DoorDash Hotspots Reviewed 2024 – Are They Worth It?

Have you seen those little flame icons and those red and grey zones on the map of your DoorDash driving app?

Yes, those are called DoorDash hotspots. And these spots can help you to get more orders if you know how to use them to your advantage.

Many people are now taking delivery jobs seriously as those are low-stress jobs that pay pretty well these days.

Many people also prefer them as they are worthy of part-time jobs with a super easy recruitment process.

With these hotspots, any driver can significantly boost their overall income. But there are some secret tricks and steps you need to take! So, without any further ado, let’s dive in!

 

 

 

What Are DoorDash Hotspots?

Every platform that provides legit food delivery jobs now defines its busy areas to help delivery men to get more orders. And DoorDash calls them hotspots.

DoorDash automatically matches an unengaged delivery driver nearest to the food outlet within 20 seconds of customers placing an order.

And when there are a greater number of orders in any particular area, that will be marked as hotspots. When you open the app, you’ll see small flame icons on your map.

Now these flame icons indicate the areas in your city or locality where people are placing more food delivery orders than the rest.

It is how DoorDash tells its driver to go to those places if they are willing to get more orders.

My Findings: Hotspots are the areas where busy restaurants are located, and not from where those get orders. So, even if you pick up the food from any hotspot, you may need to deliver it outside the defined hotspot areas.

 

Two Types Of DoorDash Hotspots

DoorDash is one of the leading food delivery platforms that offer jobs without any degree or experience and pays at least $20 an hour when you get started.

And to help you earn even more, this app displays two kinds of hotspots that can get you more orders without any waiting time.

 

Dynamic Hotspots

These are non-static hotspots that keep on changing throughout the day, depending on the number of orders any particular area is getting.

You can track a dynamic hotspot by locating a flame icon surrounded by a defined area in red.

When you tap on the flame icon, it will show the “Busy Hotspot Zone” at the bottom of the DoorDash app.

You don’t always need to enter the dynamic hotspots, as you’ll start getting more order requests when you move closer to these hotspots.

In simple terms, dynamic hotspots are the areas that are currently busy, and restaurants in that area are getting more orders than the rest.

You can see these dynamic hotspots mainly during peak hours, such as lunchtime, dinnertime, and snack hours.

 

Historical Hotspots

Historical hotspots are static hotspots that you can track on the DoorDash driver app throughout the day.

And in contrast to Dynamic hotspots, these historical hotspots are not surrounded by a red area, although the same flame icon will denote them.

These hotspots are historically busy, according to the DoorDash algorithm.

You’ll get a “Previously busy Hotspot zone” message at the bottom of the app when you tap on any flame icon denoting a historical hotspot.

During slow hours (non-peak), you’ll get more orders if you move closer to a historical hotspot on your map.

It is because customers tend to order more from restaurants located in a historical hotspot.

My Take: DoorDash is surely one of the best delivery apps in the USA. However, it is not the only option, as there are many jobs like DoorDash also available that you can confidently try this year!

 

How Often The DoorDash Hotspots Update?

DoorDash hotspots update every ten minutes throughout the day. And you can see the changes in hotspot locations depending on the peak hours.

I’ve also given brief details on how this thing works in my DoorDash Hacks post.

DoorDash is one of the jobs where you work alone. So, you need to be a little smart to get more orders.

And in my opinion, if you stay close to the locations which were previously hotspots, the chance of getting more orders also increases.

 

Do You Have To Be At A Hotspot For DoorDash?

You can find DoorDash hotspots throughout the city you reside in. But that doesn’t mean that sticking to a hotspot will secure more orders for sure.

You must have already known as a Dasher that it is not possible to start dashing at grey zones (less busy) when you start.

However, it is better to stick to red zones to get peak pay on top of the base pay.

Many platforms that provide driving jobs have this peak pay system. But DoorDash sometimes gives up to 500% of the per-mile base pay as peak pay.

When you tap on any flame icon, you can see the current peak pay and timing under the “Next Peak Pay” segment.

Although staying at hotspots may not provide you with more orders, you’ll most likely get peak pay if you stick to it.

Key Findings: Staying close to a hotspot may not guarantee more orders for you, but it will definitely increase your chance. So, I’ll advise you to stay close to it whenever you have a chance.

 

What To Do If You Don’t See Any DoorDash Hotspots?

Don’t worry if you don’t see any DoorDash hotspots in your locality. It simply means that no particular area in your locality is currently getting more orders than usual. But you’ll keep on getting regular orders.

If you want to make money fast with DoorDash, you can stay close to a historical hotspot location when you don’t find any dynamic location.

