The grocery delivery gig economy has grown rapidly over the past few years. How much do spark drivers make? This is an important question to ask before signing up to deliver with Walmart Spark. Several factors will determine how much you make on Spark, including the total amount of effort you put into this side hustle.
In this guide, I will share with you how much a Spark driver can expect to make based on my own experience. I have been a Spark driver for over a year; therefore, everything I am about to share with you is based on personal experience.
What is Walmart Spark?
Walmart Spark is an app that is used to deliver groceries that are ordered online from the Walmart store. Drivers can sign up for the app as independent contractors to deliver groceries to Walmart customers.
The Spark app works just like the Amazon Flex app.
Before the Walmart Spark, Walmart worked with Doordash to deliver groceries that customers ordered online. As a result, Doordash drivers would pick up and deliver Walmart groceries. Later, Walmart ended the partnership and released the Walmart Spark app, which is meant to deliver groceries from Walmart stores.
How much does Spark driver make?
To understand how much spark drivers make, you need to take into consideration factors such as base pay, locations, tips, and incentives. You can expect to earn between $17 and $25 an hour as a Walmart Spark driver. Depending on your location, the amount may be less or more.
I do Walmart Spark delivery in College Stations, TX, which is a location mainly for college students. I average between $17 and $25 as a spark driver in this location in Texas.
If you work 48 hours a week, including Saturdays, then you can earn around $816 a week as a Spark driver. Note that most people tend to do grocery shopping during the weekend, and it’s around this time that the Walmart Spark app has more orders for delivery.
How does Walmart Spark work for drivers?
Whenever a driver is ready to work, they open the Spark app and toggle “Spark Now”. Then select how long you want to work. Once you do that, the Spark app will start sending you delivery offers.
There are two types of offers on Spark: offers available only to you and offers available to everyone. Offers that are available only to you expire in about 1 minute and become available to other Spark drivers if you don’t accept them.
When you accept an offer, tap “Navigate,” and then the Spark app will direct you to the specific store to pick up the groceries. After you arrive at the store, you’re to park in one of the available spots marked “Reserved for Pickup” and then confirm your arrival; enter the number for that parking spot and wait for a Walmart associate to bring the groceries to your car.
After you pick up the groceries, the app will direct you to the drop-off location, and right after you drop off the groceries at the customer’s address, Spark will deposit the base payment into your ONE bank account. One is an app that Spark uses to instantly pay drivers. Tips for the delivery are typically paid the following day.
How to Become a Spark Driver
To become a Spark driver, you must sign up on Walmart Spark’s official website: https://drive4spark.walmart.com/signup. Use my referral code, RSC40Q0B, to get $200 when you complete 15 deliveries.
Requirements to become a Spark Driver
- Be at least 18 years old
- Access to a reliable vehicle
- Have a valid US driver’s license and auto insurance
- Agree to a background check
- Have an iPhone or Android smartphone
How do Spark Drivers get paid?
When I first started using Spark, I usually got paid every Monday, but since Spark’s partnership with the ONE app, you should expect to get paid instantly. On each trip, upon completion, earnings will be deposited into your ONE account, excluding tips, which are deposited into your ONE account the following day.
Walmart Spark drivers can make between $6 and $100 per delivery. Usually, the higher the pay, the more orders you have to deliver to multiple customers. A trip that pays below $35 usually has 1 to 5 stops. A trip that pays $35 or more usually has five or more delivery stops. Keep in mind that you can also make extra money based on current incentive programs in the app.
Orders that pay well on Spark are batch orders, which consist of several delivery locations.
Conclusion: Spark Driver Review
The Walmart Spark driver app is worth it depending on your location and when you choose the work. The app is busy during the weekends because most people do grocery shopping during the weekend days of the week. How much spark drivers make will depend on their location, base pay, tips, and incentive programs. However, you can expect to make between $17 and $25 an hour as a Spark driver.