How Does DoorDash Fast Pay Work? – What Drivers Need To Know
If you're currently delivering for DoorDash or are thinking about starting, you might have also heard of DoorDash Fast Pay.
With DoorDash Fast Pay, you can get your hard-earned money from dashing into your bank account faster than normal.
But, how does Fast Pay work on DoorDash, and what are the requirements to unlock it?
Furthermore, should you use this feature if you're a frequent Dasher, and what are the pros and cons to consider?
Let's dive into everything you need to know about this payment feature so you can make more money DoorDashing and get paid when you need to!
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What Is DoorDash Fast Pay?
DoorDash Fast Pay lets U.S. DoorDash drivers cash out their daily earnings instead of waiting an entire week or more for DoorDash to submit payments. It costs $1.99 to use, and you need to link a debit card to your DoorDash account to actually cash out.
The reason you need a debit card is that when you use Fast Pay, DoorDash submits the money to your linked debit card account instantly rather than using its regular direct deposit system.
Also note that while you can cash out all of your weekly earnings with Fast Pay, you can't cash out earnings for a Dash that you're still on.
So, for example, if you earned:
- $45 delivering on Monday
- $75 delivering on Tuesday
- $25 delivering on Wednesday
You could cash out the entire $145 Wednesday with Fast Pay, assuming your Wednesday dash is over and you're not online in the app.
How To Get Fast Pay On DoorDash – Fast Pay Requirements
Unfortunately, first-time DoorDashers won't be able to use Fast Pay to cash out instantly. This is because there are several DoorDash Fast Pay requirements you have to meet, including:
- Completing at least 25 lifetime deliveries
- Being on DoorDash for at least two weeks since activation
- Having a properly set up bank account
These requirements are quite lenient, and you can likely complete the 25 lifetime delivery requirement within your first two weeks of DoorDashing anyway if you put in some hours!
How To Use Fast Pay On DoorDash
If you're eligible to use Fast Pay, here are the steps you have to take to cash out instantly:
1. Sign Up For Fast Pay
DoorDash has a “Set Up Fast Pay” button you can find under the “Earnings” button within the DoorDash driver app.
You need to set up your banking information so DoorDash can pay you normally. You also enter your debit card information so you can cash out with Fast Pay.
The debit card part is key, and a prepaid debit card won't suffice. This means you need to use a debit card from a regular bank or an online bank to qualify.
2. Wait 7 Days
There's a 7 day waiting period to use DoorDash Fast Pay, so you can't just sign up for the service and cash out immediately. So, sign up as soon as you meet the requirements to complete the waiting period so you can cash out instantly later on.
3. Cash Out
If you enter your banking information correctly and wait seven days, you should be eligible to use DoorDash Fast Pay, assuming you've met the other requirements.
The “Earnings” section within the app has a Fast Pay button you can tap to transfer your current weekly earnings to your bank account.
Again, this costs $1.99 every time you use it, and you can't use Fast Pay for earnings that are part of an active Dash.
You can also watch this video on how to use DoorDash Fast Pay from Rain City Dreamer on YouTube if you want an in-app walkthrough of how to cash out.
If you ever need to change your debit card information, you can also access that in the earnings section and update your banking information before using Fast Pay.
Extra Reading – How Much Can You Make With DoorDash Per Week?
Should You Use DoorDash Fast Pay?
If you have urgent expenses coming up like bills, car repairs, or credit card payments and your DoorDash earnings can cover the expense, absolutely use Fast Pay. This system is designed to help Dashers enjoy their earnings faster. It basically turns DoorDash into a job that pays the same day.
Plus, if using Fast Pay helps you avoid paying interest on a credit card bill or something like that, the $1.99 fee is absolutely worth it.
Really, the only time you shouldn't use Fast Pay is if you absolutely know you don't need your DoorDash money anytime soon.
A $1.99 fee might not sound like much, but if you use Fast Pay twice per week, that's $15.92 per month and $191.04 per year in fees!
That's not an insignificant amount, and as DoorDash states, you sometimes have to wait a few days anyway depending on your bank to get access to your earnings anyway.
So, use DoorDash Fast Pay if you're in a crunch and need some fast cash, but try to limit this to once a week and avoid it if you don't need the money for anything.
What Do DoorDash Drivers Think?
A good way to gauge if a feature is actually useful or not is to see what real users think. So, what do actual DoorDash drivers think about using Fast Pay versus waiting for regular payments?
Well, in Reddit threads like this one, drivers have mixed opinions:
- bsj72380 says: “It is very useful if I have something hitting the bank that will cause an overdraft fee. The $1.99 Fast Pay fee is way less expensive than a $35 overdraft fee. Otherwise, I let it hit the bank on Tuesday morning.”
- stackedtotherafters says: “Fastpay rarely. I like the option for unexpected expenses. But I prefer not to pay a fee to get my own money.”