And if you can’t find any of the dynamic or historical hotspots nearby, you can stay close to an area where you have a lot of restaurants, takeaway counters, and food outlets.

You can secure decent order volume while staying in this circle.

 

Does Waiting At DoorDash Hotspots Help Make More Money?

Yes, if you wait or stay close to DoorDash Hotspots, it will help you to get more orders, thus, more money. But yes, there are other methods also available to make $500+/week with DoorDash this year.

As I’ve said earlier, staying close to a dynamic or historical hotspot may not guarantee more orders, but it will significantly increase your chance. So, why not try it?

Even if you can’t get more orders in these locations, you’ll most likely get higher peak pay during busy hours. Technically, that will also increase the actual income.

So, if you have any busy area nearby or an area that usually becomes a hotspot during peak hours, stay close to it whenever possible.

 

What Are Dashers Saying About DoorDash Hotspots?

There is no denying that you can make $500 fast and easily if you be a little smart while dashing in your area. And I’ve found several inside stories and stories while following this Reddit thread.

• pointme2_profits on Reddit wrote, “I have 2 Hotspots close by. Usually doesn’t require any hanging around; just be heading towards them.”
• Elgreengoo on Reddit has a contradictory view. He posted, “Hot zones are a waste of time; by the time you get there, it’s too late, like every other driver thinking the same thing. As the guy said, just find good spots if there are any left nowadays.”

Note: If your nearest hotspot is a few miles away, don’t waste time going there. And if you don’t get more orders there, you’ll end up spending more for your gas for just traveling that distance.

 

Why Are You Not Receiving More Orders Even At The Hotspot?

Many people count delivery driving among low-stress jobs after retirement. However, being a dasher can be a bit annoying sometimes and equally frustrating.

And this happens mainly when you don’t get enough orders that you are looking for.

And there can be three main reasons why you are still not receiving more orders even while being in a hotspot.

• There are already many dashers in that particular hotspot.
• Hotspots are predictions that don’t guarantee more orders. And these predictions are not 100% accurate either.
• There can be a glitch in the app. In my own experience, the DoorDash app often encounters glitches. But restarting your smartphone and relaunching the DoorDash driver app likely to fix these glitches.

My Take: You need to update the DoorDash driver app whenever a new update patch is available. If you are using an obsolete version of the app, you might not see hotspots.

 

Are DoorDash Hotspots Worth For Dashers?

Tracking hotspots or busy points can yield better results which I figured out while reviewing jobs like Instacart and DoorDash. However, there are three ground rules that you must follow!

• Only chase a hotspot if it is within 2-3 miles radius of you. Don’t try to go to a hotspot that is miles apart.
• Check if you have any parking spots in the hotspot that you are planning to go nearby. In busy places, you might not get parking to receive your order. So, your entire effort will be wasted.
• Don’t go to any shady or unsafe area (especially during nighttime), even if it is marked as a hotspot. Safety should be your first priority!

 

How To Get More Orders On DoorDash Hotspots?

What if I say that you can easily track upcoming hotspots by using a simple method? Yes, there is one secret method that gives you an edge over other dashers in your area.

You must have already known that DoorDash often partners with local chains and even big restaurants.

You can easily check out the online promotions in your area from the app or even from their social media handles.

If you see any upcoming promotion for any particular chain or joint, try to reach that place before other dashers.

And it is almost certain that the area where the promotion is going on will soon become a hotspot due to an upsurge in orders.

 

Final Note

Besides finding the nearest DoorDash Hotspots, you also need to make sure that you get at least $1 to $1.5 per mile at least. Otherwise, your actual income will be much lower than you have anticipated.

However, you can also try other legit delivery driving platforms such as Instacart and Postmates if you are not getting enough orders on DoorDash.

 

FAQs

How to find the nearest hotspot in DoorDash?

You can track all the available hotspots (both dynamic and historical) on your DoorDash driving app.

These hotspots are marked with a flame icon. And once you tap on it, you’ll get all the details, including the peak pay rate and timing.

 

Why I’m not getting any orders at a DoorDash hotspot?

A DoorDash hotspot can’t guarantee that you’ll get more orders there. But yes, the chance of getting orders will significantly increase if you stay close to a hotspot.

If there are enough dashers already present in the hotspot, you may not get any orders.

 

Want even more money-making ideas? Checkout:

• 14 Best Mystery Shopper Jobs [Earn $20/Hr]
• 33 Best Work-At-Home Part-Time Jobs
  
• 18 Easy Jobs For Lazy People: Make $100 Every Day!