April 9, 2024
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Experts in this article:
David is an Arkansas-based Spark driver who has completed over 2,440 trips and earned $58,000+ on the app. He's used various...
Erica is a freelance writer and proofreader. As the owner of Words with Erica, she helps indie fantasy authors polish their...
If you’re looking for a delivery driving gig, there are a lot of apps to choose from. What sets Spark apart from the competition? How much can you earn, and what is the work actually like?
In this article, we’re answering all those questions and more. Here’s a full review that breaks down what driving for Spark is like and whether or not it’s a worthwhile side hustle.
Spark is Walmart’s crowdsourced delivery service for food, groceries, home goods, and other merchandise.
As a driver for Spark, there are three different types of deliveries you may be asked to perform:
Here’s how all of this works in detail:
After marking in the app that you’re available to make deliveries, you’ll see nearby orders that you’re eligible to claim.
Offers will include a preview of how much you’ll earn, how long the shopping will likely take, when the delivery is due, and the list of items requested.
You can accept or reject any offer freely; you’re not obligated to take any that you don’t want to.
When you arrive at the store to fulfill an order, the app will help you find all the items by providing descriptions and aisle locations.
To prove that you have the correct items (and haven’t forgotten anything), you’ll scan each item with your phone as you collect it.
If you opted for a “delivery only” or “curbside pickup” order, you can skip this step—you don’t have to enter the store at all. You just have to park and show the app to a store associate, as shown below.
If an item is out of stock and the customer has opted into this feature, the app will suggest comparable items you can substitute instead. Sometimes, the customer will also request a specific substitution.
We collaborated on this review with David Ferrell, an experienced Spark driver who told us about substitutions in more detail. He noted that sometimes, Spark’s suggestions “don’t make sense or are far more costly than the original, and yes, the customer will pay the difference.”
When this happens, you can use Spark’s in-app chat feature to contact the customer and ask what they’d like you to do. Ferrell added that sometimes when you can’t find an appropriate item, “the best sub is no sub.”
Once you’ve collected all the items in the order, you’ll proceed to the checkout area—and you must go to a self-checkout register.
Since the customer has already paid for their order, you won’t make a payment at the register. Simply bag the items and scan the QR code on the screen with your phone. This will give you an exit pass that you may be required to show a store associate as you leave.
Occasionally, at checkout, the Spark app will tell you that you’ve been selected for a “random cart check.”
Ferrell explained how these checks work. “An associate will come over and scan three random items, which should clear your check,” he said. “Sometimes, associates are busy elsewhere, in which case it’ll time out after about a minute and tell you you’re good to go.”
After checking out, you’ll drive to the customer’s address and deliver the order. Ferrell strongly recommended using a third-party mapping app, such as Google Maps, etc., instead of Spark’s in-app navigation feature. “Many times, it will misdirect you or give you only GPS coordinates instead of the address,” he said.
Once you arrive, Spark may provide you with additional instructions. For example, you may be required to collect a signature or take a photo of the order as proof of delivery.
“Certain items, particularly alcohol and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan (cough suppressant), will require a photo ID and birth date,” said Ferrell. He went on to note that the customer may also have special instructions for you, such as not knocking or ringing the doorbell (in which case he recommended texting them instead).
For contactless deliveries, he recommended placing the items somewhere that:
If you’re unable to properly place the order or get ahold of the customer for a required signature, you may need to return the order to the store. That’s a last resort, and you should only do it after “all attempts to make contact have failed.”
Spark drivers can expect to earn around $15–$20 per hour. This estimate has been reported in several online sources, and Ferrell confirmed that it’s fairly accurate, at least in his area. It assumes you can complete an average of one order per hour.
Ferrell added the caveat that Spark earnings can be quite variable and heavily depend on how long your orders take to complete (which you can’t really predict ahead of time). “You may earn $250–$300 one day, and the next, barely scrape by with $30,” he said.
