This is SO exciting! Macy’s Beauty Box is baaaaaaaack! AND they teamed up with Jo Malone London! ALSO The wait list is now open for new subscribers! (Thanks, Luna!)
This month’s box includes:
English Pear and Freesia Spray
Peony and Blush Suede Spray
Blackberry and Bay Spray
Nectarine Blossom and Honey Home Candle
Wood Sage and Sea Salt Body Cream
Lime Basil and Mandarin Body Wash
Macy’s Beauty Box is $15 a month. Each month you will receive five deluxe beauty samples, one bonus item, a collectible cosmetics bag and a $5 beauty coupon exclusively for Beauty Box subscribers, available for use online and in-store.
According to Macy’s you have to subscribe by 9/21 to get this box as your first box (if you aren’t already a subscriber.) I’m guessing that date might move up even sooner since this will be a popular box, so I recommend signing up ASAP if you want to secure the Jo Malone Macy’s Beauty Box.
Booking.com Phone Number: 1 (888) 850-3958 Booking.com Email: customer.service@booking.com Booking.com Website: Booking.com Booking.com App: Download Booking.com Review: The most reliable hotel booking site. Easy to use and convenient for trip planning.
These opinions are a mix of my personal experiences and what I hear from readers and online customer reviews.
The best prices of any online booking site.
Good customer service when something goes wrong.
Be aware that there are different types of reservations: most can be canceled with no charge, but some have cancellation fees or charge the full amount upon booking with no ability to change or cancel.
Booking.com’s “Verified Reviews” (only confirmed guests can leave a review) are more reliable than what you’ll find on Tripadvisor but fake reviews are still possible. Be sure to read as many reviews as possible.
The maps on Booking.com are better than other sites but they can still be incorrect. If precise location is important then double check on Google Maps.
Why and How to Use Booking.com to Book Hotels
Booking.com has a super handy calendar view for all the hotels you’ve booked. Now you don’t have to search through your emails to find out where you’re staying on your last night in Paris – it’s all right there in your “Bookings” tab. (This sounds like a minor deal, but it really makes a big difference.)
Reviews on Booking.com are from verified guests (people that actually booked a room through the website at that hotel). Every hotel is graded on friendliness, comfort, location, facilities, staff, value for money, and wifi-quality. I have found a score of 8.8 and above means the hotel will be excellent (pretty much 5 star or exceptional value for money). 8.0 and above is basically a 4 star. 7.0 and above is a good quality 3 star hotel. I never book anything below a score of 7.
Booking.com has the clearest descriptions of the idfferent rooms. Though it’s still far from perfect so additional research is often required to be sure you’re getting the exact room you want.
Booking.com has nice large pictures so you can see what the hotel is like. Also has lots of photos of individual suites and room types (but you need to enter potential dates to see these room pictures).
2. HotelsCombined.com – Good site for last minute hotels
Hotelscombined Phone Number: 1 800 001 041 (toll free only for Australia) Hotelscombined Email: customerservice@hotelscombined.com (this usually gets the fastest response) Hotelscombined Website: HotelsCombined.com Hotelscombined Review: Good for last minute hotels and often great for family reservations as it has a larger selection of rooms than Booking.com (and displays those options in a clearer manner).
3. Agoda.com
Agoda Phone Number: +44 20 3027 7900 Agoda Email: cs@agoda.com Agoda Website: Agoda.com Agoda Review: Specializes in Asia where it can find some great discount hotel deals.
4. Hotels.com
Hotels.com Phone Number: 1 (877) 903-0071 Hotels.com Email: customerservice@hotels.com Hotels.com Website: Hotels.com Hotels.com Review: Hotels.com is good for finding cheap hotels but it’s the site I get the most complaints from readers about canceled bookings or overbooked hotels.
These flexible employees contribute around $1.4 trillion to the economy every year, representing an excellent opportunity for the new world of work.
While many employers are exploring the benefits of remote workers, many don’t know where to look when they’re searching for the correct talent. Posting an ad in your local newspaper won’t work in this environment.
Freelancer communities like Upwork and Fiverr have emerged to support the freelance workforce. These sites are hubs where you can find freelancers with the specific skills you need, assign projects, and even track your chosen contractor’s work.
How Does Fiverr Work?
Fiverr is a freelance community designed for employers who have quick, low-cost projects they need help with. This website is fantastic for finding gig workers at a price that suits you.
How Does Upwork Work?
Upwork is an easy-to-use website offering talent from freelancers of all backgrounds. The site has over 10 million people registered and ready to take on work.
Both websites give companies a way to connect with workers across a range of skill categories. However, how these two platforms work is very different.
So, which one should you choose?
Upwork vs. Fiverr: Which Should You Choose?
Although both Upwork and Fiverr have considerable presence in the freelancing world, they don’t provide the same experience.
Let’s look further at what you can expect from each.
1. Upwork vs. Fiverr: The pricing
No matter what you’re hiring for, the budget will always be a crucial consideration.
Both Upwork and Fiverr earn money by deducting a fee from the payments they process on their systems. However, how they set prices can vary.
On Upwork, freelancers set a rate and bid by the project, or by the hour depending on their preferences.
The Upwork team earns money by charging a fee on every completed project. They include the expense in the price that your freelancer quotes you, so the price they give might be higher to accommodate the fee.
For instance, if a freelancer quotes $500 for a project, 20% of that may go to Upwork, meaning that the professional is only getting $400. Upwork also charges 2.75% on top of your payment as a processing fee.
Fiverr also has fees for both sides. The buyer will have to pay in advance for the gig they wish to buy. The fee is $2 for gigs up to $40, and 5% for everything above. The seller (freelancer) will get 80% of their earnings because a 20% commission goes to Fiverr.
