Are there jobs that pay you the same day or in 1-2 days?

Yes, there are several jobs that allow you to get paid quickly, either the same day you work or within 1-2 days. Common options include rideshare driving, food/grocery delivery, handyman services, and other gig work through apps and platforms like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, and more.

Key Takeaways

• Several jobs allow you to get paid the same day or within 1-2 days, including rideshare driving (Uber, Lyft), food/grocery delivery (DoorDash, Instacart, etc.), and gig work platforms (Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, etc.).

• Most same-day pay options involve fees for instant cashout, but some allow free payouts in 1-2 days.

• Requirements usually include being 18+, having a vehicle, passing a background check, and having a smartphone.

There are jobs that pay the same day. But what about jobs you can do at home? Are they available? We'll look at jobs you can do from home while still enjoying the same-day paycheck.

Rideshare Jobs Pay Daily

As a rideshare driver, you transport passengers from their pickup to their drop-off destinations. You'll need to navigate well so you drive as little as possible, as you don't want to burn gas.

The qualifications you need vary depending on the rideshare company. Here are a few.

1. Uber

Image source: Cnet.com

Uber was launched in 2009 and was the first rideshare company. Since then, thousands of people have used Uber as a side gig or full-time job. All it takes is a smartphone and a four-door car and you can hit the road while making money.

How Much Money Will You Make

Uber pays in three different ways. They include:

• Weekly (default) – no fee transfer to your account.

• Next day cash – no fee (sometimes takes two days if there’s a holiday).

• Instant cash out - $1.10 per transaction up to five times a day.

Although Uber defaults to paying weekly, it allows you to cash out after your rides. So, you can either bank your money and receive it every Monday or get paid instantly for gratification.

Earnings can depend on the region of the country, but most drivers earn between five and $26 hourly. Keep in mind this is before your expenses. Some of these expenses are:

• Gas.

• Car maintenance.

• Taxes.

• Insurance.

Uber will sometimes offer bonuses for new drivers.

You aren't an Uber employee; you're an independent contractor. So, they won’t be withholding any taxes from your pay. It’s your responsibility to pay your taxes.

Uber must report your earnings to the IRS. If you’ve earned enough during the year, Uber will send you a Form 1099. The 1099 shows the amount you’ve earned throughout the year. You will need to file this form with your income tax return.

So, even though it’s tempting to take the money out of Uber daily, you need to set some aside to pay your taxes.

You can write off some expenses like miles, gas, etc. Consult with a tax preparer on your options.

How to Drive for Uber

Image source: Uber.com

You must meet specific requirements to drive for Uber. For example:

• Meet the minimum age to drive in your locality.

• At least one year of licensed experience in the U.S. or three if under 23.

• Valid U.S. driver’s license.

• Eligible four-door vehicle.

Different cities have different criteria for the age of the vehicle. Some require 15 years or newer, and others dictate seven years or newer.

Documents that are required are:

• Valid U.S. driver’s license.

• Proof of residency in a city, state, or province.

• Proof of auto insurance.

• Proof of car registration.

• Profile photo (passport format and cannot be a driver’s license photo).

Uber will also require you to complete an online jobs screening. They will review your driving record and any criminal history. They’ll need your Social Security number to perform the screening and for the 1099.

2. Lyft

Image source: Wikimedia.org

Established in 2012, Lyft is a competitor rideshare company to Uber. You’ll also need a smartphone and a four-door vehicle to drive for Lyft.

How Much Money Will You Make

Lyft drivers report earning between five dollars and $25 per hour. Weekly payouts are the default. Lyft releases the money on Tuesday, but depending on your bank, it may not hit your account until Friday.

But Lyft does have their “Express Pay”. It lets you quickly cash out your earnings to a debit card. In most cases, you’ll have the money in a few hours. 

There’s a $0.85 fee for each Express Pay transfer. And you can use Express Pay up to five times per day.

There are opportunities to earn more money with Lyft. Each trip pays you according to the distance. You can maximize your earnings by using Lyft’s Bonus Zones.

Bonus Zones pay drivers extra for accepting rides during busy times or driving to busy locations. And at all times, you receive 100 percent of your tips. This is motivation to give good service and keep your vehicle clean.

Just like with Uber, you are a contract worker for Lyft. They will provide you with a Form 1099 for your tax return, and you'll be responsible for paying your taxes.

You’ll also need to pay for gas and miscellaneous other expenses.

