With so many innovative ways to make money, like being a delivery driver, charging an electric vehicle, or ridesharing, there are many new ways to make money.
Being a Spin charger is one of these new side hustles.
You can earn extra pay by collecting Spin scooters and taking them home or to a charging hub.
Table Of Contents
What Is a Spin Charger?
A Spin charger earns money by collecting Spin scooters, taking them to charge, and then putting them back on the streets.
Several electric scooter companies exist in many major cities, but Spin is one of the newest—and fastest-growing.
Spin scooters started in San Francisco as a dockless bicycle company.
They quickly expanded to Seattle and then across North America and into Europe.
They now rent bikes and electric scooters in more than 53 cities across the United States.
Many Spin scooters are on or near a college campus, so students have accessible transportation.
Some university partners include:
- Duke University
- George Mason University
- Purdue University
- Texas State University
- University of Michigan
What Does a Spin Charger Do?
Most shareable bikes and scooters have a docking station where people can rent and return their rides.
You pay for the rental through the app, get a keycode, and input that code to unlock the dock.
Spin doesn’t use a dock, though.
These bikes and scooters are available all over city streets and college campuses.
You can find a scooter on a corner, rent it, and leave it at your destination.
The next person who needs one can rent the one they see at your destination, leave it at theirs, and so on.
Since there are no docks for users to find available rides, Spin put GPS devices on their scooters.
That lets customers find scooters through the app.
Using the app also helps people find the scooters so they can charge them overnight.
You get paid for doing this, so it’s worth checking the app to find scooters that need charging.
Many electric scooter companies let anyone charge scooters to earn a bit of money, but Spin put a unique spin—no pun intended—on that business model.
They hire employees and pay them to collect scooters and charge them.
You can charge them at home or at charging hubs if those are available in your city.
Spin has charging hubs in some locations, but third-party companies rent charging space in other cities.
After letting the scooters charge overnight, you load them into your vehicle or go pick them up.
Then, it’s your duty to redistribute them throughout the city.
Where Can You Be a Spin Charger?
Spin started in San Francisco, expanded to Seattle, and then expanded further throughout North America.
At the end of 2018, Ford Motor Company bought Spin and pushed its growth.
The company released about 15,000 scooters in the following cities:
- Denver
- Kansas City
- Los Angeles
- Memphis
- Minneapolis
- Portland
- Washington, DC
Some major cities have partnered with Spin to choose it as a preferred transportation operator, ensuring there are plenty of scooters on city streets.
If there aren’t any Spin scooters in your city, you can go to their website and suggest a partnership so they know you want them to expand to your location.
Spin has created Charging Stations in some of these cities, which isn’t the same thing as a dock for the rentals.
Instead, it’s a way to charge scooters in high-traffic areas so people will always have access to scooters with full batteries.
These stations are often at apartment buildings in downtown areas or on busy campuses.
The Charging Stations perform double duty—charging the scooters in popular areas and also offering parking that keeps the sidewalks clear.
While Spin asks all users to park scooters out of the way of foot traffic, it doesn’t always happen, or scooters tip over into the sidewalk.
Who Can Be a Spin Charger?
Anyone who wants to work as a Spin charger should be able to lift 40 pounds so you can load the scooters into your vehicle without hurting yourself.
You should also have a smartphone and be somewhat tech-savvy since you’ll use the app’s GPS to find the scooters throughout the city.
Spin chargers need to have a clean background check and good driving record because you’ll drive around the city collecting and then redistributing the scooters.
You should be able to drive a large truck, van, or SUV, even if you don’t own that type of vehicle personally.
They’ll supply larger vehicles to their employees.
Spin wants chargers to transport 20 scooters at a time, so you can’t use a sedan or smaller vehicle safely.
You also need to have the space to power the scooters.
Spin sends you the cords and charging adapter, but you still need space in your home or garage to set up the scooters.
You could even leave them loaded in the vehicle if you have a garage you can lock at night.
The cords are long enough to stretch to the car if you back in close to your outlets.
If you don’t have much space to charge scooters, you can look for other options.
