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Deliver with Amazon Flex

Use your car to earn money and make sure people get their packages on time

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Cristal Dyer

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Heather Petty
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If you’ve got a reliable car and you’re looking to make some extra money, Amazon Flex offers delivery jobs with flexible hours and set earnings so you know up front what you’re getting into. You pick your own days and hours to work, and earn money by making sure the people in your area get their packages and groceries delivered on time.

What's in this guide?

What is Amazon Flex?

Amazon Flex is the delivery program Amazon uses to recruit drivers to move packages from central delivery stations to customers’ homes.

How does Amazon Flex work?

Once you’re signed up, you can use the Amazon Flex mobile app to schedule the hours and days you can work as a delivery driver. Amazon sends offers for your available time periods in the form of a delivery block with a fee for your services attached and how long it should take. You can swipe to accept the offer or ignore it. The offers might include one of the following delivery types:

  • Amazon.com deliveries. Usually a block of three to six hours, you pick up packages from a delivery station and deliver direct to customers.
  • Prime Now or Amazon Fresh deliveries. You sign up for a two to four hour block where you pick up household items and groceries from a station and deliver them to the customer.
  • Store orders. For a two to four hour block, you pick up orders from third-party stores and deliver them on behalf of Amazon.
  • Instant offers. Rather than accepting a block of hours for deliveries, you get instant job offers lasting between 15 and 45 minutes when an item needs to be picked up from a store near you and delivered to a customer in the area.

After you accept an offer, be sure to show up to the store or station where you’re assigned on time, scan the packages with your phone as you pick them up and then again when you deliver them.

You can work part-time to save up for some special purchase, or take on as many hours as you can to try to make Amazon Flex your main job. The available hours may vary by area.

How much can I make?

Amazon claims that most drivers make between $18 and $25 an hour, but that is based on quite a few criteria, such as where you live, how long it takes you to deliver your packages, how much you make in tips and other factors. The minimum you will make per delivery block should display when you sign up for that block, and you can track your earnings on your mobile app. Amazon pays twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, barring any bank holiday.

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Where is Amazon Flex available?

Amazon Flex has drivers in over 50 US cities, but aren’t always actively recruiting in every area. If your city isn’t on the list, you can still download the app and let Amazon know you’re interested in becoming a driver. Someone from Amazon may contact you when work opens up in your area.

How to sign up as a driver

Ready to get behind the wheel for Amazon? Here’s a quick startup guide for new drivers.

  1. Download the Amazon Flex mobile app.
  2. Sign in using your existing Amazon account, or create a new account.
  3. Select a service area for picking up and delivering packages.
  4. Provide tax and payment details.
  5. Review videos provided to learn about delivery best practices.
  6. Provide answers to questions that will be used for a background check.

Driver requirements

To sign up to become an Amazon Flex driver, you must meet the following criteria:

  • At least 21 years old
  • Full, unrestricted driver’s license
  • Qualifying vehicle
  • Valid insurance
  • iPhone 6s or newer, or Android 6 or newer smartphone
  • Pass a background check

What type of vehicle do I need?

For Prime Now orders, any safe, reliable car is adequate. But if you want to deliver Amazon.com orders, you must have a 4-door, midsized sedan or larger. If you have a truck, it must have a covered bed to qualify. You can’t use a motorcycle or a motorized bicycle or scooter to make deliveries. You are allowed to use rental cars as well.

What kind of insurance do I need?

You need to maintain the insurance required by the DMV in your state to be a driver for Amazon Flex. Amazon also provides a liability policy for drivers outside New York that has uninsured motorist and comprehensive and collision coverage.

This policy only applies when you’re actively delivering. It does not cover any passengers or any accidents that happen while someone else is driving, even if you’re delivering packages while someone else drives. Drivers living in New York may need commercial insurance to work for Amazon Flex.

What kind of phone do I need?

You’ll need either an Android or iPhone to deliver for Amazon. These are the specific requirements:

Android

  • Android 6.0 or newer
  • 2 GB or higher RAM
  • Camera with flash
  • GPS Location Services
  • SIM card

iPhone

  • iPhone 6s or newer
  • iOS 13 or higher

Pros and cons of delivering with Amazon Flex

Pros

  • Pick your shift. Amazon schedules delivery blocks with a pay scale attached to each block, allowing you to choose the hours you work and go into each shift knowing what you’ll be paid.
  • Flexible. Because you choose the blocks you work, you can also take time off whenever you need.

Cons

  • Amazon rating system. Amazon times your deliveries, tracks your schedule and tallies customer complaints and delivery errors, which can all lead to you getting a lower rating — even if the errors and schedule changes are not your fault.
  • Not an employee. As an Amazon Flex driver, you’re considered a Driver Partner, not an employee. This means you don’t have the same rights as the full-time delivery drivers who work for Amazon. Past Flex Drivers rating the company on Glassdoor have reported struggles getting their disputes over hours and pay resolved with Amazon HR.
  • Wear and tear on your vehicle. The gas you use and all wear and tear to your car comes out of your pocket with no compensation from Amazon.

Bottom line

Amazon Flex could be a solid option if you’re looking to turn your free time into some supplemental income and willing to put some mileage on your personal vehicle.

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