2. Work Flow Comparison: How Do They Work?
It’s not just the pricing that differs between Fiverr and Upwork.
These platforms are also rather different in how they manage work.
For instance, on Upwork, freelancers offer services that are connected to a specific set of skills. Fiverr allows people to provide a wide range of different services at once.
On Upwork, freelancers bid for specific projects by sending unique applications and cover letters to clients when they post an available job. On Fiverr, clients purchase particular services that the freelancer already defined.
Instead of posting a job and getting an application on Fiverr, you sort through a database of potential talent looking for something that suits your needs.
One impressive feature of Upwork is that it comes with data science built into the platform. That means that the platform can track down the best freelancers to suit your needs based on an algorithmic match.
This can save you a lot of time looking for the right person among thousands of freelancers. Of course – you don’t necessarily have to use the freelancer that Upwork suggests, but the option is there.
3. The Quality of Freelancers’ Work
The most critical aspect of choosing the right freelancer is making sure you will get the quality of work you deserve.
Both Fiverr vs Upwork marketplaces offer a range of skilled professionals to choose from. However, there are many differences in how you find and classify potential employees.
For instance, on Upwork, you can search for the skills you need by clicking on a particular niche and browsing through people with individual talents on their profile:
Clicking on a listed skill will take you to another page where you’ll see freelancers that belong to that category. The profiles you find will offer plenty of information on the person’s hourly rate, the time they’ve spent on Upwork, and more.
Fiverr also allows you to search for talent by typing a keyword into a search bar.
One fantastic thing about Fiverr is how much information you get when you click on a service provided by a freelancer. You can access detailed comparisons of the packages that different people offer, which makes deciding who to hire easier.
4. The Rating Systems
Finding the right quality of work isn’t just about having multiple people to choose from.
Shelling out money to people you haven’t met can be a worrying prospect. That’s why Upwork and Fiverr both offer rating systems to help you get insights from employers that came before you.
Star ratings next to each freelancer, complete with the option to check feedback from other projects can give you some fantastic peace of mind.
To protect your quality of work, it’s important to avoid any freelancer who has a lot of completed jobs under their belt, but no feedback. This could be a sign they’re getting rid of negative reviews.
5. Pre-Screening Services
Beyond ratings and feedback, Upwork also goes one step further to provide you with a higher quality of work. This website goes to great lengths to make sure you know what you’re getting from the talent you hire by:
Verifying freelancer identities for security and compliance purposes
Providing video and chat conferencing features for interviews
Displaying freelancer scores, success stories, and feedback from completed jobs
Providing online skills tests: You can search for people who have completed tests in things like UX and HTML skills.
There’s also the option to invest in the Upwork Pro service if you want a recruiting professional to find the right freelancer on your behalf. All you need to do is provide the details of your project, and Upwork will vet and choose the right people for you.
Ensuring you get the right talent on Fiverr isn’t always as simple. Except for Fiver “Pros,” anyone can sell a service on Fiverr. You can leave anonymous feedback on that freelancer, but there are no skill tests or vetting options to ensure you’re not wasting your time.
6. Work Monitoring And Dispute Resolution
Another important feature to look for in a freelancer platform for the quality of work is monitoring tools.
Upwork allows you to organize your entire project through its platform, with communication between you and your freelancer. You can assign milestones for a task and make sure you send payment when a job is complete.
Upwork also sets itself apart with an amazing dispute resolution center you can use to address problems if you notice any issues with your completed project. You’ll have a mediator assigned to your case who will get you your money back if they find that your complaints are valid.
Fiverr doesn’t have the same work management system in place. As long as the seller complies with the conditions of the service you buy, then everything will work smoothly.
However, you can always reach out to the seller with a quick message if you want to check the status of your project.
For dispute resolution, Fiverr also doesn’t offer a mediator to settle your dispute. You can visit the resolution center to extend the delivery time on a project or ask for an update on the order. However, it’s much more difficult to get an issue resolved if something goes wrong on Fiverr.
Hiring Guide: Building Out Your Freelance Workforce
Now’s the time to work on your hiring strategy if you want to make sure you’re getting the right talent.
While freelance employees can offer a lot of benefits in the form of better productivity, lower overhead costs, and greater access to talent, it can be a challenge to find the right people.
If you don’t hire someone right for your specific project, you’re just wasting time and money.
So, how can you boost your chances of success?
1. Define What You’re Looking For
The first thing you need to know is what you need from a new freelancer.
That doesn’t just mean listing off the skills that will be crucial to completing a project. You also must determine what kind of employee will work best as part of your team – even if they will only be interacting with you for a limited time.
Checking a freelancer’s profile on a hiring site like Upwork or Fiverr will give you an insight into their personality and work ethics. This will help to ensure you’re getting the right quality of the contractor.
2. Do Your Due Diligence
Just like any hiring process, it’s essential to learn as much as you can about a potential candidate before you extend a job offer.
Upwork can be helpful with this process, by pre-screening candidates for you, and allowing you to host video interviews before you hire someone.
However, no matter which tool you’re using, you should be able to learn something about your would-be freelancer by reading their profiles and checking out comments from previous clients.
Make sure that the person you choose delivers a good quality of service by checking their reviews and ensure that they have experience with your project type too.
3. Track the Work
Once you’ve interviewed your freelancer and checked that they’re right for the job, remember that you shouldn’t just be leaving them to it.
The best freelancer websites will allow you to maintain a consistent conversation with the person you’re working with. This means you can check on their ongoing project and ask questions about how the task is going.
If anything goes wrong, don’t hesitate to launch an inquiry with the service you’re using too. Both Upwork and Fiverr will allow you to cancel a job or sending a request for assistance if you think you will not get the work you need.
