Does Your DoorDash Acceptance Rate Matter? What Drivers Need To Know
If you're new to driving for DoorDash or are thinking about signing up to drive, one thing you might be wondering about is your DoorDash acceptance rate.
There's actually a lot of misinformation out there on this topic, and, for first-time DoorDash drivers, this misinformation can actually cause you to earn less money per hour!
So, does DoorDash acceptance rate matter, and what is this metric in the first place? Well, let's jump right into what your DoorDash acceptance rate is, if a low rate matters, and what you should care about most.
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What Is Your DoorDash Acceptance Rate?
Your DoorDash acceptance rate is the percentage of orders you accept out of all your order requests. For example, if you get 100 order requests and accept 75 of them, your DoorDash acceptance rate is 75% in this example.
When you start working for DoorDash and go online with the driver app, you get order requests that pop up on your screen.
Orders display information like:
- How much you earn for the delivery
- Items in the order
- Restaurant
- Total delivery distance
This is where you decide if you want to also “accept” or “decline” orders.
But, does your DoorDash acceptance rate matter, and is this rating even worth tracking?
That's where things get interesting.
Extra Reading – Is Working For DoorDash Worth It?
Does Your Acceptance Rate Matter On DoorDash?
Your DoorDash acceptance rate doesn't matter in terms of avoiding Dasher deactivation. In other words, you can decline as many orders as you want and you won't face any direct penalties. You don't receive fewer DoorDash orders either even if you have a low acceptance rate.
However, new DoorDash drivers often feel bad if they decline a bunch of orders or think they need to keep a high acceptance rate to avoid getting deactivated.
Nothing could be further from the truth, so let's get into what DoorDash and real couriers have to say on the subject.
What DoorDash Says
DoorDash can deactivate drivers if they consistently get poor ratings, cancel orders, and are generally late. But, according to DoorDash's own rules, there isn't a minimum acceptance rate you need to maintain to stay active as a driver.
That's right: a low DoorDash acceptance rating doesn't mean you'll get kicked off of DoorDash or suffer some sort of penalty.
Here are the actual requirements to remain an active DoorDash driver:
- 4.2 average customer rating or higher
- 80% completion rate or higher
- Not being repeatedly late
Your customer rating is based on the last 100 customer reviews from your previous orders.
Completion rate is how many orders you accept and complete since you can cancel orders you're currently delivering (in some rare scenarios this makes sense but you should avoid it if possible; check out our article on DoorDash driver tips and tricks for more info on that!)
But, as you can see, your DoorDash acceptance rate doesn't matter for getting you deactivated.
It still matters for some other perks, which we'll cover later, but don't be afraid of a low acceptance rating!
What DoorDash Drivers Say
So, does your DoorDash acceptance rate matter according to couriers?
Well, there are lots of threads on Reddit and Quora where drivers chime in on this subject, and this thread is the perfect example.
As you can see from this driver, the metrics that matter most are customer rating and completion rating; a low DoorDash acceptance rating doesn't matter.
The only time your DoorDash acceptance rate matters is if you want to qualify to be a Top Dasher, which we're about to cover.
DoorDash Acceptance Rating & The Top Dasher Program
If you want to join the Top Dasher program, you have to pay attention to your acceptance rate. This is the only time your DoorDash acceptance rate actually matters.
This is because the DoorDash minimum acceptance rate to become a Top Dasher is 70%, so you need to accept at least 70% of order requests to even be eligible for the program.
Other Top Dasher requirements are:
- Having an average customer rating of at least 4.7 stars
- Having a completion rate of 95% or higher
- Having 200 all-time deliveries
- Completing 100 deliveries or more in the previous month
As a Top Dasher, the main perk you get is the ability to “Dash Now” and work in any zone without having to schedule yourself and even if it's grey and too busy to normally drive in.
Top Dashers also get priority access to high-value orders, which are orders of $35 or more, which theoretically means larger tips.
Finally, Top Dashers get priority for new orders if things are slow over non-Top Dasher drivers, so you should also get more order requests per hour.
But, you have to maintain your requirements each month to maintain eligibility, which means maintaining an acceptance rate of 70% or higher.
Many drivers do this even if they don't care about being a Top Dasher, but if you want to boost your weekly DoorDash earnings, this strategy might actually be harmful.
DoorDash Higher-Paying Orders – A New Pilot Program
In June 2022, DoorDash started rolling out a new pilot program that grants eligible Dashers access to high-paying orders that pay at least $2+ per mile.
