaLabrat]

I was under the impression that the delivery drivers use their own car(and therefore their own car insurance), and buy their own gas(they may receive some compensation for gas but I doubt it's enough to cover the cost)?

If so, then...
Your vehicle, your insurance?
Why again should Domino's or Papa Johns be responsible for mowing down a bus stop full of nuns and such?

If they're delivering pizza using company cars then I can see the company as being completely responsible.

I don't think it matters a lick if you're using your own vehicle, it matters in what capacity you're using it. If you're using it for work, the company can be liable.

 

[JMapleton]

Most pizza shops the driver doesn't get it.

I worked for Pizza Hut between jobs around 7 years ago and I got to keep the delivery fee. I know for a fact though Papa Johns drivers don't get to keep the fee.

Don't be a jerk, tip. Most of those guys need the money.

I always tip $5 minimum. If you cannot afford that, you shouldn't be ordering pizza.

 

[LTC8K6]

Your personal car insurance is probably not going to cover delivery business use of the vehicle, I'd think. If they knew you were using it for that, they would likely charge you a higher premium or not cover you.

 

[lxskllr]

$0.75 per delivery, ostensibly for gas, and tips.

That'll get me out of the parking lot, and to the next red light. How's that pizza gonna get to the house? :^D

75¢ for a delivery is bullshit. At the minimum, you should get what the IRS allows(looks like 57¢ per mile).

 

[malbojah]

At my place, there is a two dollars delivery fee and it is split evenly between the driver and the business. My boss actually pays a decent wage for drivers

 

[waggy]

I delivered for Pizza hut in the 90's. I got slightly over min wage (can't remember how much)+$.50 delivery (that added up)+tip. i made some good cash.

They didn't have delivery fee's. i hate them. its goes to the store and not the driver. its a fucking rip for the costumer.

For insurance i was told its on me. I had to have insurance and i had to use my car. so if something happened i was liable. not sure how legal that was but that's what i was told.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

That'll get me out of the parking lot, and to the next red light. How's that pizza gonna get to the house? :^D

75¢ for a delivery is bullshit. At the minimum, you should get what the IRS allows(looks like 57¢ per mile).

Our delivery area was only about 6 square miles. (Cities ftw.)

Companies can reimburse you per mile, either a little or not at all, and it's separate paperwork. Also, a mileage reimbursement counts against the $0.57/mile tax deduction you can file for when you do your taxes.

Also, what was said above about insurance is correct - my car insurance wouldn't cover the car for use by a delivery driver, so when I was doing that I was technically under my employers' insurance. (Or, rather, none.)

 

[Insomniator]

Most pizza shops the driver doesn't get it.

I worked for Pizza Hut between jobs around 7 years ago and I got to keep the delivery fee. I know for a fact though Papa Johns drivers don't get to keep the fee.

Don't be a jerk, tip. Most of those guys need the money.

I always tip $5 minimum. If you cannot afford that, you shouldn't be ordering pizza.

lol 5 bucks, do you live on a mountain? Lots of people need money, doesn't mean we just throw money at them.

Also I should say I don't undertip if there is a delivery fee, but I've never seen a delivery fee that was over what, 2 bucks? 5 dollars sounds insane, especially considering how many delivery orders a store can get per night.

 

[Golgatha]

I don't think it matters a lick if you're using your own vehicle, it matters in what capacity you're using it. If you're using it for work, the company can be liable.

This. When I'm driving for the company, I get mileage allowance back, but they are responsible for what I do on company time. This is the reason a lot of companies won't let you take another employee to urgent care and make you call an ambulance for a stitch or two.