Spark won’t actually pay you on an hourly basis—you’ll be paid per order. How much you make for each completed order is based on your trip earnings, incentives, and tips.
Your “trip earnings” make up the base pay you’ll receive for each order. Several factors affect this:
Sometimes you’ll also be offered opportunities to boost your income:
You can see an example of a tiered incentive in the screenshot below.
Lastly, customers can leave you tips for a job well done. This is optional and not all customers will do it, but as with most delivery apps, you get to keep 100% of the tips that you earn.
Separately, you can also earn rewards for referring others to become Spark drivers themselves.
Spark pays its drivers via third-party providers. As part of the sign-up process, you’ll get a link to download a digital wallet app. From there, you can choose your payment method.
The table below shows your various payment options:
| Option | When you’ll get paid | Requirements | Added Benefits | Associated fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct deposit | Weekly every Tuesday (money can take up to 3 business days to appear in your account) | Only available in certain zones* | None | None | Unconfirmed whether this is still available in any markets |
| ONE | Base pay processed instantly; tips arrive after 24 hours, and incentives pay out every Tuesday | Must apply and be approved | Free checking account and debit card Cash back opportunities | None | No option to transfer funds to a debit card; can only transfer to a bank account (or routing/account number attached to a debit card) |
| Branch Wallet | Weekly every Tuesday (but tips earned on Sundays will be included in the following week’s earnings) | Must apply and be approved | Free digital wallet and business debit card Cash back opportunities | $3.99–$4.99 for instant transfers to debit cards No fees for bank transfers (around 1 business day to process) | Fewer cashback opportunities than with ONE Unlike ONE, allows instant transfer to a debit card |
*Although direct deposits are listed as a payment method on Spark’s site, Ferrell told us that he doesn’t believe that Spark allows them anymore, unless there’s a market “somewhere he’s not aware of” that still does.
We contacted Spark for commentary, but haven’t been able to independently confirm this with them yet.
Spark operates in over 17,000 locations in all 50 US states. You can search for delivery locations in your local area, called a zone, on the Spark sign-up page.
Sometimes your local zone may be full, meaning that Spark isn’t currently hiring new drivers. If that happens, you can sign up to be notified of any future openings, but it may take months for anything to open up.
Ferrell told us that this was a fairly frequent occurrence, and if your market is saturated, there’s no way around it other than to wait.
“Don’t be scammed by anyone telling you otherwise—especially for a price,” he added.
In order to drive for Spark, you’ll have to meet a few key requirements:
Ferrell pointed out that most normal auto insurance policies don’t cover commercial driving—which means they won’t cover you while you drive for Spark.
“It is in your best interests to either get a commercial policy or a rider to your current policy that covers you while doing deliveries,” he said.
If you have to file an insurance claim due to something that happened while driving for Spark (and your insurance company finds out), they’ll probably deny your claim and cancel your policy. Ferrell cautioned that “they are good at finding out.”
To find out which insurance companies will cover you in your area, do some research and don’t be afraid to call the companies for more info. Ferrell told us that he’s heard that State Farm often offers policies that cover delivery gigs without requiring you to pay for full commercial coverage, which can get expensive.
When you sign up for Spark, you’ll need to pass a background check, which will take one to seven business days. This is done by a third-party company and alerts Spark of any criminal history or traffic violations they should be aware of.
Unless you have felonies on your record or you’ve committed serious vehicular offenses (e.g., a DUI), you’ll probably be able to pass this check. Ferrell said he found the process relatively easy and it took about five days, although he added the caveat that this was over two years ago, and that “the markets are a lot more crowded now,” so the process might have become more of a headache since then.
Assuming you meet the requirements, getting started as a Spark driver is easy. Just:
Make sure to have these documents handy when you apply:
Again, it may take three to seven business days before you get a response. You can check the status of your application by logging in to the account you created during the enrollment process.