- YoureGonaGetSliced says: “Always Weekly. The only time to use Fast Pay is on Monday or Tuesday or else I don't get the money until the following week anyways. Also $1.99 fee is BS. Every other platform I've used charges .50 or less.”
This is basically the consensus: use Fast Pay if it helps you avoid bank fees or being late on bills, but don't ignore the $1.99 fee and use it all the time.
Extra Reading – Is DoorDash Worth It?
Do Other Gig Apps Let You Cash Out Instantly
There are plenty of other food delivery apps out there, and the great news is, many of them have features that are similar to DoorDash's Fast Pay!
Some other food delivery jobs that let you withdraw earnings the same day include:
- Grubhub – Use Instant Cash Out for a $0.50 fee.
- Uber Eats – Use Instant Pay up to five times per day for $0.50 per cash out.
- Shipt – There are plans for an instant payment feature for $0.50 per cash out, but this has been in the works for over a year now.
- Instacart – Use Instant Cash Out for a $0.50 fee just like Grubhub and Uber Eats.
It's nice that other delivery gigs have cheaper fees than DoorDash's $1.99 fee, but again, I'd only use these features if you really need some quick money.
Extra Reading – DoorDash vs Uber Eats For Drivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're still wondering how Fast Pay works on DoorDash or some of the finer points behind this payment option, this list of answers to common questions people have should help!
1. When Do Fast Pay Earnings Appear?
According to DoorDash, “transfers usually happen within minutes, but they can take up to a few business days to appear on your debit card depending on your bank’s processing time.”
So, using Fast Pay should hopefully get you your money as quickly as possible, but you might have to wait a day or two depending on your bank.
2. How Much Does This Cost?
DoorDash Fast Pay costs $1.99 every single time you use it.
3. Who Can Use DoorDash Fast Pay?
As mentioned, you need to have been active for at least two weeks on DoorDash and have at least 25 lifetime delivery completions. Additionally, DoorDash Fast Pay is only available for U.S. Dashers; Canadian delivery drivers can't cash out with this method.
4. Why Isn't My DoorDash Fast Pay Working?
There are a few common problems that can cause Fast Pay to stop working for DoorDash drivers:
- You aren't in the United States
- You haven't met the requirements
- You don't have any pending earnings or your only earnings are part of an active Dash
- Your debit card account has a negative balance
- You're using Dasher Direct, a new Visa card that DoorDash offers that also comes with various perks for delivery drivers
DoorDash also suggests checking that your Dasher app is the most recent version to ensure you aren't running a version with bugs.
You should also check with your bank if you're having trouble cashing out with Fast Pay since banks sometimes limit how many debit card transactions you can make per day or per month.
It's also worth noting that your DoorDash earnings sometimes have a delay in showing up. So, if your account shows $0 in earnings but you finished a Dash recently, be patient; you can cash out with Fast Pay once the money actually appears in your account!
Extra Reading – 20+ Apps That Pay You For Driving.
5. Why Aren't My Funds Available For Fast Pay?
If you're currently on a Dash, your funds won't be available to withdraw with Fast Pay yet. Additionally, earnings from completed Dashes can still be marked as “pending,” which means you won't be able to withdraw them instantly until the funds settle in your account.
You can view all of your settled earnings within the Dasher app, so you know exactly how much money you can cash out with Fast Pay.
6. How Often Can I Use Fast Pay?
You can use Fast Pay anytime you want but only once per day, but this isn't really a problem since you wouldn't want to get paid twice in one day for two separate Dashes.
Just remember: you have to wait seven days when you first sign up to use it!
7. Can I Cancel A Payment?
Once you request a payment with Fast Pay, you can't cancel it and you have to pay the $1.99 fee.
8. Is DoorDash Fast Pay Available In Canada?
Unfortunately, Canadian DoorDash drivers don't have Fast Pay.
DoorDash used to offer something called DailyPay for Canadian Dashers that also let them cash out their earnings daily, but I believe this has been discontinued and I'm not sure if it's coming back in the future.
Extra Reading – The Best Gig Apps To Make Extra Money.
9. How Does DoorDash Normally Pay Drivers?
Normally, Dashers get paid via direct deposit every week for deliveries completed between Monday and Sunday of the previous week.
DoorDash states that payments take two to three business days to actually reach your bank account, so without DoorDash Fast Pay, you're likely getting your previous week of earnings every Wednesday or so.
Extra Reading – How Much Can You Make On DoorDash In A Day?
Final Thoughts
I hope our post on how to use Fast Pay on DoorDash helps you cash out with this feature and know when and when not to use it.
I think it's great gig economy apps are increasingly letting gig workers have more flexibility over their earnings. But, as mentioned, don't ignore that $1.99 fee since it can really add up!
In any case, best of luck while you're out there Dashing!
I'll catch you guys in the next one.
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