How to Drive for Lyft

Requirements for rideshare vary by city and state. However, there are some basic requirements for diving under the Lyft name. They include:

• Meet locality’s minimum age to drive for Lyft (21 to 25).

• Current valid U.S. driver’s license.

• Pass a screening process including a criminal background check.

• Review driving history.

• Current auto insurance with your name on the policy.

Besides driver requirements, Lyft also has vehicle requirements. After all, customers or fares will be included in your vehicle. Here are some basic requirements.

• Must have four doors.

• Must pass any necessary inspection mandated by the city or state.

• Must meet the age requirements of the city or state.

• Cannot be taxis or stretch limousines.

You’ll also need the state minimum limits on your car insurance, and you’ll need to show proof you have it.

Deliver Food and Packages

If having strange people get into your car isn’t your thing but you have a car and don’t mind driving, there are options. You could be delivering food or groceries.

3. Instacart

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Instacart is a grocery delivery service. It partners with local stores and delivers goods to customers. There are two types of Instacart shoppers. One is a full-service shopper, and one is an in-store shopper.

The full-service shopper is a contract job like Uber and Lyft and will receive a Form 1099 for taxes. They also can:

• Work when they want.

• Shop and deliver groceries.

• Earn tips on top of pay.

The in-store shopper works up to 29 hours a week. They don't make tips. As a part-time employee, they will receive a W-2 form for taxes from Instacart instead of a 1099.

How Much Money Will You Make

In-store shoppers earn a fixed hourly wage. But full-service shoppers earn by the order, and it varies according to how big the order is.

The Instacart app will show an estimate of potential earnings per order. You’re guaranteed at least four dollars and sometimes closer to ten dollars. That’s per order or batch.

A full-service shopper’s batch depends on three things:

• Number of items in the batch.

• Driving distance.

• The effort involved in shopping and delivery.

There are peak times when earning potential is higher. For example, Sundays or events like the Super Bowl. How much an item weighs will also influence pay.

Instacart pays both types of shoppers weekly via direct bank transfer in your account. But only full-service shoppers have the option to access funds faster through “Instant Cashout”

Instant Cashout immediately transfers funds to a debit card. You must have at least the first five orders before you can use it for the first time.

Instant Cashout can be used up to five times a day and you must have at least five dollars in earnings.

How to Work for Instacart

There are several requirements for being a full-time shopper for Instacart. You must be at least 18 years old, but you can only deliver alcohol if you’re 21.

Other requirements include:

• Be able to lift 30 pounds.

• Have a smartphone.

• Pass a background check.

• Have a bank account.

• A valid driver's license.

• A set of insulated bags (Instacart sells preapproved bags through their Shopper app).

Sign up for Instacart through their website.

4. DoorDash

Image source: softwareengineeringdaily.com

DoorDash drivers, or dashers, are independent contractors who deliver food for money. If you want flexible hours and frequent pay, this might be the job or side gig for you.

Even though it might not be the best online jobs, you don't have to depend on a business owner for this job.

When you’re working, Doordash will match you with orders. You'll see details like the location and how much it pays. You'll then have 45 seconds to decide whether to reject or accept the order.

Once accepted, you'll be given the details. You drive to the restaurant, pick up the food, and then deliver it. You can repeat as often as you'd like.

How Much Money Will You Make

The base rate is generally two to ten dollars per order, so being able to choose which order you want is important in driving up your pay. In addition to the base rate, dashers earn tips. You'll keep 100 percent of the tips.

In some U.S. cities, Dashers have a second earning option. They can choose to earn an hourly rate that is based on time of day and location. But Dashers can compare the hourly rate to the normal rate before choosing.

There are three possible ways to get paid from DoorDash.

• Standard Option.

• Fast Pay.

• Dasher Direct.

The Standard Option is getting paid weekly. Money is directly deposited into your bank account every Monday for free. However, it may take two to three days for it to show up in your account.

Eligible Dashers can use Fast Pay. This is transferring daily earnings to your debit card. There’s a $1.99 fee for this per transfer.

You could also use DasherDirect to deposit your daily earnings on a prepaid debit card. There isn't a fee for DasherDirect.

How to Work for DoorDash

There’s no prior delivery experience needed. But you must be at least 18 years old. Other requirements include:

• Have a car, motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle (depending on location).

• Valid driver’s license and insurance (if you drive).

• Social Security number.

• Agree to a background check.

• Smartphone with the DoorDash app.

If you think you’d like to be a Dasher, submit an online application.