Once your application is approved, you’ll get a welcome email and text with instructions for what to do next, including how to sign in to the app.
If you’re interested in earning extra cash with Spark, it makes sense if you’re wondering what the day-to-day of driving for the app is actually like. How does this type of gig work compare with working for a normal job?
We asked Ferrell to describe both the perks and frustrations of being a Spark driver.
Here’s what Ferrell likes about the app:
“Probably the one thing that keeps me driving for Spark is the freedom it offers me while working,” said Ferrell.
He told us he usually chooses to start driving relatively early, around 7 am, and that he typically works until he meets his daily earning goal of $150–$200. Sometimes, he hits that by the afternoon and gets to call it an early day; other times, he doesn’t reach that goal until it’s starting to get dark outside, and occasionally, he doesn’t meet it at all. Particularly when things are frustrating, he’s a big fan of the job’s flexible nature.
“If I’ve been grinding all morning and can’t seem to get the orders or come anywhere close to my goal, I may call it a day early,” he said. “Get yourself in order, refresh, and come back out next day when things will hopefully be better. One thing I’ve learned is that you can burn yourself out doing this if you don’t, from time to time, give yourself a break or vacation.”
One of the hidden benefits of a driving-based side hustle is that you can earn money while sightseeing.
“You get to discover new things, as you often drive to parts of town you rarely go to,” said Ferrell. “New restaurants you never knew were there, parks, walking trails, shopping, etc. … Once, I found a nice, secluded walking trail by a creek, and during a break, I actually took my shoes and socks off and let my feet dangle in the water on a warm summer day.”
Of course, driving around isn’t always this idyllic (you’ll have to contend with traffic, bad weather, and other stresses), but, as Ferrell said, “Even during the bad times, it beats sitting at a desk or slaving away on your feet for hours working on a factory or retail store floor.”
Of course, none of the perks that Ferrell described would be worth much if the actual work that Spark requires was miserable.
Fortunately, it isn’t. Much of your time will obviously be spent driving, during which you can listen to a podcast, audiobook, or music of your choice (Ferrell commented that getting “Sirius XM in your car is really good”). You can also read a book or work on a hobby while awaiting orders.
Ferrell added that you may eventually get to know your regular customers, who can really make your day. He’s had people leave out complimentary snacks for him and played peek-a-boo with customers’ children as they watched him carry groceries to their doorstep.
“Sometimes, I’ve had little ones come and help me unload and get all excited when they see what I brought them for their dinner/breakfast/snack,” he said. “Often best of all, [there are] friendly dogs to give pets and belly rubs to.”
Of course, no gig app is perfect. Ferrell also shared some of his main complaints with Spark with us:
“Support is of little help other than for very specific items,” said Ferrell. He listed a few tasks that you can generally rely on support to complete, such as fixing pay discrepancies and closing out orders that glitch in the system, but that otherwise, you often “have to come up with your own solutions to problems.”
On the topic of glitches, he told us that these are very common and can “completely shut down any work on the platform for hours, sometimes a whole day.”
You’ll sometimes have trouble completing deliveries—not because the Spark app is causing problems but because it’s difficult even getting the groceries from point A to point B. The difficulties Ferrell mentioned included:
Like many other delivery apps, Spark allows customers to leave an initial tip and then adjust it retroactively, after you complete the order. This leaves you open to “tip baiters”—people who “leave tips just to get quicker service only to remove them after delivery.”
Ferrell told us that these people are rare in his area, and that he keeps a list of people who’ve done it so he knows not to deliver to them again, but it’s still an occasional frustration.
Virtually all gig apps occasionally have slow periods. Spark is no exception.
“On slow days, sitting for an hour or more without a single order ping can get frustrating and boring,” said Ferrell. “Usually if I’m having no luck at one store, I’ll move to another, but sometimes finding one that’s busy and not overcrowded with other drivers can be a matter of luck.”
He stressed that none of these issues outweighed the good things about Spark—they’re just pieces of the puzzle.
