Getting into the Top Dasher Program is a big feat on Doordash, not necessarily because of the advantage or prestige, but due to the requirement that is needed to be satisfied.
Based on this hefty requirement, as with most people, you’d want to make sure the benefits (which may include getting a delivery priority) are worth it.
So, let’s take a look at this in detail.
Understanding the Idea Behind the Top Dasher Program
“Top Dasher” is one of the few programs run by Doordash, to sort of incentivize the delivery system for Dashers who follows the company’s standard.
The company does this by setting a minimum requirement that covers the 3 major driver metrics on the platform and a minimum number of delivery on the driver’s history.
Editors note: The 3 major metrics for drivers include the Acceptance rate, Completion rate, and consumer rates
Basically, the whole thing is about meeting the company’s standards.
This is very relatable to the employee incentive, which companies give in a normal job, for being distinct or maybe increasing their sales.
From another point of view, it’s a win-win for Doordash — as they incentivize drivers, disciplined enough to follow their rules and in turn, get customers’ orders accepted and delivered faster.
So yeah, they make money while you make money…
Now, the question is “How effective is this to drivers?” and “Do drivers get an increased priority after joining the program?”
Fair enough, we’re taking a look at this in the next section.
Do Top Dashers Get Priority?
According to Doordash, being a Top dasher gets you three basic benefits we’d be covering below:
The ability to “Dash now”
Typically, Dashers schedule their shifts in advance, ensuring they’re committed to specific hours for dashing, and most importantly, reserve a slot in case of competition.
With the Dashnow feature drivers have the ability to start working immediately, given there’s a high demand for deliveries in their area and not enough Dashers are on the road.
While you can get this feature without being on the top dasher program, you get it permanently with the program.
A Better Delivery Priority
This is basically the topic of the day.
So do you get a delivery priority by being on the Top Dashers program?
Well, yes. According to Doordash, drivers on the program are given higher priority for orders.
This simply means in situations where there are slow deliveries, you’re likely to get orders faster than someone who’s not in the program.
If you’ve always complained about slow deliveries, this could be your chances of actually getting orders faster.
It’s also worth mentioning that a higher delivery priority doesn’t necessarily mean better earnings, as better earnings is only determined by the four factors which we’ve always talked about:
- Your location
- The type of orders you accept
- The expenses you make
- Time management
Open to more lucrative deliveries
Alongside having a higher delivery priority, Drivers who are in the Top dasher program are promised to get more lucrative orders.
So is the Top Dasher Program actually worth it?
Well, there’s a lot of promise on deck.
According to the platform, by joining, you’d be earning more, have a better delivery priority in the meantime, and have access to always Dash now.
Now, the reality of whether it’s worth it or not depends on a couple of factors which can be basically centered on your location.
For instance, we’ve seen a couple of people that have gotten good benefits staying on the app and others who don’t see it making any difference.
Here’s a positive comment about this…
![A doordash driver comment about having a good delivery priority after joining the top dasher program](https://exiledriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screenshot-2023-07-08-090545.png)
And if we take better thought about it, Doordash shouldn’t be lying.
Because, of course, they’re looking for drivers to increase their acceptance rate, hence increasing customer experience for customers. They wouldn’t want to play games on a driver who has taken the plunge to be on the program.
But as well, there are some negative comments…
![A doordash driver comment about having a bad experience after joining the top dasher program](https://exiledriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screenshot-2023-07-08-090817.png)
In general, it’s worth trying, as long as you’re able to risk increasing your acceptance rate, and completion rate, which may also mean you might have to accept some shitty orders.
How to Become a Top Dasher
The Top Dasher program works on a monthly basis. In other words, drivers would have to qualify for the program monthly.
Hence, if you’re already on the program, you’ll need to keep meeting the standard to stay each month.
So what’s the standard and the steps?
1. Satisfy the Requirements
As we explained earlier, there’s a standard covering the 4 main metrics on DoorDash that qualify drivers to be a Top Dasher.
This includes;
- An acceptance rate of over 70%
- A completion rate of over 95%
- A minimum consumer rate of 4.7
- A minimum of 100 deliveries in the last month, and
- A minimum of 200 deliveries in your lifetime
Related: How to fix DoorDash acceptance rate not going up
2. Apply
Now, for any month you’re able to satisfy the above requirement before the end of the month, you’ll be automatically added to the program.
Keep in mind that this should be right “before the end of the month.”
For instance, if you meet the requirement in the middle of the month, you’ll need to maintain it till the month’s end. Otherwise, you lose your chances.
Final Thoughts
If it were in relation to delivery priority, the Top dasher program is worth it and drivers on the program actually get a higher delivery priority.
However, to make a good comparison of whether it’s worth it in general, you may need to do a personal check yourself, by joining the program. This is because the whole thing depends on individual location.
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