Do not accept low paying offers

Do not accept low paying short distance offers. These offers are typically around $5 for around 5km.

If you reject a low paying offer, you will be made a higher paying offer like $8 for the same delivery, or you will be next in the rotation to receive another hopefully high paying offer. If it is a low offer again, reject it again.

A good rule of thumb is to accept long distance offers, for example 15kms for $8 or more. The extra kilometers are covered in minutes and only cost pennies for gas, and you will be on target to earn a respectable hourly rate.

If you consistently accept low paying offers then the app will use you as a last resort for offers rejected by other drivers. Sometimes they will send you a double low paying offer - 2 pickups and 2 drop offs.  This is ok to accept because the restaurants and drop offs are not too far.

You need to set a standard with the delivery platforms as well as customers that do not tip or tip low. You do not want to be in survival mode. You want to thrive. Do not be afraid of not being made offers. There are thousands of people in your city ordering food throughout the day and night. And as long as there are people there will be restaurants and grocery stores, and hence delivery jobs and drivers.

Also do not be concerned about your 'acceptance rate'. Apparently if you have a high acceptance rate, you skip ahead in the rotation for high paying offers. But my experience is that this is just interesting marketing to get drivers to accept low paying offers.

There is more work out there than competent drivers. Be concerned with 'completion rate' and delivering orders on time, since this is what your  job depends upon.

In conclusion, the delivery platform will not penalize you for not accepting an offer. They need you. You are valuable to them so long as you do a competent job. Therefore if you need to wait 5 minutes, do so but do not accept low paying offers.

Tip: When you reject a low paying offer, begin to make your way towards a restaurant hotspot, but also a low traffic area, and the app will detect that you are helping it by already moving closer to a probable pickup area. And the app will quite quickly move you up in the rotation and you will receive an offer. 

Homework: Find where the food hotspots are in your city, and which times they serve customers, and until what time they are open for early morning/late night orders.