Upwork vs. Fiverr: Which is Best for Which Jobs?
Choosing between Fiverr and Upwork will be a personal decision based on your unique needs.
For most companies, Upwork will be the better option for larger projects or tasks that require the knowledge and insight of a specialist. If you’re just looking for someone to handle something simple, then Fiverr could be a great way to save cash.
Fiverr is a platform for outsourcing small, easy jobs without spending a lot of money.
Advantages of using Upwork:
Control over the screening/recruiting process
Excellent pre-screening support
No upfront costs necessary
Great for specific, specialist support
A massive global talent pool
Advantages of using Fiverr:
Budget-friendly
Easy to use environment
Active community
Fast way of tracking down talent
Fiverr vs. Upwork: FAQs
⭐ Is Fiverr or Upwork better for freelancers?
Each of these platforms offers its own advantages. Fiverr often has budget-oriented work, which means higher volume, while Upwork is better for skilled professionals.
⭐ Is Fiverr or Upwork cheaper?
Both sites charge in different ways. Freelancers on Upwork charge by the hour, while Fiverr charges per job.
⭐ Which freelance platform is good for beginners?
Fiverr has freelances segregated by levels of skill. This makes it a good resource for businesses looking to take on more budget-friendly freelancers.
⭐ Is it easy to hire freelancers on Fiverr?
Yes, Fiverr has a large pool of talent offering multiple services. Many top freelancers on Fiverr also typically respond quickly.
⭐ What is the best freelance website?
Most freelance websites cater to their own profile of customers. The best one is the one which suits the freelancer’s individuals skills and experience.
Are you Ready to Hire Your Freelance Employees?
As the world continues to evolve, and people search for more balance between their work and personal lives, freelancing will only grow more popular.
In the years to come, employers won’t have any choice whether or not they use freelancers. Although you might be facing with the ups and downs of outsourcing, if you want the right talent, you must adjust.
Websites like Fiverr and UpWork that pull communities of skilled people together in an easy-to-use platform can be an excellent source of assistance for people in search of freelance workers.
However, it’s essential to make sure you’re using the tool that will give you the best results.
Make sure you know what you’re looking for before you get started and select the freelance community that works best for your team.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly source of support for a simple project, Fiverr may be your best option.
If you need something more advanced, and you’re willing to pay for a specialist, Upwork could be the solution for you.
You may not have heard of KeePass — it’s open source, meaning that its code is available for anyone to test and modify. It operates differently than a more traditional password manager, like LastPass. But KeePass and LastPass are both free to use, so which is better? We’ve compared them side by side in a number of different categories to see how they stack up in this KeePass vs LastPass review.
Key Similarities
Both have password generators that allow you to create strong, unique, customizable passwords
Both use a master password to protect your data
Both use one-sided encryption
Both are free
Key Differences
LastPasshas a security score feature that generates a report of the strength of your passwords
LastPass and KeePass are definitely on opposite ends of the spectrum when its comes to interface. Originally developed for Windows, KeePass has an old-school style interface, so it’s not as sleek or modern looking as LastPass. The icons in the application look a little outdated, and they don’t offer any sort of tutorial when you first download the application, so navigating can be a little difficult in the beginning. Once you figure it out it’s pretty basic, but LastPass definitely has a sleeker, more intuitive interface. It features a tile-like layout that displays all of your saved passwords, and includes the logo for that login on each tile, making it easy to find specific entries quickly.
LastPass offers a helpful security score feature that generates a detailed report of the strength of your saved passwords. This makes it easy to identify when your passwords are not as strong as they could be, so you’re consistently using the best password practices. KeePass doesn’t have this feature, and unlike LastPass, it doesn’t offer two-factor authentication.
You could argue that KeePass might be more secure than other password managers because it’s an open source application, meaning anyone can test and modify the source code, so it’s constantly being improved. This may be true, and it’s definitely a unique feature, but ultimately one of the main reasons for having a password manager is to utilize the best possible password practices, and the security features on LastPass are more equipped to help you do this.
KeePass does not offer a family-specific version of their software. LastPass, however, offers LastPass Family, which allows you to create one vault for an entire family. Each family member has access to the vault using their personal email, but one designated “family manager” decides which member can view certain folders and information. For example, you can allow your kids to view the Netflix password, but deny them access to your credit card information.
KeePass does not have a business-specific version of their software. LastPass, however, offers two business options: LastPass Teams, for smaller businesses or inter-departmental use, and LastPass Enterprise, for larger businesses. Both versions allow companies to share information securely among employees and allow a designated administrator to manage employee permissions.
Pricing
Winner: Tie
Both LastPass and KeePass are free to use. LastPass also offers a premium version of the application, which costs $2/month.
The KeePass mobile app is actually much more modern looking than its desktop counterpart, and definitely more intuitive. But you have to manually enter all of your passwords, as they won’t sync across devices unless you use an outside service (like Dropbox or Google Drive). LastPass ultimately wins this category because your information is automatically synced when you download the app.
Who KeePass Might Be Better For:
Users who are interested in using an open-source application
Users who want a basic, no-frills password manager for no cost
Who LastPass Might Be Better For:
Users who want the most comprehensive security features
Users who want a password manager specifically for businesses or family use
Users who are new to password managers, and want a more intuitive interface
If you want a traditional password manager that’s free and easy to use, LastPass is the clear winner. But KeePass is definitely a cool alternative. Its open source software makes it unique, and allows pretty much anyone to offer feedback on the source code. This also means its security systems are updated frequently, so even though there’s no security test feature, you know that its security is still sophisticated.
