What is this Shipt?
Hello, my name is Jessica and I am a Shipt shopper…and I love it! I know so many moms, whether they stay home or work outside the home, are looking for a way they can help contribute to their family’s income. That’s exactly where I was when I began investigating the possibility of doing this. I am a stay at home mom of four kids. We homeschool, and I teach at our co-op once a week in order to pay for it. We are church planters downtown and my husband works a regular job for Shelby County Schools during the week to help make ends meet. He is also completing his doctorate. My mom also lives with us. These people want to eat THREE TIMES A DAY, and the snack game around here is out of control. Basically, we had to find a way to get some breathing room in our budget. Enter Shipt. When I discovered it, I thought to myself that *this* is the way I can help.
The gig economy – things like Uber, Lyft, Door Dash, etc – has really taken off in recent years. Shipt is a way to work on your own time and at your own pace. When I started researching it, I realized that I am an expert on our grocery store layout, and the few times that I have been to the store alone have proven that my shopping speed is amazing. So, I applied. I had no idea when I started how much I would come to love it; I just wanted a little extra cash. But what I got was a community of funny and helpful people, friends that I love at our local stores, and an opportunity to meet and get to know some amazing people around our city that I would have never met otherwise.
So, if you are curious about what it takes to be a Shipt shopper, here are some benefits and some things you should know:
- At least one of your children’s teachers is probably a Shipt shopper! Seriously, there are so many teachers who Shipt in the evenings, on weekends and holidays, and during the summer – shout out to all the teachers busting tail so they can pay bills and still love and teach our children!
- It is completely digital. I have never met any real live person who is my boss. My application was online, my interview was online recorded responses, my acceptance was through email and virtual signing, I trained online, and I was mailed my gear to get started. All orders and scheduling happen through the employee app.
- You set your own schedule. Going out of town? Just don’t get on the schedule! Flat tire and need to pay for it? Shop extra! There are not always people who need delivery when you are willing to deliver, so it’s not 100% dependable, but if you shop on the busiest days you can almost always work.
- You work in zones. The city is divided into zones and you can put yourself on the schedule only for certain zones so that you know you will be only shopping close to you. Or, if you are willing to drive, you can sign up for several zones. Up to you!
- Target, Kroger, Petco, CVS, Superlo. These are the places you will shop if they are in your zone.
- You have to shop alone. That’s right. No kids, no spouses, no friends. 100% alone for the sake of liability. But don’t worry, if you are a momma, this alone time will be amazing PLUS you will get paid!
- You get only basic info about the shop before you accept it. You can see where delivery is, how many items, and estimated payout, but no details about whether those 10 items are 10 bags of dog food or 10 boxes of spaghetti so it can get “exciting.” How high on the list you are to be offered a shop depends on your ratings from customers, whether you deliver on time, and if you accept orders that are offered to you, so it’s usually best to go ahead and take it and have a good attitude, even if you end up delivering 6 cases of water to a 3rd floor apartment with no elevator.
- Tips make or break your earnings. I am not allowed to share the exact earning scale, but it is dependent on the amount of the order you shop. You get paid more for larger orders. The pay rate is decent but tips are where it’s at. Some people are so generous and others never tip, but without any tips it would be hard to make this worth it. But most people will tip for going above and beyond, so if you are a “people person” who is cheerful, thoughtful, and can communicate well over texting – you should rake it in!
- You are considered “self-employed.” That means you pay more taxes because nothing is withheld and there is no employer contribution towards them. It also means that your car gas and wear and tear are out of pocket but are tax deductible.
- Its best as a side gig rather than a full time job. It has definitely been a blessing to our family as extra money but the amount I can make working the same hours each week fluctuates quite a bit depending on the size of the shops I am offered and the tips. Some days are slow and you may not get offered any shops and some days are slammed and you could work from dawn till dusk, but your availability during peak hours will determine how much you can make. Some larger cities may be able to support full time workers, but right now you would be much more satisfied counting this money as “extra.”
Overall, Shipting has allowed our family to be generous with our community, do special things with our kids, and make a few car repairs. I am strategic and work only 16 hours a week on the two busiest days of the week to maximize my earning potential. I know other Shipters who have been able to take amazing vacations, pay for weddings, or help family members in need. It is such a fun and easy way to make some money and make things easier for yourself and others. I hug the checkout ladies, and the produce people hide when they see me coming because they know I want them to look in the back for something. The people part is the best part. If you are looking for a way to help your family, think about something in the gig economy. Most of them have similar formats and payouts. Most everyone I meet tells me what a blessing Shipt is for their busy life and I always tell them what a blessing it is for my family – its very cool to work for a company that benefits everyone involved and I love it!
