Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series Courier Hacker is publishing to inform potential drivers of all the brands in the gig economy. We will be featuring brands from different categories (food delivery, travel, rideshare, health services, home services, pet care, etc.)
Caviar is a San Francisco based food delivery company founded in 2012. The founders were a group from the University of California-Berkeley—Richard Din, Shawn Tsao, Andy Zhang, Abel Lin and Jason Wang. As of 2017, Caviar has a presence in over 20 major cities across the United States, and are rapidly expanding into other markets.
Funding and History
Caviar’s total startup funding comes in at $15,000,000. Tiger Global Management has been the largest contributor to date. In 2014, Square acquired the company for around $90 million. At the time, Square only offered food service for pickup delivery. Caviar allowed them to offer a delivery option as part of their suite of services for businesses. Square offers a range of services to businesses, ranging from financing to helping them accept credit card payments.
Most business experts regard the Caviar acquisition as just one more step toward a payment-to-product service line for Square. Regardless of Square’s reasons, the acquisition probably helped Caviar survive the explosion of food delivery startups around 2014.
How much can you earn?
Caviar has an “effort-based” payment model, which means that you earn a base pay rate (just over $6 currently). They then factor in items such as distance, how many items are in an order, and other factors to provide you with a bonus. Many couriers report these bonuses raising the total earnings for an order to well over a comparable trip for a rideshare platform.
The application process for Caviar is a little more involved than it is for most food delivery platforms. You can read the full experience here. Unlike platforms like Postmates, Caviar drivers have to pay for some of their materials. However, after the initial cost, the company boasts earnings of as much as $25 per hour.
Some couriers have complained about the $5 maximum tip in-app, claiming a percentage-based tipping system would work much better.
Drivers must be at least 18 years old, and have at least two years of driving experience. There is also a background check as part of the onboarding process. Their orientation also tends to be more thorough than many gig economy orientations.
Perks of Caviar
Perks of Caviar include a Parking Ticket Reimbursement program, which is great news for couriers who use a car for deliveries. There is also live driver support via SMS in the app.
Requests come in with a two minute time window in which to accept them. This request tells you how much you will earn for an order, where it is, and the general area where you’ll be delivering.
Many Caviar partner restaurants also tend to be fairly easy for couriers to work with. However, courier feedback on wait times at restaurants when picking up orders has varied greatly.
For bicycle enthusiasts, couriers consistently report that Caviar is a great option for them.
Job Requirements
Caviar drivers must be at least 18 years old, and own a smartphone. You can use any vehicle (car, truck, scooter, bike, motorcycle), but drivers must have at least two years of driving experience. Caviar also requires a background check.