To qualify for high-paying orders you must:
- Have an average customer rating of at least 4.5 for the previous 100 orders
- Have an acceptance rate of at least 50% for the previous 100 orders
This new program means that your acceptance rate can matter a bit more. This is because high-paying orders have higher base pay since they pay $2 or more per mile inclusive of tips and any additional pay.
You should get a notification if this pilot rolls out in your area. And your order acceptance screen highlights if it's a high-paying order.
DoorDash also says you get even more high-paying orders if your acceptance rate is 70% or higher.
This is DoorDash's effort to make accepting all orders more worthwhile. But I think you should test going for this pilot program if it's in your area and see if maintaining a higher acceptance rate actually results in more money.
Should You Care About Your DoorDash Acceptance Rating?
A lot of drivers who make the most money with DoorDash have single-digit or extremely low DoorDash acceptance ratings. This is a similar pattern with gig apps like Uber Eats or working for Instacart.
The reason many drivers have low acceptance ratings is because they stick to a general rule of thumb that states you should only accept orders that pay around $1 per mile.
This is because DoorDash doesn't pay for gas, and you have to factor in your time and vehicle depreciation and wear and tear for your delivery work.
So, if you accept every order that comes your way, you'll find yourself driving 6 miles for $4.50 orders, barely making more than minimum wage and putting a lot of mileage on your vehicle.
In short, you need to cherry-pick the highest DoorDash orders that are actually worth your time so you aren't wasting your time on low-paying orders.
If you want another driver's opinion on keeping a low DoorDash acceptance rate, I recommend checking out this video from Gig Nation as well:
In this video, the driver explains how his acceptance rate got as low as 3% and why he is so picky about the order requests he accepts.
Again, my advice is to stick around the $1 per mile rule so things are worth your time or to set your own threshold of sorts.
Just please don't head out on the road and accept every order under the sun if you're only getting $3 or $4 per order!
Pro tip: While your acceptance rate doesn't matter, make sure you care about your customer rating!
This is the most important metric to keep up, and besides, providing better customer service should mean more tips which means more money in your pocket at the end of the day.
Extra Reading – The Best DoorDash Driver Hacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're still curious about your DoorDash acceptance rate and what you should care about, this list of answers to questions drivers have should help put your mind at ease.
1. What Is A Good Acceptance Rating On DoorDash?
This is largely up to your personal preference, but you should only accept orders that you think are worth it to you. Many Dashers who make great money only have acceptance rates in the 20% to 40% range, so don't think you need a very high one to make the most money Dashing.
The exception to this is if you want to become a Top Dasher. In this case, you need to maintain an acceptance rate of 70% or higher every month.
2. Is It Bad To Not Accept DoorDash Orders?
As mentioned, you can't get deactivated if you don't accept DoorDash orders. You won't get fewer order requests either or suffer some secret downside that you don't know about, even if your acceptance rating drops to single digits.
But, it's bad to have a low completion rate, and dropping under 80% completion rate can actually result in deactivation.
So, be picky about the orders you accept to make more money dashing, but make sure you complete those orders, provide great customer service, and are on time.
3. How Do You Increase Your Acceptance Rate On DoorDash?
Accepting more orders is the only way to increase your acceptance rate on DoorDash.
Again, I think you should stick to the $1 per mile rule or your own minimum earning requirement rule in order to accept an order unless you're trying to make it into the Top Dasher Program.
You can also use nifty apps like Para which help you estimate the total tip amount for DoorDash orders so you know if they're actually worth it or not.
Thanks to Para, you might accept more orders than normal since tips can make a delivery worth your while. But again, the only way to increase your acceptance rate is to accept more orders!
Extra Reading – The Best Times To Do DoorDash.
Final Thoughts
So, does DoorDash acceptance rate matter? Absolutely not, unless you're trying to become a Top Dasher.
I think the golden rule is that you have to decide what hourly wage you're happy with and what sort of deliveries you need to get you there. If an order doesn't pay enough, don't accept it, simple as that.
This is the same idea you should use for other driving gigs, like working for Grubhub or grocery delivery gigs like Instacart and Cornershop.
At the end of the day, you're the only one who can decide if a gig economy job is right for you. I just hope you now understand what your DoorDash acceptance rating is and in what scenarios it actually matters.
Happy dashing, and best of luck!
Looking for more money-making ideas? Checkout:
- The Best Ways To Get Paid To Shop.
- How To Earn $1K A Week With Uber Eats.
- The Best Jobs Like DoorDash To Make Extra Money.