KeePass is a great choice for code-loving users, but if you’re new to password managers or want something easy to use, you should probably go with LastPass.
FAQs
Is LastPass better than KeePass?
KeePass is a great choice for code-loving users, but if you’re new to password managers or want something easy to use, you should probably go with LastPass.
Is LastPass better than Dashlane?
I’d choose Dashlane over LastPass. Although it’s more expensive, you’ll get more features, better customer support, and a higher-rated app. Dashlane is also easier to use, which anyone can appreciate.
Is KeePass the best password manager?
KeePass is not the best password manager out there. As it’s open-sourced rather than made by a private company, it’s extremely difficult to use for anyone that’s not into coding.
The DoorDash delivery app works a little differently than the other ones in this article. When an order is placed, the DoorDash app will work by pinging drivers in the area of the restaurant ordered from. The app will then calculate the distance of all points involved including the driver’s current location, the restaurant’s location and where the customer ordered from. Once the DoorDash driver arrives at the restaurant, they will have one of three options to choose from.
Pick up the order and deliver to the customer
Pay for the customer’s order using their DoorDash company credit card
Place the order themselves and wait until the order is complete
Similar to the many rideshare apps, the on-demand food delivery app market is steadily growing. Because this innovative, new market is just in its infant phase, the jury is still out on which app offers the best deals and services. However, while it is still unclear who the dominating rideshare giant is, many students, freelancers and side-hustlers and all those in between have used these unique job opportunities to make part-time and full-time incomes to support themselves and their families.
The on-demand food delivery services are very similar to the ridesharing services because they allow people to work at their own pace, set their own working hours and make a decent living as independent contractors. Who doesn’t like being their own boss?
Table of Contents
What Do These New Food Delivery Services Mean For Traditional Industries?
Owners of local restaurants are still going to be expected to deliver food. Technology companies are still going to be designing new products to run faster and more efficiently. All industries are going to continue to grow and evolve with the times. To stay successful, businesses need to balance the growing and ever-changing needs of their customers and clients. However, when it boils down to the bottom, everyone will still need to gather up their W2s and pay their taxes.
Fact-Based Reviews Of The Top Four Food Ordering Apps Out Today
The top four food and beverage delivery apps available today are Doordash, UberEATS, Postmates and Grubhub. For anyone looking to order from their favorite restaurants without leaving their home, these are the apps to try. The hardest part in getting started is figuring out which one is best to use. This complete review is meant to serve as a simple guideline for anyone in the freelancing community, foodservice industry, app designing community and everyone in between to examine and gain a better understanding of the human element of this extremely on-demand and economic technology.
It should be noted this guide is not meant to be biased. It is simply a complete comparison between the top four rated delivery apps for anyone interested in learning more about each and being able to compare them to each other. This will help individuals find the right part-time employer or right food service delivery app. Restaurant managers may also use this guide as a tool to meet their customer’s needs and know what they are looking for in food service delivery jobs or for when their hunger strikes.
From Restaurant To Your Dinner Table- How Do These Food Delivery Service Apps Work?
It does not matter which of these apps you choose to order food from or try as a part-time job. GrubHub, DoorDash, PostMates and UberEATS all have the same goals for their customers. The goal is to get food from point A to point B and is expected to arrive at its destination with the same quality and taste customers would expect if they were to have ordered the same meal at the restaurant. Each food delivery app will have their own logistics to follow with regards to getting the food from point A to B. If you were to start your own food service delivery company, you would also need to take into consideration the budget and scope of your company before you could realistically offer this service to your customers.
Postmates
Like stated above, all delivery service applications run a little differently. With Postmates, each driver is given a corporate debit card to carry with them while working. This card is used to pay for their customer’s meals on their behalf. For most of the company’s drivers, the debit card is a Postmates-brand card. Each card contains an alphanumeric identification number that is unique to the driver. For drivers who have been working for Postmates for a while or who have been actively working, they will earn a card with their name on it. These cards can be used for non-food items that are ordered such as a delivery of electronics from an Apple Store.
How Ordering Works With Postmates:
Each time an order is placed, the driver will get money preloaded onto their personal Postmates debit card. Generally, the amount that is preloaded is a rounded-up amount based on the customer’s purchase total. For example, if a customer orders a meal from a restaurant and the total comes to $27.99, the Postmate driver’s debit card will get preloaded with $40. The reason behind the amount getting rounded up is to help give the drivers a bit more flexibility in the event something about the order changes. They will have a little extra money if the customer decides to add to the order or if the prices at the restaurant differ from the online amount when the customer placed the order. If the customer makes changes that put the total above the rounded-up amount the driver received, the driver will be able to request extra funds through their Postmates app to cover the difference.
In the beginning, Postmates had restricted the debit card usage of their drivers to a designated location based on GPS readings. This was to help control the amount of abuse and fraud in the system. Unfortunately, these restrictions caused more problems than they solved. The GPS locations were too slow to update or were often inaccurate. The app used to have a feature that would allow the customer to order the food themselves. An estimated time the customer’s food would be done and ready to be picked up was then sent to a designated driver. This allowed drivers the ability to offer ridesharing to customers in-between food deliveries for extra cash. This feature was not always reliable and was removed, unfortunately.
Owners of restaurants are able to use a reliable third-party API to offer their customers the ability to use the Postmates delivery service to order food. Using this format, customers of restaurants fail to recognize the Postmates drivers are independent contractors and not working as employees for the restaurant they ordered from. Some Postmates drivers have shown frustration over customers’ tips being given to the restaurant and not to them as the driver. New features to help fix this problem are currently in process.
