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DoorDash Instant Pay: What It Is and How It Works

Discover the benefits of DoorDash Instant Pay and how it enhances your earnings as an independent contractor with a flexible schedule and the potential for tips.

What Is Fast Pay?

DoorDash’s Fast Pay is a feature that allows dashers to receive their earnings instantly for a small fee of $1.99, offering a quick alternative to the traditional weekly pay cycle.

DoorDash Instant Pay

Fast Pay offers DoorDash drivers a solution to the age-old issue of cash flow by providing immediate access to earned wages. While DoorDash charges for this expedited service, the fee is relatively modest compared to predatory payday loans.

This system benefits dashers who need to pay bills or manage expenses before their regular payday. With Fast Pay, earnings are transferred instantly, bypassing the typical payment schedule that processes funds after midnight PST on Sundays and then requires additional processing time by banks.

Related: how much do DoorDash drivers make?

How Do You Use Fast Pay?

Setting up Fast Pay is simple. To start, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

  • Be in a U.S. market (Canadian dashers can use DailyPay, which is a similar service)
  • Have an active dasher account
  • Have completed at least 25 lifetime deliveries
  • Have been on the DoorDash platform for two weeks

As long as you meet these requirements, you can use Fast Pay.

To set it up, follow these steps:

  1. Visit the Earnings section of your app and click the “Set Up Fast Pay” banner.
  2. Ensure your Direct Deposit is linked to your personal bank account, and then click “Set up Fast Pay” again.
  3. From there, enter the requested details for your debit card.

You’ll be able to use Fast Pay as soon as you’ve signed up. You can access Fast Pay within the “Earnings” section of the DoorDash app.

To transfer your earnings, click on the “Use Fast Pay” banner.

Doordash Fast Pay FAQ

DoorDash Instant Pay: What It Is and How It Works

Now that you understand what Fast Pay is and how to use it, let’s look at some common questions that dashers have about this feature.

Since DoorDash only launched it back in July 2018, it’s understandable to have some questions about it.

1. When will the Fast Pay funds be available in my bank account?

This is a tricky question.

DoorDash transfers the money instantly, but when it appears in your bank account depends on how quickly your bank processes incoming payments.

It could be a few days before the funds are fully available to use in your debit card account.

Particularly if this is your first time using Fast Pay, your bank might put a hold on it to review the transaction.

2. How will I know when the Fast Pay funds have transferred?

For each completed Fast Pay transaction, DoorDash will send you a confirmation email.

This email will show the amount of the transfer and when it occurred.

3. Where is Fast Pay available?

Fast Pay is available to all dashers in the U.S. who meet the requirements we outlined in the previous section.

There are no restrictions for Fast Pay based on your city.

4. Can I use a prepaid card or credit card for Fast Pay?

You must have a debit card account to use Fast Pay.

Other types of cards are not eligible for the program.

5. How often can I cash out my earnings using Fast Pay?

You can cash out your earnings up to once per day, at any time you like (even on weekends).

However, do note that some banks limit the number of debit card transactions per day for security reasons.

If you have a lot of other transactions in one day, then Fast Pay may not work.

This has nothing to do with DoorDash, so be sure to speak to your bank if you’re having any issues receiving Fast Pay transfers.

6. Can I cancel Fast Pay transfers?

No, you cannot.

Once you’ve initiated the transfer, it will proceed.

Therefore, be sure that you want to transfer your earnings before you do so.

7. Why is my available balance $0?

Any earnings that you don’t transfer by Sunday at 11:59:59 p.m. (PST) will be deposited to your checking account using the regular weekly payment.

This will be available in your bank account 2–3 business days later.

8. I’m a Canadian dasher. When is Fast Pay coming to Canada?

Fast Pay is only available in the U.S. currently, but Canadian dashers have access to a similar program called DailyPay.

Note that this is a third-party contractor working with DoorDash to provide instant payments to Canadian dashers.

To learn more, consult the DailyPay information page on the DoorDash website.

9. Do other food delivery apps offer a service similar to Fast Pay?

Currently, other food delivery services such as Grubhub, Postmates, and Instacart do not offer any kind of instant payments to drivers.

Uber Eats does offer Instant Pay (just as with payments for taking Uber rides). Caviar also offers an instant payment option using the Cash App.

Fast Pay could be a compelling reason to drive for DoorDash over other apps.

However, the fact that Uber Eats and Caviar also offer similar options somewhat lessens this advantage.

10. How can I get help with problems related to Fast Pay?

For assistance with Fast Pay (and all other questions related to working for DoorDash), you should contact DoorDash driver support.

Get Your Money When You Need It

Now that you’ve read this guide, you should have an understanding of how DoorDash Fast Pay works, as well as how to use it.

It’s a powerful tool for you as a driver: For just a small fee, you can have instant access to the money you’ve earned.

This is a major advance compared to the scammy payday loan companies you would have had to use in the past.

We hope that more food delivery and other gig economy apps will embrace a similar model, as doing so is financially beneficial to both drivers and companies.

4 thoughts on “DoorDash Instant Pay: What It Is and How It Works”

  1. It would seem that DD Fast Cash happens on the same day, even the same minute you cash out. However, there appears to be N unwritten rule in the amount allowed for this. Fir 2 weeks in a row I cashed out over $500 and it takes 2 business days to deposit. It shows posted as the day after you do it but does not hit your bank acct until the next day. Ex: cashed out $577 on Fri June 7 at 730pm, did not post until next day unlike ALL previous cash outs. Is this a DD Fast Cash policy? I asked my bank about it pending deposit and it was not there so it is not my banks issue, it is DD’s. This now happening 2x in a row has caused me serious financial issues (fees, stress) due to this unwritten policy.

    Reply
    • Last week I was able to withdrawl my earnings with no issue from the previos days. Now today I go try and use fast day for the earnings I made Monday and Tuesday. But the fast pay button has dissappeard. DD told me I have to wait till next week for my money to deposit into my account. She made it seem like fast pay works for the earnings you just earned that day. Does not make sense to me because last week I was able to pull out all my money on Thursday, from the earnings I made Monday through Wednesday plus Thursday. Now that I only dashed Monday and Tuesday and its Thursday. I should be able to to use fast pay. Everytime I call DD there is always a language barrier. Have you had similar issues?

      Reply
  2. I’m in the PNW. I signed up three weeks ago. It has never worked at all, and I knew it said it takes seven days to start. It will say my total amount that I’ve made and when you click the fast pay button, the total is zero. No way to type in your amount you want transferred either. I thought that might be something I had to do. Wish Brett, the Author, would investigate this. I just wanted to try it for fun, but those really needing their $$, this would be hard! And no one to really ask in support! They are reading a script and just say, “you’ll get your funds on your regular payday,” which doesn’t help!!!🤨

    Wish

    Reply
  3. In fact there is a $500 limit on transferring fast pay but the problem is and doordash is in Federal trade commission trouble for doing this also Federal reserve trouble they are supposed to transmit the five if you have $577 for instance, you’re supposed to receive the $500 limit immediately the $77 over that $500 is delayed for one Business Bank day, Saturday and Sunday will appear on Tuesday Friday will appear on Monday the Business Bank day after Friday is Monday the Business Bank day after Saturday or Sunday is always Tuesday, keep that in mind.

    Reply

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