Same delivery.
Different vocabulary.

Active time

Time spent performing the tasks included in a delivery, such as shopping, pickup and driving. Platforms can define or measure this differently. It may exclude time between offers.

Base pay / platform pay

The platform-funded portion of an offer. The amount and components vary by service, offer and location; it is separate from a customer tip in this site’s examples.

Bid, as used on this site

An economic analogy: where an upfront tip is reflected in an offer, it can affect whether a driver finds that job worthwhile. It does not mean the platform operates a formal auction or that acceptance is guaranteed.

Curbside pickup

Collecting an order at the store’s pickup area. The driver may be collecting goods someone else shopped. Pickup waiting and the delivery still take time.

Delivery fee

A customer checkout charge set by the service. Its presence does not show that the same dollar amount goes directly to the particular driver. Fee structures differ by platform and region.

Depreciation

The loss of a vehicle’s value over time and use. It can be part of the cost of using a vehicle even though no bill arrives after each trip.

Estimated tip

A tip amount that is not yet finalized. Platforms have their own confirmation and adjustment rules; an initial offer and final earnings may differ.

Gross earnings

Money received before subtracting the expenses being considered. Gross earnings are not automatically the driver’s profit or spendable pay.

Helpful vote

A reader’s opinion about whether a story helped them understand delivery work. Votes are not verification of the story, a scientific survey or a measure of typical driver earnings.

Independent contractor / self-employed

Someone providing services through an independent work arrangement rather than an employee arrangement. Spark’s U.S. terms describe its shopping and delivery services this way. Legal classification can depend on location, facts and applicable law.

Modeled expenses

An estimate based on assumptions you enter, rather than measured costs for a particular driver. This site’s calculator presets are teaching examples and can be edited.

Net before taxes

The amount left after subtracting the modeled expenses from gross earnings, before any taxes. Costs not entered in the calculator are not included.

Non-fuel vehicle costs

Expenses such as maintenance, tires, wear and depreciation that are separate from fuel. Do not add fuel again if an all-in mileage estimate already includes it.

Offer

A proposed job and its displayed compensation and details. Drivers evaluate the offered work and pay before accepting. Available information and payment rules vary by service.

Repositioning / return miles

Driving after a delivery to reach another pickup area, return toward a store or continue the workday. An exact round trip is an assumption, not something every order requires.

Service fee

A checkout charge used by a platform as part of its pricing. Its purpose and calculation depend on the service. It should not be assumed to be a direct tip.

Shopping & Delivery

An offer involving shopping a list of items and then delivering them. Spark distinguishes this from offers that involve pickup and delivery.

Tip

An optional customer payment under platform tipping rules. This site explains why its timing and inclusion in an offer can matter to a driver’s decision. A tip is not a guarantee of acceptance or service quality.

Whole-shift hourly return

The money remaining after modeled costs divided by the hours committed to the workday. It can differ from a figure calculated using only active delivery time.

Put the terms into numbers