UberEATS
The UberEATS app uses a very simple format. Each time an order is made, it is prepaid for. The order will also be made well before the driver arrives to pick it up. In reality, the UberEATS app allows a customer to place their order through the app. The order is then picked up by the driver. The meal is supposed to be ready to be picked up by the driver before they arrive. However, this is not always the case. Many times, drivers are forced to wait around until the order is prepared. While this may not always be the best case scenario for the drivers, it is done to ensure a meal is fresh and hot when delivered to the customer.
For other delivery service apps, the drivers are supposed to check the order before leaving the restaurant to ensure it is what the customer ordered. With UberEATS, however, they have what is referred to as their “closed-bag” philosophy. No driver is allowed to inspect the meals before delivering them. The order is handed to the driver and not opened until it reaches the intended customer. This is done to absolve an UberEATS driver from the responsibility of checking to make sure an order is correct or not missing anything. The responsibility lies on the customers checking their order and the restaurant for filling it correctly.
Grubhub
The Grubhub app is a bit different than the rest because it isn’t exactly a food delivery service. It has, however, merged together with other services such as Yelp’s Eat24 and Seamless. Grubhub got its start back in 2004. It was originally just an online alternative to paper menus. It allowed restaurants and companies to build relationships and successful partnerships with each other.
Not all restaurants have their own delivery service. For these restaurants that don’t have full-time drivers employed, they could use Grubhubs’ fleet of independently contracted drivers. This is similar to how Postmates, Doordash and UberEATS work. The idea is to have an order placed by a customer first. The Grubhub driver is then to show up at the restaurant when the food order is being completed. The meal is put in a sealed, branded Grubhub bag to ensure hot and fresh delivery. The technology Grubhub uses allows both customers and restaurants the ability to track the delivery of the orders. This helps offer customers an estimate on when their order should be arriving.
Driving for Grubhub has many benefits. As a driver, you can choose to schedule yourself to work in “blocks” of time. This is similar to a traditional job. The block time you choose is essentially the timeframe you are willing to accept deliveries. A driver is able to work outside of this block time if they choose to. However, Grubhub will prioritize orders to go first to scheduled drivers. The more time a Grubhub driver schedules themselves to work, the more work they will be given and have the potential to earn more.
Grubhub drivers who work outside of their scheduled blocks will have to wait to see if any orders are not assigned to others. Any delivery not assigned to a scheduled driver can be picked up by anyone in the area. According to a driver’s Program Level, they may pick up blocks of work whenever they want. They may also choose to drop a scheduled block beforehand if they cannot or do not want to work it anymore. One of the best parts of being a driver is the ability to have flexibility with your schedule.
Earnings And Costs For Drivers Of UberEATS, Doordash, Grubhub And Postmates:
For all of the delivery app positions, the drivers are paid via direct deposit to their bank account. This is a pretty standard method of payment across this industry. There are some problems with the timeliness of payments in some cases.
Postmates will pay their drivers for deliveries four days after a transaction has been completed. For drivers who receive tips from customers, the transaction may be delayed even longer. This is not always a bad thing, except for when drivers are charged a 15 cent fee every time they get their money sent to their bank account via direct deposit.
Most Postmates drivers complain about the fees. While the 15 cents doesn’t seem like much, it can add up when it is taken off of each tip. It is important to note that the fee is charged by the payment processor and not Postmates. It is illegal for a company to impose direct deposit fees for payments. This fee is called the “stripe fee” and is not a popular payment option.
Doordash, Grubhub and UberEATS pay their drivers weekly on different days by direct deposit. UberEATS also offers the option for drivers to cash out payments on any day they choose. However, there is a dollar fee imposed each time this option is chosen. Doordash also has their own daily payment option for drivers.
Quick Comparison Of The On-Demand Food Delivery Services
For all apps, customers are required to pay for their order through the app. Grubhub accepts different payment forms such as Apple Pay, eGift cards, Android Pay, Paypal and cash. Drivers who work with the apps that pay for mileage get it calculated and paid “as the bird flies.” This means the mileage is calculated in a straight line from restaurant to the customer’s drop-off location. The mileage calculated does not take into account turns, etc.
Tipping Advice For On-Demand Food Service Delivery Drivers
Tipping for these types of services can be a bit confusing for the customers. While the method of delivery has been evolving, the etiquette for tipping remains largely the same. Good service usually equates to at least a 20 percent tip on the order. Customers who order from UberEATS have up to a month after their order was delivered to send a thank-you tip.
Postmates uses a tipping system that is completely cashless. They ask that drivers only be tipped through their app. A customer may simply choose how much they want to tip on top of the total.
Tipping for the on-demand Grubhub service can be done through their app as well. Many drivers have complained that some customers will choose to tip in person and then stiff the driver completely.
With Doordash, the app requests tips to be given before their food even arrives. This is done to present a driver beforehand a “guaranteed amount” in earnings before accepting the task. The amount combines the base delivery pay, the mileage and the expected tip together. Oftentimes, Doordash drivers will check their earnings after a delivery and notice it is for more than the estimate they were originally given.
Considerations For Businesses To Take Into Account
Most drivers would agree that Postmates is the most unique of all the choices. The corporate credit card sets the company apart from the competitors. Doordash works hard to ensure that all drivers make a decent amount of money delivering without having to rely on tips. UberEATS is more synced with the large-scale ridesharing aspect of the Uber company. This makes the earnings potential for Uber drivers much higher. They can break up their day by adding in food deliveries between ridesharing jobs. As of last year, Grubhub was the king of the pack, mostly because of their partnerships with other brands and services.
Smaller companies might fare better choosing a delivery service such as Doordash to work with. Doordash offers awareness and a more positive association with the food and products they deliver. They put more emphasis on quality. Larger companies will probably fare well with Postmates because they won’t see the corporate credit cards as burdens on their budgets.