“Like many things, there’s lots of good, bad, and even ugly to Spark,” he said. “No two days are the same, and the ability to move around and work different zones as you see fit can really vary the experiences you have, not to mention the earning potential.”
When you drive for Spark, you’re not an employee. You’re an independent contractor, a classification that comes with a few more responsibilities than you may be used to.
As a contractor, you’ll have to factor in your expenses when you determine whether or not this gig is worth it.
Let’s say your average earnings as a Spark driver are $20 per hour. You’ll need to earmark around 35% of that money for business expenses. That leaves you with 65% of the original amount, or $13 per hour.
To get a better idea of how this works, we’ll break down your biggest expense categories:
Plan on budgeting: 10% of your earnings
When you drive for a living, fuel is your most important resource. Unfortunately, Spark won’t pay for your gas, so you’ll need to budget for it yourself.
To account for changing gas prices and gas mileage, begin by dedicating at least 10% of your income to gas.
Once you’ve been driving for a while and have a feel for how often you need to fill up, you may find that you need to set aside even more—or, if you have a fuel-efficient vehicle, less. (On that note, if you’re considering a driving-based side hustle and are in the market for a new car, make gas mileage one of your main considerations.)
Plan on budgeting: 10% of your earnings
You never want to be in the frustrating position of being unable to work when you want (or need) to because your car has broken down. That’s why your vehicle’s health should be a priority, which in turn means you need to spend money on maintaining it.
A good rule of thumb is to devote another 10% of your earnings to vehicle upkeep. This ensures that you can pay for emergency repairs, as well as routine maintenance, such as scheduled oil changes.
Plan on budgeting: 15% of your earnings
Another unfortunate reality of self-employment is dealing with your own taxes. Spark won’t withhold them from your pay, which means you’re responsible for reporting and paying them yourself.
The bright side is that your other necessary business expenses, like the gas and maintenance fees we just discussed, are tax-deductible, which will reduce the amount you owe.
Taxes can be confusing, so it helps to have a number to aim for. When you’re just starting out, a good baseline is to save 15% or more of your gross profit for taxes. To get a clearer picture of your unique tax situation and make sure you’re conserving enough, try using this self-employment tax calculator.
After setting aside 35% of your income for expenses—10% for gas, 10% for maintenance, and 15% for taxes—you’ll be left with 65%. That comes out to about $13 for every $20 you make.
Giving away so much of your earnings may sound disappointing, but it’s important to remember that the situation isn’t any different with any other driving-based gig apps. All of Spark’s competitors have nearly identical expense ratios.
$13 per hour also isn’t a terrible rate for a job that virtually anyone can do, especially when compared to the federal minimum wage of $7.25. (However, you should note that it’s at or below the minimum wage in 14 states and the District of Columbia, as of December 2023.) 1
Is driving for Spark worth it at that effective rate? We can lay out the numbers, but only you can make the final decision. It entirely depends on your financial needs and how you weigh the perks (and frustrations) we described above.
We asked Ferrell who he thought Spark was best for. He said that it’s good for people with at least basic customer service skills. He also said that the best Spark drivers are able to “come up with creative solutions with little guidance when things don’t go as planned,” alluding to Spark’s lackluster support for drivers.
He also recommended Spark to people who are looking for a true side hustle (i.e., part-time work in addition to their main source of income), and not to people who are interested in turning it into a full-time gig.
The “instability of the income, wear and tear on your vehicle, and lack of benefits or job protections” prevent him from recommending it as a full-time job, he said.
Ferrell gave us a few quick tips on how to earn more with Spark. Following these will help ensure that your time on the app is worth it.
He recommended that you:
On apps like Spark, it’s a good idea to have an idea of what the minimum rate you’ll accept for a job. Ferrell said that he aims for hourly earnings of $20–$22, although this is harder to maintain lately (he noted that both base pay and tips have declined in recent months).