In some cities, like Los Angeles, there’s a smart charging station you can rent.
Charge, for example, can recharge multiple devices per bay.
So the whole hub can charge 72 scooters at once.
These off-site options are an affordable alternative for people in apartments or who don’t want to risk overloading their own utilities.
You rent a charging bay for 24 hours using the Charge app.
You’re charged for how much power each scooter needs, similar to how you’d fill up your car at a gas station.
In cities with Charge hubs, this can also be a way to increase your productivity as a Spin charger.
Instead of bringing the scooters home, you might have to rent the bay and travel to that location.
But you’re able to power more at once.
The price you pay to rent from Charge is similar to how your own utility bill increases, so it’s a fair trade-off.
What Time Do Spin Chargers Work?
Spin chargers work a few hours in the morning and a few hours at night.
The company usually caps the number of shifts, so you’re not working too hard.
This limitation also ensures more people in the city can pick up some of the work, so Spin has a broader reach in the community.
When Do You Pick up the Scooters?
There’s no limit on when you can ride Spin scooters, so some people may keep their rentals overnight.
That means there’s no set time when you can go around and pick up scooters to charge.
A rental can last up to 24 hours, so you need another way to find scooters to charge.
With your device, you’ll see the locations of scooters that need charging.
It can feel like a scavenger hunt to find the scooter and see how much you’ll earn to charge them.
This fee relates to how little battery power they have left.
Since most people use Spin scooters during the day, you can start looking for them after dark.
It’s usually easiest to find them after 9 pm when most people have gotten to their destinations or have other options to get home.
You can scan the scooter’s code to record that you’ve picked it up for charging.
Remember, they all need to fit into your vehicle, so don’t overload the storage area.
You don’t want to damage the scooters when taking them to charge.
When Do You Drop off the Scooters?
Spin asks that you redistribute scooters throughout the city by 7 am.
This time ensures people will have a chance to use scooters for their commutes and errands.
Customer service may limit how many scooters someone can pick up.
If you’re not given a specific number, only collect as many as you can charge overnight.
How Much Do Spin Chargers Make?
Spin chargers are employees, so they get benefits regarding how they’re reimbursed for their efforts.
Spin pays for mileage, electricity, and cell phone usage.
You’re only able to work certain shifts, and the company caps all users.
If you apply in a city that already has too many chargers, they’ll put you on a waitlist.
You can look online for employment opportunities with Spin.
The base pay for picking up, charging, and delivering scooters is minimum wage or better in many locations.
You only get paid for scooters with at least a 90% charge.
So if you distribute scooters that are less than 90% charged, you won’t get paid for your effort.
How to Become a Spin Charger
Spin chargers are employees, so you’ll have to find the job listed online in your city.
- Look for hourly fleet jobs with the title “Electric Scooter Delivery Driver.”
- You can choose between full-time or part-time work.
- Make sure you meet the requirements in terms of your age, driving record, and ability to lift scooters.
- Before they approve your application, you’ll have to show your current license and give your personal information.
- They’ll run a background check and use your contact info to let you know if they have a position for you.
Spin Charger FAQs
You’ve learned about Spin scooters and how to make money charging them.
In case you need more answers, check out these frequently asked questions.
How much charge does a Spin scooter need to have to count?
Spin scooters must have at least a 90% battery charge to count.
With this in mind, you never want to pick up more scooters than you can fully charge overnight.
If you deliver a scooter that’s only partially charged, you don’t get paid for your effort.
How do Spin chargers find scooters?
Spin scooters have GPS installed so users can find rides to rent.
This feature also helps Spin chargers find scooters to pick up and charge overnight.
Where do Spin chargers charge the scooters?
You can charge Spin scooters at your home or in your garage.
Spin sends cords and charging blocks to approved chargers.
You can also rent space at charging bays if there are any in your city.
Wrapping Up
Making money as a Spin charger is a unique way to have a side hustle.
Apply through the Spin website and enjoy the treasure hunt of finding Spin scooters in the wild and charging them overnight.
