Perks are a part of most driving gigs, but we all know that some are better than others. There might even be some programs that are so good, they tip the scales so everybody wants to work there just for the perks!
Is Amazon Flex one such company? In this post, we’ll look at what it’s like to deliver with Amazon Flex, with a special focus on Amazon Flex Rewards. We’ll look at the experience of working with Flex and how the rewards program affects driver satisfaction and Amazon Flex driver pay.
Here’s how we’ll size things up:
- The basics of being an Amazon Flex driver
- How much do Amazon Flex drivers make?
- Amazon Flex rewards and other perks
- How to make more money with Amazon Flex
The basics of being an Amazon Flex driver
You may not always notice it, but you’ve most likely benefited from the work of a whole bunch of Amazon Flex drivers. Doing their duty by going the “last mile” to deliver packages for Amazon, Flex drivers use their own vehicles. They are, like all gig workers, independent contractors.
Flex has been around since 2015, but Amazon ratcheted up the pressure to recruit more Flex drivers in 2019, when the company changed its Prime delivery service from two days to one. The pandemic made Amazon Flex drivers even more valuable, as a groundswell of customer orders created a demand for drivers to get them to their destinations.
There are a few different ways Amazon Flex drivers can work, but the most common one is by choosing “blocks” and delivering packages from a distribution center. You can read more about Amazon Flex, including what it takes to become a driver, in this Gridwise blog post.
Flex drivers choose blocks of time when they are available to drive and deliver packages. They report to the Amazon distribution center or store and wait their turn, often in long lines. When they get to the front of the line, they receive an allotment of packages to deliver within the time windows of their blocks.
Drivers say they are under a lot of pressure at times. There can be large loads of packages to deliver on routes that take them through high traffic areas. This makes their task more than a little daunting. The stress increases as the end of the time block approaches, especially if not all the packages have been dropped off. Basic needs such as eating, staying hydrated, and finding places “to go” have to be pushed aside so all the packages can be delivered before the deadline. Read this CNBC piece and watch the 2019 video for more insight into what driving for Flex can be like.
Every gig driving job has its good and bad points, so even though working for Amazon Flex can be a bit more stressful than it appears on the surface, it has its definite pluses, too. One of these is Amazon Flex driver pay.
How much do Amazon Flex drivers make?
Amazon claims that Flex drivers make as much as $18–$25 per hour, and Gridwise figures confirm that this is pretty close to reality. In this Gridwise blog post, you can see that median Flex hourly pay rose from $21.78 to $23.35 over the first three months of 2022.
How much do Amazon Flex drivers make a week? That depends on how many blocks drivers take on in a week. Because there can be considerable distances between the driver’s home base, the distribution center, and the delivery route, not all drivers can work more than 3 or 4 hours a day.
The next logical question is, how much do Amazon Flex drivers make a month? Gridwise figures for Q1 2022 show the answer to be encouraging. In March 2022, Flex drivers across the nation pulled in an average of $419.50 for the month. However, this figure shows that Flex drivers, by and large, are working mostly part time. If we take the monthly figure and divide it by the hourly figure of $23.35, we find that drivers would be working around 18 hours per month.
While Amazon Flex hourly earnings are solid, the model of working 3 or 4 hours at a time, and delivering packages to destinations that could lead drivers to rack up a great deal of mileage, could mean they don’t have time to do more than one or two blocks per day. It’s quite possible that many Flex drivers work this gig as a side hustle, or as part of a more comprehensive gig driving strategy that includes other modes of making money, such as rideshare or food delivery.
There’s more than just the straight earning rates to consider, though. Just what else does Amazon Flex have to offer?
Amazon Flex rewards and other perks
Amazon Flex drivers are eligible to earn points and get perks, just for completing blocks and making deliveries. Drivers must keep their standings high, by showing up for their blocks and delivering their packages. Drivers will make more points per block and per delivery, as their standing gets higher. Get specific details about how rewards points are allocated here.
The rewards available to drivers include:
cash back on purchases with the Amazon Flex debit card. Drivers can earn up to $500 cash back per month on fuel and EV charges, groceries from Whole Foods, items from amazon.com, and anything else that can be purchased with the debit card. They can deposit funds into the account linked to the Amazon Flex debit card, and also select the card as the preferred payment account for depositing Flex earnings. Percentages for cash back deals increase as drivers earn more points and reach higher levels.
preferred scheduling. Drivers can take more control over their time by earning preferred scheduling privileges. As they earn more points and rise through the levels, extra time is allocated for choosing blocks. They will also gain access to more blocks that meet individual block preferences as they earn more points.
discounts on gas, auto maintenance, and merchandise. As they continue to climb up the levels, drivers become eligible for an increasing number of discounts on items they need, as well as other consumer goods and services. Amazon says there are literally thousands of discounts available, more than we are able to list here, for sure.
The Amazon Flex Rewards Program gives drivers some perks that could be quite worthwhile. Still, the rewards and discounts available are not “free.” They’re linked to driver performance and delivery volume. If you only drive occasionally for Amazon Flex, it will be hard to get much from the program.
If you’re a regular, though, there are plenty of possibilities for being paid back for your hard work. The rewards program is a good way for Amazon Flex to make up for the fact that drivers don’t get tips or benefit from the surges and challenges rideshare and delivery drivers enjoy.
Besides the rewards program, how can Amazon Flex drivers add to their earnings?
How to make more money with Amazon Flex
The best thing to do is find ways to minimize your expenses. Start by getting the best Amazon Flex mileage tracker there is—Gridwise! Gridwise tracks your miles for tax deduction purposes, and also lets you enter all the expenses you can write off as a driver. Gridwise tracks your earnings, too, so you can see how much you’re earning, and how much your expenses might be eating into your income.
You’ll get all these services that make your Amazon Flex gig easier, too:
- traffic alerts
- information on better times of day, days of the week, and neighborhoods to deliver in
- deals and discounts on gas, insurance, car maintenance, and more
With Gridwise, you get our rewards no matter how many deliveries you’ve done or how quickly you’ve completed them. Gridwise is a free app that offers rewards, discounts, and deals to all its drivers. Download the app and see for yourself.
