$ Order Worth It?

Check a delivery offer before you accept. Free, no signup.

The offer

Count return miles to the hotspotDeadhead miles are unpaid. Uncheck if the drop-off is already in a busy zone.

Your costs

Gas, wear, insurance, depreciation. Set your own number - this default is just a starting point.

Verdict

Verdict
-
Pay per mile-
Effective pay per hour-
Mileage cost-
True profit (pay minus mileage)-
True profit per hour-

The $1.50/mile rule: experienced delivery drivers generally only accept offers paying at least $1.50 per mile, because the miles back to the restaurant zone are unpaid. Under $1.50 is usually a decline; $2.00+/mile is a great order. This is a community rule of thumb, not financial advice - your costs decide what works for you.

How to use it

Delivery apps show you a pay number and a distance, but the number that decides whether an order is worth taking is pay per mile, and the apps hide it. This calculator finds it in seconds. Enter the order pay, the miles shown on the offer screen, and how many minutes the run will take, counting both the drive and the restaurant wait. The deadhead toggle is on by default, so it also counts the miles back to a busy zone; uncheck it only if the drop-off lands you somewhere orders keep coming. Set your own cost per mile: the $0.70 starting point covers gas, wear, insurance, and depreciation, but it is an editable starting point, so change it to your real number. The verdict panel shows pay per mile, effective pay per hour, mileage cost, true profit, and true profit per hour. Then it grades the offer against the community $1.50 per mile rule: TAKE IT at $2.00 per mile or more, BORDERLINE at $1.50 or more, DECLINE below that. No signup, nothing leaves your phone, and it works in the parking lot between pings.

Worked example

Example only, not typical earnings. A $9 offer for 6 miles, estimated 30 minutes, deadhead on, cost per mile $0.70. Pay per mile is $9 / 6 = $1.50, so the verdict is BORDERLINE: it clears the $1.50 rule. But mileage cost is 12 miles at $0.70 = $8.40, so true profit is only $0.60, or $1.20 per hour. The per-mile number says maybe; the profit number says skip it. That gap is exactly what the calculator is for.

FAQs

What is the $1.50 per mile rule?

It is a community rule of thumb among delivery drivers: only accept offers paying at least $1.50 per mile, because the miles back to the restaurant zone are unpaid. The tool flags $2.00 or more per mile as a great order. It is a guideline, not financial advice; your own costs decide what works for you.

Should I count deadhead miles?

Yes, unless the drop-off is already in a busy zone. Deadhead miles are the unpaid drive back to where orders actually come from, and they cost you gas and wear either way. The toggle is on by default and doubles the offer miles to account for the return.

Why is effective pay per hour different from true profit per hour?

Effective pay per hour divides the raw offer pay by the time, ignoring costs. True profit per hour subtracts your mileage cost first. The second number is the honest one; an order can look fine at $18 per hour and be nearly worthless after costs.

Do I enter the pay with or without the tip?

Enter the total pay shown on the offer screen, which already includes the estimated tip. The calculator does not split pay and tip apart; it works off the full number you were offered.

Is the $0.70 cost per mile right for my car?

It is a starting point, not your number. Older cars cost less in depreciation, gas guzzlers cost more in fuel. Track your real costs for a month and update it.

---