On-Demand Food Delivery Service Apps- Legit?
Each of the top four on-demand services is more than capable of offering reliable food delivery. The most important thing to both customers and drivers is the innovations and features that make the service they use to stand out enough to earn a decent wage and be a respectable position to work and earn a living doing.
Benefits For Independent Contractors
Independent contractors do not get the same benefits that traditional jobs offer their employees. There are no perks such as health insurance or 401K plans. However, this does not mean that the delivery service companies leave their drivers without their own kind of perks.
UberEATS offers rewards to their drivers in the form of free gas, assistance with finances and finding health insurance, discounts on phone plans and more.
Doordash offers their drivers the ability to purchase commercial insurance plans. However, they have to maintain their own personal policies. UberEATS and Doordash have partnered with a company called Stride. They work with drivers to help them purchase their own health insurance plans. Doordash also has a partnership with Everlance to help their drivers track their expenses to help with tax time.
Postmates offer rewards and discounts to their drivers once they complete their 10th and 25th deliveries each month. Drivers also have access to supplemental health insurance policies.
Discounts, Rewards and Coupon Codes For Customers Using On-Demand Food Delivery Apps
Customers who are new to UberEATS will usually get a decent discount off of their very first order. They may also receive promotions offering free products from partners of Uber. Drivers can refer their friends to the app and receive bonuses if they become drivers and complete a set amount of trips.
Can You Order Alcoholic Beverages Through These Apps?
Many people love to enjoy a glass of wine or a cold beer with their meal. Some of the services offer alcohol deliveries. Postmates, Grubhub and Doordash offer delivery in specific markets around the country. UberEATS only allows delivery of alcohol to a handful of locations around the world.
Doordash has an ordering process for delivering alcohol which requires the verification of a customer’s identification beforehand. Drivers are not allowed to deliver alcohol to anyone who seems visibly intoxicated or who might be giving alcohol to a minor.
The Results
There is no clear winner for on-demand food delivery applications. Postmates, UberEATS, Doordash and Grubhub all have their own pros and cons. Choosing which app to use for deliveries or which company to work for comes down largely to personal preference. It may take some time and experimentation to find the right one for you. It will be interesting, however, to see how each of these services continues to grow, innovate and improve in the coming years. New services might come out of the shadows that beat all of these current apps. Only time will tell who comes out on top from these delivery driver jobs.
SiteGround Pros: + Very Good Uptime (99.99%) + Fast and Knowledgeable Support + High-Performance WordPress Hosting + Free Site Migration + Easy to Use, includes cPanel
SiteGround Cons: – ‘Setup Fee’ for Monthly Billing – Limited Storage Space
With an introductory rate of $3.95/month (for a minimum of 12-months) and a renewal rate of $11.95/month, SiteGround is not the cheapest web host on our list.
And sure, you can probably justify this hefty price tag by pointing to their free SSL certificates, site migration, CDN, email accounts, and daily backups.
Or the impressive WordPress features, intuitive cPanel and highly knowledgeable support team…
… But when you consider that your site will be limited to only 10GB of storage space, 10,000 monthly visits, and a ‘fast-but-not-fast-enough’ speed of 713ms, it starts to become a harder sell.
However, on the good side, they have data centers across US, Europe and Asia, a strong reputation in the marketplace, and plenty to offer new customers. But you can get more bang for your buck by using one of our top three hosts like Bluehost or HostGator.
SiteGround test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019
Bluehost Pros: + Best Uptime (99.99%) + Fast Load Time (0.41ms) +Cheap “Intro” Cost ($2.75/mo) + Easy to Use and Signup + Fast Support (Live Chat and Phone) + 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Bluehost Cons: – No Free Site Migrations
Bluehost is our top-rated web hosting company because their last 16-month uptime and speed is very strong – 99.99% and 0.41ms respectively.
Their 3-year introductory price is $2.75/mo and that comes with features like free domain name, website builder and one-click install for WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. So for starters (someone without a website), this is probably the best option. They also have a 30-day money back guarantee.
They use their built-in admin panel (along with cPanel) that makes setting up and managing websites very simple and straightforward.
While their bandwidth is unmetered, the maximum storage varies from 50GB to unlimited – depending on which plan you choose. We recommend getting the prime plan for the most value.
SSL certificate (HTTPS://) is included for free on all plans as well as email accounts. You can let Bluehost transfer your existing website to their hosting environment, but this will cost $149 per website.
Bluehost’s test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
HostGator Cloud Pros: + Good Uptime (99.98%) + Fast Load Time (0.43ms) +FREE Site Migration (1) + No Bandwidth/Storage Limit + Unlimited Email Accounts + Free SSL Included
HostGator Cloud Cons: – Higher Renewal Cost
HostGator cloud hosting offers their users unlimited bandwidth, storage space, and email accounts.
On top of that, they have free site migration if you decide to transfer your website from another host without the hassle. Their last 16-month performance stats aren’t bad either, 432ms load time and 99.98% uptime.
They’re one of the fastest hosts we’ve reviewed, their servers are perfect for WordPress websites. Most of their data centers are based in the US, but the host does well to serve European clients too.
Before you sign up, be sure with the higher renewal prices that start right after your billing period ends. For example, the $2.99 is for the first 1-6 months, then the price jumps to $9.95 – $14.95/mo.
They do have fast and efficient live chat, SSL certificate is included as well as daily backups.
If you need a scalable hosting, HostGator Cloud is probably your best option.