5. Uber Eats

Image source: https://ubereatsshop.com/

Similar to DoorDash, Uber Eats allows you to deliver food. You could choose to drive for Uber, but if you don’t like the idea of people in your car, Uber Eats might be the better choice.

How Much Money Will You Make

Compensation depends on the trip. Uber Eats has a formula that takes into account the distance and delivery fees the client pays. You will see the offer on the Uber Eats app and you can decide if it’s worth your time.

You will receive 100 percent of the tips.

There’s the possibility of earning extra money by delivering in “surge zones”. These zones show up on the app’s map during peak hours.

Uber Eats makes weekly payments to your linked direct deposit account. But they also offer Instant Pay. This will allow you to transfer your earnings to a debit card up to five times per day. There's a $1.10 fee per debit card transfer.

You’ll be able to view your earnings by clicking on the “Earnings” tab in the app.

How to Work for Uber Eats

There are similar requirements for Uber Eats as for Uber. You'll still need to have a valid driver's license and vehicle. But depending on your city, you can make deliveries with:

• A bike (most specify when signing up).

• Scooter (must have motor under 50cc and be a minimum of 19 years old).

• Motorcycle.

You also don’t need to have a four-door car, you can have a two-door vehicle as long as it’s less than 20 years old.

You’ll be given a background check just like you would with Uber. And since you’ll need the Uber Eats app, you must have a smartphone.

You’ll also need some insulated bags for the food and a phone charger.

You can apply online.

6. Shipt

Image source: Wikimedia.org

Similar to Instacart, Shipt has shoppers. You can earn money while you shop and deliver. Shipt is a membership-based grocery marketplace. So you’ll probably get to know your customers.

You’re given the flexibility to work as many hours per week as you want. You are an independent contractor.

How Much Money Will You Make

Shipt shoppers are paid a base price per order. You also receive tips. All in, you’ll probably be looking at $12 to $20 an hour. But keep in mind you’ll have several expenses. They are:

• Gas.

• Car maintenance.

• Taxes.

Companies Pay and tips are directly deposited into your account every Friday. But if you want it quicker, payment can be accessed once per day. 

Shipt doesn’t charge for this, but they use Stripe. You must accept Stripe’s terms and conditions to receive the daily payment. Stripe charges a one percent transaction fee.

To be eligible for paid daily jobs and receive daily payments, you'll need to wait until you've successfully completed at least one weekly payout. 

Once you've achieved that milestone, you can then start accessing the option for paid daily jobs and receive payments on a daily basis.

How to Work for Shipt

You don't need to have experience, but there is a process to working with Shipt. But there are some requirements.

• Minimum 18 years old.

• Valid mailing address.

• Valid U.S. driver's license.

• Auto insurance.

• Knowledge of produce selection.

• Ability to lift 45 pounds.

• Smartphone – iPhone (10 or newer) Android (5.1 or newer).

You’ll apply online, and there's an interview process.

Job Platform that Pays in One Day

If you have a profession and don’t want to drive or shop for groceries, there’s another platform that may accommodate you. It caters to a lot of service workers.

7. Thumbtack

Image source: Wikimedia.org

Thumbtack refers to their workers as “pros” and they connect customers to them. Some pros that are on Thumbtack include:

• Home improvement contractors.

• Beauty professionals.

• House cleaners.

• Pet services.

• Photographers.

• Tutors.

• etc.

You provide a profile and photos of jobs you can perform. There are different ways to get jobs or leads. One is an instant book.

Instant book is when a customer chooses you based on your profile and schedules time with you instantly. The other way is claimable jobs. 

This booking method is when a customer hasn’t been matched with a “pro” yet. These jobs match your preferences and the customer has already scheduled the place and time.

For claimable jobs, you'll be able to see your earnings in advance. If you want it, all you must do is "claim' it. But there are other pros in the running so you must act fast.

How Much Money Will You Make

Thumbtack doesn't require a start-up fee or annual fees. Instead, you pay for bookings or leads. The fee depends on various factors. These include the type of service and location.

But in general, leads start at ten dollars but can go to $100 depending on the customer or service.

For example, some per-lead costs that you’ll need to pay include the following:

• Home improvement contractors- $10 to $50.

• Beauty professionals - $15 to $50.

• Pet services - $15 to $50.

• Photographers - $20 to $75.

• Cleaning services - $15 to $50.

If you’re a business, you can purchase lead credits. This will allow you to play a flat lead per service.

Thumbtack pays within three to four business days. But if you want to be paid the same day, they can accommodate you. They will make an instant deposit, and you'll receive your funds within 30 minutes. However, you will be charged a one percent fee.