To meet this goal, he generally looks for a payout of at least $15 on each order before he’ll accept it, although he said he’ll go as low as $11 if it’s an order he can complete quickly (within 15 to 20 minutes).
He said he pays attention to the items he’ll be tasked with carrying, not just the distance he’ll have to drive. If there are a lot of large, heavy items, like jugs of water or soda or bags of dog food, he’ll look for a higher payout of at least $25, particularly if the order will require lugging those goods upstairs.
He also noted that he avoids large orders that require collecting 50 or more items unless there’s “a really good payout involved, like above $40.”
As mentioned, Spark will sometimes offer “return” orders (i.e., they’ll pay you to take a customer’s item back to the store they bought it from). Ferrell said he stays away from these.
“There’s a lot of hassle involved and quite often things go wrong while trying to scan or process these, leading to a lot of wasted time.”
What time you drive is a big factor in how much work you’ll get. Ferrell said that in his market, there are almost always orders first thing in the morning (7 am to 8 am). Sometimes, these are leftover orders from the previous evening.
In his experience, things slow down between 9 am to 1 pm, which means this is a good time to load up another gig app, such as DoorDash or Uber Eats. (Of course, you can also just take a break.)
Things start picking up again around 2 pm, and tend to peak around 5 pm as people get off work and start planning dinner.
Orders also aren’t evenly distributed throughout the week. In Ferrell’s experience, weekends (and Sundays in particular) are the busiest times, although there are also more drivers to compete with.
“Tuesdays and Wednesdays seem to be the slowest times, unless there’s a holiday during the week,” he said.
We asked Ferrell why he drives for Spark instead of another delivery app. He clarified that he does sometimes drive for Uber Eats and DoorDash as well.
“Multi-apping” like this is very common among delivery drivers, and he recommended it.
“[The other apps] do come in handy during times when Spark is slow, or when I can slip in a quick DoorDash order while waiting for my curbside pickup time for a Spark order,” he said.
However, he told us Spark was the most lucrative app in his roster. In his market, it offers higher payouts, and tends to have turnaround times that are a bit more relaxed than you get on food delivery apps like Uber Eats. He finds this less stressful (and it puts less wear and tear on his vehicle).
Of course, delivery driving isn’t the only game in town. There are plenty of other accessible app-based side hustles, which we’ve listed in the table below.
| Side Hustle | Popular Apps | Base Pay (Hourly) |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery driving | Uber Eats DoorDash Grubhub Instacart Postmates | $20 |
| Ridesharing (providing taxi services) | Uber Lyft | $20–$44 |
| Helping people move | Dolly Bellhops Lugg | $30–$50 |
| Lawn care | LawnGuru Handy TaskRabbit | $40–$50 |
| Microtasking (taking online surveys, etc) | Swagbucks | Under minimum wage |
| Mystery shopping | iSecretShop | $15 |
| Pet sitting | Wag! Rover Care.com | $12–$19 |
| Teaching or tutoring online | Wyzant Preply | $10–15+ |
| Walking dogs | Wag! Rover | $10–$17 |
As the earnings data in the table shows, delivery and courier gigs (like Spark) offer rates that are roughly in line with what you can get from other types of app-based gig work.
Many people compare delivery work to ridesharing (i.e., driving for Uber and Lyft). Notably, Spark’s payouts tend to be a bit lower than those offered by ridesharing apps.
This is counterbalanced by the work on those apps generally being less relaxing. To do it, you have to be okay with inviting strangers into your vehicle, and it requires more social interaction.
In the end, it’s up to you whether driving for an app like Spark is worth it, as well as whether it’s the best fit or whether another side hustle would be better for you. If you’re not sure, you can always give it a try—it’s low-commitment work that you can quit doing any time you want, and it meshes together well with other side hustles.
If you want to focus on ridesharing but complete a few orders for Spark per day (or vice versa), it’s very easy to do so.
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