What Are Amazon Flex Blocks? 4 Things To Understand

Using Amazon Flex, you can work your own schedule without a boss and earn money delivering packages to Amazon customers.

It’s a great alternative to Uber or Lyft rideshare gigs when you want to put your vehicle into use for income without dealing with passengers.

If it is available where you live and you sign up to do delivery for Amazon, the next question you’ll likely ask is about Amazon Flex blocks.

Taking the time to fully understand how the Amazon block scheduling process works will ensure that you get the number of hours you need to make the delivery gig worth it for your income needs.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know, such as how long Amazon Flex blocks last, how many orders exist in a block, how much Amazon Flex blocks pay, and when they become available.

What Is a Block With Amazon Flex?

Blocks are a predesignated period when you will deliver orders via Amazon Flex.

Since you may only work the number of hours assigned to each block, it’s essential to understand your options and responsibilities when it comes to scheduling.  

How Long Is an Amazon Flex Block?

Different types of Flex blocks exist.

One type is when you deliver Amazon Fresh orders.

You’ll pick up household and grocery items from your local Amazon delivery station and typically work a three- to six-hour block shift.

Instant Amazon Fresh delivery runs become available as well.

These blocks are only available in certain areas and typically last 20 to 45 minutes.

Sometimes, you can turn these into a 2-hour block as a grocery delivery driver.

You can also pick up regular Amazon package deliveries at the Amazon warehouse or delivery station.

Similar to standard Amazon Fresh blocks, these package blocks usually last three to six hours.

Blocks for store orders will usually keep you busy for two to four hours.

When delivering packages, you’ll deliver for Amazon Logistics or Amazon Prime Now.

Amazon Logistics is the service for 2-day package deliveries.

Amazon Prime Now packages are those that need to get to customers within two hours.

How Many Orders Are in an Amazon Flex Block?

Amazon divides its blocks into orders.

You’ll need to complete each order in its entirety before you can move on to the next.

You’ll find that each block differs regarding how many packages you need to deliver.

It depends on your area, time of day, and the route.

However, you can expect to deliver somewhere between 35 to 80 orders during an average three-hour Flex block.

Keep in mind that various factors come into play when choosing routes.

You might drive a lot of miles when delivering to residential areas.

The good part is that parking isn’t ever a problem in those neighborhoods.

Delivering in a busy city means you won’t need to drive as many miles.

Parking becomes an issue on those busy streets, however.

How Much Do Amazon Flex Blocks Pay?

The amount of money you make delivering Amazon Flex packages depends on several factors.

These include the package size, delivery location, time of day, and driving distance.

You can expect to earn $18-$25 per hour working as an Amazon Flex driver.

Peak hours pay more than off-peak hours.

Signing up for blocks that offer Prime Now and Amazon Fresh deliveries usually pays more than delivering packages with the regular Amazon service.

On average, you’ll see ranges that look like this on your Amazon Flex app.

• $54 to $72 per three-hour block
• $36 to $50 per two-hour block

Tips affect how much you’ll earn during each Amazon block.

Some deliveries allow customers to leave you a tip.

100% of any tips left by customers go directly to you and increase your block pay.

Why Do Some Amazon Flex Blocks Pay More Than Others?

You might wonder why some Amazon Flex blocks pay more than others.

When Amazon calculates the Amazon Flex block pay rates, various factors come into play.

• How far you’ll need to travel to complete an order
• The minimum amount contributed by Amazon
• The number of orders in a block

There’s also another factor at play here.

Blocks with more orders tend to pay less than blocks with fewer orders.

It happens because Amazon wants to ensure that its drivers get compensated fairly for the number of hours they work.

The amount that Amazon contributes to each block changes based on your location.

If you live in a larger metropolitan area, then you can expect to earn a higher average hourly rate than someone living in a smaller city.

Amazon contributes more to block pay during times when customer demand goes up.

When Are Amazon Flex Blocks Released?

Blocks go out every day and become available on a first-come, first-serve basis. It’s your responsibility to set up your schedule.

Setting your own work time is one of the prime reasons you’re doing this side hustle.

Make the most of it by staying on top of it.

Go to the Amazon Flex home screen to look at the blocks opening up throughout each day.

You can click to schedule any offer that looks good to you.

You’ll see that block show up on your calendar inside the app.

Amazon provides filtering options so you can set things up in a way that matches your personal needs.

Filter by stations and times of the day so you only see blocks that you’ll most likely see as advantageous.

If you need to remove any filters previously set up, simply tap on the button that says “all offers.”

You’ll know when you’ve successfully claimed a block because Amazon pops up a confirmation message for you.

Go into the calendar section to see all upcoming blocks on your schedule.

You’ll see orange dots that help you quickly scan your work time slots.

What Time Do Amazon Flex Blocks Become Available?

Blocks become available at all hours of the day as new customer orders stream into Amazon’s system.

Stay on top of opportunities by looking at the app often.

If you find yourself getting frustrated when you miss blocks, you should consider a block grabber.

Third-party block grabbers allow you to scan Amazon’s block scheduling system.

After downloading a block grabber on your phone, you can start automatically picking up blocks you would have otherwise missed.

The block grabbers let you set parameters, so they know which types of blocks you’re looking for.

When the grabber sees one in your area, it will add it to your Amazon Flex block schedule for you.

An important distinction to consider is that Amazon Flex isn’t designed to fulfill a full-time schedule for each Flex worker.

It’s meant to provide you with a part-time income source.

You’ll find the experience more enjoyable if you use it to supplement other income sources.

If you’re expecting to make a full-time income as an independent contractor delivery driver, then you’ll most likely wind up disappointed.

Is It Bad to Decline Blocks on Amazon Flex?

You can decline blocks and even cancel blocks previously scheduled inside the Amazon Flex app as an Amazon Flex driver.

Don’t make a consistent habit of it, however.

The worst thing you can do is completely miss one of your blocks.

That can cause you to become deactivated from the Amazon Flex app.

If you need to cancel a scheduled block, go into the app as soon as possible.

Find your calendar section and click on the option to forfeit the block.

If you forfeit a block at least 45 minutes before its start, Amazon won’t penalize you for it.

Of course, that’s only if it happens once in a while.

You’ll get in trouble if you make a habit of declining available blocks or canceling them after you’ve placed them on your schedule.

There’s an incentive to remain consistent with your gig as an Amazon delivery driver.

It’s called Preferred Scheduling.

Amazon Flex lets you qualify for Rewards levels.

You can gain access to the preferred scheduling option after getting to its Level 2 inside the rewards system.

Once you hit Level 2, you’ll start seeing more advantageous reserved offers inside the scheduling area of the Amazon app.

Amazon gives you an increased amount of time to accept offers as you rise inside the rewards level system.

Don’t forget to participate in the Amazon Flex Rewards program, too.

You earn points the more you drive, and you can redeem those points as cashback on the Amazon Flex debit card.

These points also impact your preferred scheduling options.

Wrapping Up

If you haven’t already, go into the Google Play Store or Apple Store to download the Amazon Flex app.

Enter the app to apply.

Next, schedule a few Amazon Flex reserved blocks and start earning money as the next Flex driver.