How to Work on Thumbtack

Thumbtack will run a free background check. They’re easy to take and they handle them. They’ll need your Social Security number and a photo ID. A driver’s license or passport will do. You can sign up on their website.

Jobs That Pay in Two Days

We've discussed some same-day pay jobs, but what if you're not a driver? There are some jobs that will let you get paid within two days. And you won't have fees.

8. Rover

Image source: Wikimedia.org

If you love pets, this is an opportunity to be around animals while making money.

Rover is an app that connects pet owners with pet sitters or walkers. Services that you can sign up for include:

• Boarding – care for a dog or cat in your home (makes 2X more than regular sitting).

• Dog walking.

• Doggy daycare.

• House sitting, drop-in visits.

When you create your profile you enter what types of pets you want to work with. You also set your schedule. It’s all very flexible.

Rover backs you up as a member of their platform. These include 24/7 support including vet assistance. 

How Much Money Will You Make

The beauty of Rover is that you are your own boss as you'll be working on your own schedule/ own hours. That means you set your rate. But look around to make sure you’re competitive with other sitters.

Also, be aware that Rover takes a 20 percent commission from your earnings.

But you'll be able to withdraw your funds within 48 hours after the job is complete.

How to Work on Rover

You’ll need to fill out a profile. Rover requires all dog walkers and pet sitters to complete their safety quiz. You'll watch videos, and as you go, you'll respond to safety questions.

They will also request a voluntary background check. Although not mandatory, potential clients may want to see it in your profile.

There is a $35 setup fee with your profile.

9. TaskRabbit

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Are you a handyman, or do you like to clean and organize? Housekeeping can pay between $25 and $50 per hour. It's not glamorous but it pays well and fast.

TaskRabbit is an app for people looking to have tasks done around the house. One is housekeeping.

How Much Money Will You Make

You create a profile and set up shop today. Just list your services and what you charge. Do some research so you’re not over or under-charging.

You can increase your pay by providing great service. You keep 100 percent of any tips you receive, which sometimes can be cash the same day you do the job.

Once you've completed the job, you submit an invoice through the TaskRabbit app. You'll be paid through a direct deposit using Stripe or Braintree. Payment is received within two days of completing the job and invoicing.

How to Work on TaskRabbit

In order to work on TaskRabbit you must meet these requirements.

• Social Security number.

• At least 18-year-olds.

• Be located in a TaskRabbit active city.

• Provide information for a background check.

• Active checking account.

• Active credit card.

• Smartphone.

There’s a one-time $25 registration fee to sign up. But after that, all the money goes to you. TaskRabbit doesn’t take a cut or commission from your pay. Instead, they charge the client a fee for using their platform.

10. Handy

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Handy is a platform that provides service people to clients. Some people they connect with are:

• Handymen.

• House cleaners.

• Lawn care and yard work.

Any services house-related are found on Handy.

How Much Money Will You Make

How much money you earn depends on the region you are in and your prices. But many individuals make $25 to $50 per hour.

Handy pays by direct deposit every seven days. But they also have a cash-out feature which will pay you within one to two days depending on your financial institution. Forty percent of Handy payments are made through their cash-out feature.

How to Work on Handy

Besides the basic information that most of the platforms require, Handy has a few different requirements. They include:

• Must have paid experience with the services applied for.

• Must be authorized to work in the country you're applying for.

• Excellent customer service skills.

You may have noted the requirement for experienced workers. This is not the platform for those who are just starting their career.

Frequently Asked Questions

If having a job where you can be paid quickly is important to you, you might still have some questions. We've answered the most frequently asked ones.

1. Will Uber pay the same day I drive?

Uber has an option called instant cash out. It allows you to be paid up to five times a day. Unfortunately, you’ll be charged a $1.10 fee per transaction. But if you wait and cash out at the end of the day, you’ll only have to pay it once.

3. Can I make tips at Instacart?

If you are a full-service shopper with Instacart, you can earn and keep 100 percent of your tips. But if you are an in-store shopper, you will not receive tips.

3. Do Uber and Lyft provide health benefits?

No, neither Uber nor Lyft provides health benefits for drivers. Drivers aren't employed by rideshare companies; instead, they are independent contractors who work for themselves.

Jobs that Pay in a Day or Two

If you don’t mind driving, you can be paid in one day. With some rideshare or delivery services you can be paid up to five times a day. But it will cost you in fees.

Other jobs may take up to 48 hours, but it still beats waiting a week to get your money.