I Tested Uber Eats for 3 Hours – Is It Actually Worth It?
3 hours
£15.09 estimated expenses
£38.70
+£23.61 estimated profit
Result
In 3 hours I completed 7 Uber Eats deliveries and earned £38.70, including £2.98 in tips. Gross earnings worked out at £12.90 per hour. My car travelled 40.5 miles. After estimating approximately £6.01 for fuel, £3.00 for delivery insurance and £6.08 for vehicle wear/running costs, my estimated total expenses were £15.09. That left approximately £23.61 estimated profit — around £7.87 per hour. The biggest lesson from this test is that app earnings and actual profit are very different numbers when delivering by car.
Pros
- Very flexible working hours
- Choose when to go online
- Easy way to earn extra money
- No fixed shifts
- Tips can increase earnings
- Can combine with other delivery apps
Cons
- Vehicle expenses significantly reduce profit
- 40.5 miles driven for £38.70 gross
- Fuel costs reduce earnings
- Delivery insurance is an additional cost
- Tyres, servicing and depreciation need to be considered
- Income can vary depending on demand
- Some orders may not be worth accepting
- No guaranteed hourly income
Uber Eats can work as a flexible side hustle, but based on this test I would not judge it by the £38.70 shown in the app. £38.70 over 3 hours sounds like £12.90 per hour, but after my estimated vehicle and delivery expenses I was left with approximately £23.61, or £7.87 per hour. For me, the biggest advantage is flexibility. I can go online when I want and stop when I want. The biggest problem for car drivers is mileage. Poor-paying or long-distance orders can quickly destroy your hourly profit. I would use Uber Eats as an extra-income side hustle rather than rely on it as guaranteed hourly income. I will continue testing different strategies, times and delivery apps to see whether the profit can be improved. These results are from one personal test. Earnings and expenses will vary by driver, location, vehicle, demand and other factors.