HostGator Cloud’s test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
Hostinger Pros: + Fast Load Time (0.37ms) +Cheapest Plan ($0.80/mo) + Datacenters in 7 Regions + FREE Domain Name (1 year) + Uptime Guarantee + 30 Days Money Back
Hostinger Cons: – SSL Not Included
Hostinger is one of the cheapest hosting providers that costs only $0.80/mo when choosing their longest (48 months) subscription.
They have data centers and servers across the world in seven different regions.
While being one of the cheapest, they still manage to achieve a just “okay” uptime of 99.91%. If we were to count only the last 15-months instead of 16-months, then their uptime would be a solid 99.97%. Their average page load time is very fast though, only 0.37ms.
Bandwidth and databases are unlimited unless you choose the “Single Web Hosting” plan. With the latter you’ll be limited to 10GB of disk space, 100GB of bandwidth, one MySQL database, and one email account.
Unfortunately, not everything is cheap. The important add-ons which aren’t included in the basic plans are priority support and SSL certificate which will set you back some more money.
Similarly to Bluehost, they too offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all the hosting plans.
Hostinger’s test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
GoDaddy Pros: + Good Uptime (99.97%) + Fast Load Time (0.52ms) + Many Great Features + Well Known Brand
GoDaddy Cons: – Unreliable Support – Emails, Backups and SSL Cost Extra
GoDaddy’s brand is easily one of the most well-known domain registrar and hosting provider on the market.
But is their reputation well deserved when it comes to performance and delivering fast page speed?
While their page loading speed is relatively fast, just above 500ms, their uptime isn’t ideal – 99.97%.
A glance at what they offer – a 99.99% uptime guarantee, 100GB of website storage (a lot), unmetered bandwidth and free trial for their website builder, seems like a too good deal.
But when you look at the sheer number of highly pried upsells and sneaky marketing tricks (like charging for site backups, SSL certificates, email accounts, and more), it becomes harder and harder to give credence to the brand’s reputation.
In addition to the many shameless money grabs present inside of GoDaddy’s pricing structure, the inefficacy of their customer support team and lack of compelling freebies (like the industry standard SSL certificate and unlimited email accounts) makes us hard pressed to recommend them above any of the aforementioned hosts.
GoDaddy test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
6. WebHostingBuzz – Small, But Reliable Web Host ($4.99/mo)
WebHostingBuzz hosting page
WebHostingBuzz Pros: + Good Load Time (0.47ms) + Excellent Support + 45-Day Money Back Guarantee + Free Migrations & Domain Name + Solid Uptime (99.98%)
WebHostingBuzz Cons: – Payment Terms
Founded in 2002, WebHostingBuzz is specialized in the UK web hosting market.
With more than 250+ server locations worldwide, site load times of only 474ms, and a 99.98% average uptime (which is almost as good as what they advertise) this “under the radar behemoth” brings a lot of value to the table.
Their customer support is some of the best we’ve ever experienced–we had all of our (very technical) questions answered in a matter of minutes–and, when you consider that they offer a 45-day money back guarantee, unlimited bandwidth, 20GB disk space, free site migrations, and a free domain at only $4.99/month… they appear like one of the best hosts on our list.
However, with a 12-month minimum payment term and a 48-month minimum for the advertised price of $4.99, you can get a lot more for your money with another provider.
WebHostingBuzz test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
A2 Hosting Pros: + Fastest Load Time (0.34ms) + Quick and Efficient Support + Free Site Migration + Compatible With Common CMS’s + Environment-Friendly
A2 Hosting Cons: – Uptime could be better (99.92%) – Restrictions on Cheapest Plan
US-based A2 Hosting is the fastest shared web hosting we’ve tested to date.
Hands down, they’ve managed to achieve 336ms average load time over a period of 16-months. All of their plans offer unlimited bandwidth and storage, responsive customer support (phone and live chat), free SSL certificate, site migration, and domain name…
It’s easy to see why A2 Hosting was almost our favorite host on this list.
However, they were held back from a top-three spot due to two big problems.
First and foremost, their uptimes. With an average uptime of 99.92%, the unreliability of A2’s hosting simply won’t meet the needs of most webmasters.
Furthermore, there are some hefty restrictions placed on their basic web hosting package: like the one-website limit, five database limit, exclusion of addon domains, and WordPress cache limitations. If you want to avoid the limitations, you just need to choose a more flexible hosting plan.
Although they are still one of our favorite hosts, with a $3.92/month price tag renewed at $9.99/month, we can’t recommend them above providers like Hostinger.
A2 Hosting test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
From 99.97% uptimes, upfront and affordable pricing – $1.99/mo for the first three years then $7.99/mo, free 24/7 live chat and over the phone support, unlimited bandwidth, storage, and domain names and a free SSL certificate and email address… iPage has a lot to offer.
But, as with A2 Hosting, there are a few things that stopped iPage from earning a higher ranking on our list.
Specifically, iPage charges $17/year per domain, $150 for every site transfer, and offers a below-average site speed of only 787ms (the slowest of our top ten hosts).
Furthermore, they don’t offer cPanel access and the purported “unlimited” bandwidth and storage aren’t quite what they appear to be.
If you need a fast, feature rich, and fully equipped website to grow your online business, iPage simply doesn’t cut it. Yet, it might be a solid option for beginners with less money to spend on web hosting.
iPage test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
Dreamhost Pros: + Knowledgeable Support + 97-Day Money Back Guarantee + Unlimited Bandwidth + They’re Carbon Neutral
Dreamhost Cons: – Possible Delayed Setup – No cPanel
With more than 400,000 active customers and a hosting roster of more than 1.5 million websites, DreamHost is one of the biggest players in the web hosting game.
Founded in 1996 and offering pricing plans that start at only $2.59/mo (for the first 12-months), they’re also one of the oldest and cheapest.
