Amazon Flex Review and Pay | Is Driving Worth it?

Amazon flex is a new product delivery offering by Amazon that aims at delivering packages more rapidly than other services. It has made tremendous strides towards venturing into new geographical regions, delivering products ranging from fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) to appliances.

Quite recently in addition to Amazon Flex, Amazon launched Prime Now, which caters to its prime members who can now skip the trip to the stores and have their shopping delivered right to their doorsteps.

Amazon Flex has enabled numerous individuals to be their own boss, by taking up delivery jobs as their schedule allows them. These services are powered by the Amazon Flex app available both on Apple and Android, the app takes advantage of the advanced logistics systems and technology that Amazon enjoys. Here’s how you can sign up to drive for Amazon Flex. 

As a delivery partner, one benefits from the support provided by enabling the scheduling of delivery times in advance or on demand, guidance through delivery with the in-app mapping and navigation, and of course taking charge of one’s hours.

On the plus side, you are able to choose the route plan that you schedule ahead of time and view the Amazon Flex pay rate for that route. It’s an excellent addition in case one wants to earn extra income, meet nice people and supplement their income. Peak seasons (Holiday) come with higher pay, whilst during the low season one enjoys a compensation of $18-$25 hourly. In the occasion that the deliveries are voluminous one can easily pass them on within the first 45 minutes of start time. For someone looking to do more, the ability to control one’s hours is a big bonus. Furthermore, Amazon is known for its consistency; they are apt and prefer things done in a timely fashion. Their rules of engagement are also clearly stated, thus as a delivery partner, one is clear on the rules and regulations from the beginning.

On the downside, one has to compete with other delivery partners to get blocks (deliveries). Additionally, some of the routes that have to be covered may be rough and could cause damage to cars, for which the individual has to foot repair costs.  There have also been various complains that Amazon does not provide ample training on how to deal with dangerous situations, for example, driving in the middle of the forest, or how to deal with wildlife such as elk, coyotes or bears.  

In case of stolen or misplaced packages the delivery individual bears all the burden. The reason is because amazon flex is yet to come up with a way of verifying delivery addresses as correct, or certifying that packages were indeed stolen, misplaced, or that the owner just decided to report the package as such despite receiving. The ripple effect when a driver gets several complaints of undelivered packages is that Amazon terminates the contract. As their terms of use clearly state, “If customers repeatedly report that they cannot find packages you marked as delivered, you will no longer be eligible to participate in the program.”

Consequently, as more and more people sign up to be delivery partners, there is a strain on the amount of work available, supply exceeds demand, thus reducing one’s capabilities to get more work, although not always.

Even though the compensation of $18-$25 hourly at first sounds really appealing, however, after factoring in overheads such as fuel, maintenance, mileage, and safety, it may not be adequate. Amazon has also been known to deactivate user accounts at little notice. As one driver notes, there is no specific number of recurrent offences that will guide your termination. There will be warnings with most offences, but the termination email will come just as swift. It is however important to note that for some offences, the deactivation might be temporary or can be appealed:

• Lack of hot/cold bags for food pickup and delivery

• Too many late deliveries

• Deliveries marked by you as delivered and by customer as not received

• Running other jobs such as Uber Eats or Postmates while on Amazon Flex time

• Taking advantage of the “I’m at the location but my GPS is not working” too many times when starting your blocks

While for others, the deactivation is permanent:

• Absent blocks/shifts

• Frequent unexplained lateness for a block/shift

There are various pros and cons for Amazon Flex and Prime Now, the decision to join as a delivery partner solely relies on an individual’s goals and objectives, such as controlling one’s time or earning residual income.