However, there are a few key issues that prevent us from giving them a full endorsement.
Although they offer fast load times of 719ms, a 99.96% average uptimes, a 97-day money back guarantee, and completely unlimited bandwidth, the complete lack of live chat support and a traditional cPanel (in all fairness they do offer their own unique cPanel… but as web professionals, we weren’t fans) makes Dreamhost a hard sell.
With so many amazing hosts out there, DreamHost simply doesn’t offer anything that you can’t get from another host at the same price.
With 99.95% uptimes and load speeds of 493ms, GreenGeeks offers fast and reliable hosting at an affordable rate of $2.95/month.
Add to this their feature-rich bonuses, high-quality customer support, and environmentally friendly practices and it’s easy to see how GreenGeeks are quickly carving out a name for themselves in a wildly oversaturated market.
If you decide to purchase their “Eco-site Starter”, your patronage will be rewarded with unlimited bandwidth, storage, and email accounts, a free SSL certificate, free domain (for the first year–then $13.95/year after), and a free website migration.
Their customer service is responsive, helpful, and available through live chat, email, and over the phone.
Unfortunately, the $9.95/month renewal rate, limited data centers (located in the U.S. and Netherlands only) and questionable refund policy may dissuade some webmasters from choosing GreenGeeks over other hosting providers.
GreenGeeks test site speed from December 2017 to March 2019 | See stats
Unlike other sites, we actually sign up and pay for web hosting.
We break down information about available packages and services, hidden fees, payment methods, and more. When we look at a web host, we start by reading over their terms of agreement to find out if there are any hidden, unfair terms that consumers should know about.
Then, we take a look at what kind of customer support they offer, whether it’s a live chat, phone, ticket, or email. Once we get a test site up and running, we evaluate the user interface of the host’s control panel and the total activation time.
We also monitor our site performance by plugging our domain names into Pingdom to look at speed and uptime.
We look at how fast sites load in certain countries and across certain devices. Our reviews also look at the quality of customer support for each host. We actually contact each host to see how long they take to respond and whether or not they are friendly and helpful.
Based on everything we look over, we assign a total rating for each host that ranges from 0 to 10
Why Uptime and Load Time Matters
Uptime and load time matter because they affect traffic, which in turn, most likely will affect your overall revenue.
You’ve got to keep an eye on both of these metrics because they indicate your site’s quality of performance. Uptime refers to the total time that your website is up and running without problems. Downtime refers to the time when your website is offline and unavailable to visitors and potential customers.
The time your website isn’t running, you’re losing money.
At the same time, if you have a slow load time, your bounce rate will be off the charts. People don’t want to wait forever for web pages to load. In fact, they won’t wait longer than 3 seconds if they’re using a mobile device to browse. Today, more page views happen on mobile than on desktop.
That’s why you should make sure that your load times are fast and that your uptime is high.
What is Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting consists of multiple websites on the same web server owned by the web host.
This is easily the most popular (and cheapest) method of web hosting. If your site has high traffic, you might not want to go with shared hosting. Sometimes, resources aren’t shared equally when it comes to this hosting method.
Remember how I told you that a server provides resources for storing files? Well, these resources, like hard drive space and RAM, can slow down if a site you’re sharing the server with is receiving tons of visitors or has incorrect coding.
This can lead to your website going down or experiencing super slow load times, therefore only go with shared hosting if your revenue doesn’t depend on your site’s performance (or if you’re not receiving gobs of traffic).
What is Cloud Hosting?
Unlike shared hosting that relies on one server, cloud hosting uses a cluster of servers that work together to store your website’s files and data.
Cloud-based hosting is great because it’s more efficient and secure than other hosting methods. These cloud systems protect your site against attacks better than traditional hosting systems because all the resources of multiple servers are in one virtual network.
Since the servers are virtual, clients only pay for what they need and use. When a physical server connected to the cloud goes offline or malfunctions, the virtual servers won’t be affected.
Think of it as a pay-as-you-go cell phone plan: You’ll never pay for resources you don’t need. And, if you need more to cover a jump in traffic, all you’ve got to do is pay a bit more money for that period of time.
What is WordPress Hosting?
WordPress hosting is for WordPress websites only. It’s fast because every aspect of WordPress servers has been optimized for setting up WordPress.
Your loading speeds will be much faster on WordPress in comparison to some other shared hosting sites. This is also true for your uptime. It’s also more secure because you’ve got a support team of WordPress experts to back you up if your website is attacked. Plus, your server will always be up to date.
WordPress is a bit less customizable than other hosts, though. For example, certain plugins aren’t permitted, and some plugins can’t be altered. Also, if you choose WordPress as your host, then you will also have to use WordPress as your CMS; it won’t allow you to use other CMS providers.
Site Transfers (FREE or Not?)
What if you pick a web host only to discover that you don’t like it? Site transfers allow you to move your website to another host.
Moving to another website consists of transferring the website’s files and databases, configuring your site with the new host, and directing your domain’s DNS to the new host. Once you pick a new site host, they can usually help you out with this process. The cost will depend on the host you’re switching to, but it will probably be anywhere from $150-$400.
But some web hosts on our list, like HostGator and GreenGeeks, offer free web transfers.
For paid transfers, you can usually transfer more than one site. It’s only $149.99 to migrate as many as five websites and 20 email accounts to Bluehost.
The site transfer will usually take a few days.
For a host like HostPapa, it will take 5 to 7 days to complete a site transfer. They recommend modifying DNS entries before starting the transfer so that it takes less time.
They can also update your DNS entries, but this service will add 24 to 72 hours before your site becomes live. With A2 Hosting, it’ll take anywhere from 2 to 4 days.
