What’s This All About?
Starting July 1, 2025, a law in Ontario called the Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act (Bill 88) gives couriers like you the Right to Information (RTI).
We’ve put together this FAQ article to help you quickly find answers about pay, tips, ratings, and what to expect while delivering on the Skip network.
Pay & Earnings
How is pay calculated for deliveries on the Skip network?
Pay includes:
- Transit Pay, based on time and distance.
- 100% of customer tips.
- Bonuses and incentives are based on time of day, order type, and other factors. Total Pay is shown before accepting an offer.
Learn more about courier pay basics here.
How is the minimum wage top-up calculated?
In Ontario and British Columbia, Skip ensures couriers earn at least the provincial minimum wage for their active delivery time (i.e., the time from when you accept an order to when it’s completed).
- Each week, Skip reviews your average hourly earnings based on your total eligible pay during active delivery time. If your average hourly rate falls below the applicable minimum wage, a top-up is automatically added to your pay at the end of the week to cover the difference.
- The top-up applies only to eligible pay. Tips are excluded from the calculation.
For example, if you completed 4 hours of active delivery time and earned $60 in eligible pay (from Transit Pay, bonuses, etc.), your hourly rate would be $15/hour.
If the provincial minimum wage is $17.20/hour, Skip would calculate the shortfall ($2.20/hour) and provide a top-up of $8.80 (4 hours × $2.20).
This top-up will be included and clearly itemized in your weekly earnings breakdown.
What is “active delivery time” in Ontario?
The time from when a delivery is accepted until it is completed. It excludes time waiting for offers or between deliveries
Is minimum wage guaranteed during deliveries?
If average earnings during active delivery time fall below Ontario’s minimum wage, a top-up is provided.
What is included and excluded from top-up calculations?
The following earnings are included in your minimum wage top-up calculation:
- Transit Pay
- Reimbursements (e.g., restaurant-held fees)
- Challenges
- Incentives
- Referrals
The following are not included:
- Customer tips
- Garnishment adjustments
Note: While tips are part of your total pay, they are not counted toward the minimum wage top-up. Reimbursements are included where applicable
Why might final pay differ from the amount shown on the offer screen?
Changes such as modified tips, reassigned orders, or updated delivery times/locations can affect final pay.
Is pay based on a fixed rate per kilometre?
No, Skip does not use a fixed per-kilometre rate. Instead, distance is one of the key factors used to calculate your Transit Pay. In British Columbia, couriers are also eligible for a distance expense allowance to help cover vehicle operating costs. This allowance is automatically calculated based on the distance travelled during active delivery time and is paid out weekly.
Is pay based on a fixed rate per kilometre?
No, Skip does not use a fixed per-kilometre rate. Instead, distance is one of the key factors used to calculate your Transit Pay. In British Columbia, couriers are also eligible for a distance expense allowance to help cover vehicle operating costs. This allowance is automatically calculated based on the distance travelled during active delivery time and is paid out weekly.
Are reimbursements or wait time paid?
For Shop + Pay orders:
- No reimbursements are provided, as you’re expected to use the Skip Visa Prepaid Card or the in-app payment method to complete the purchase.
- While no separate wait time compensation is provided, any time spent waiting is included in your active delivery time, which contributes to your overall pay.
For regular delivery orders:
- This wait time also counts as part of your active delivery time, which factors into your earnings.
- You may be eligible for wait time compensation if you’re at a pickup location (e.g. a restaurant) for more than 7 minutes.
What happens if an order is cancelled or reassigned?
Partial pay may be issued if the courier has begun the delivery and is in transit to the customer. No pay is issued if cancelled before pickup from the Partner location.
Are start and end times shown for each delivery?
Yes. These are available in the Courier App and Portal.
How are earnings shown for pooled deliveries?
Total earnings and active time are grouped. Pay is not itemized per drop-off.
Does pay vary by time or order type?
Bonuses may apply during peak times or for specific deliveries, such as alcohol or Shop + Pay orders. These are shown in the offer screen.
Payments & Deposits
When are payments issued?
Payments are issued every Tuesday via direct deposit for deliveries completed during the previous week (Monday to Sunday). Depending on your bank, it may take 1–3 business days for the funds to appear in your account.
What is the pay period and payday?
The pay period runs from Monday to Sunday, and payments are processed on the following Tuesday. Depending on your bank, it may take 1–3 business days for the funds to appear in your account.
What is FastCash?
FastCash allows early access to a portion of available earnings before payday. It is available in the Courier App.
How to use FastCash?
If the Fast Cash feature is available in your city, you can cash out your pay instantly to a supported debit card. Setting up Fast Cash is easy, and you can use it as often as you’d like. It costs $1.99 each time you use it.
Tips & Gratuities
Do couriers receive 100% of tips?
Yes, you keep 100% of your tips.
When are tips collected and paid?
Tips are collected when the customer places the order and are included in the weekly payout.
Are tips included in top-up or base pay calculations?
No, tips are separate from top-up and base pay calculations.
How are tips handled for pooled deliveries?
When orders are grouped together in a pooled delivery, all earnings, including tips, are aggregated and shown as one total amount on the earnings screen. You receive 100% of the total tip amount from all orders in the pool, even though individual tips aren’t shown separately.
Order Assignment
How are order offers assigned?
Offers are assigned based on several factors, such as your current location, time of day, vehicle type, etc. An automated algorithm determines which courier is best-suited for each delivery
What factors influence the algorithm?
The algorithm considers:
- Your current location
- Restaurant or pickup location
- Delivery time window
- Driving distance
- Type of order (e.g., alcohol, Shop + Pay)
- Vehicle type
Additional factors that may influence order offerings, including acceptance rate and overall courier score
Does acceptance rate affect order offers?
Couriers with higher acceptance rates may receive more offers.
What happens if many deliveries are declined or not completed?
Declining or not completing multiple deliveries may result in receiving fewer offers or losing access to certain types of orders.
What happens if many deliveries are declined or not completed?
Declining or not completing multiple deliveries may result in receiving fewer offers or losing access to certain types of orders.
Are certain deliveries only shown to eligible couriers?
Deliveries involving alcohol (age-restricted items) or Shop + Pay are only shown to couriers who meet additional requirements. Check out our article about delivering age-restricted items. To add alcohol delivery to your account, get certified and send your proof of certification to [email protected].
Order Issues & Consequences
What happens if an accepted delivery is not completed?
You will not be paid for that delivery. If this happens repeatedly, it may affect your access to new offers or lead to temporary or permanent removal from the platform.
Are there consequences for not completing a delivery I accepted?
Under Ontario law (Bill 88), Skip must inform you of the consequences before they take effect. These may include:
- Loss of Pay: No pay is issued for incomplete or unfulfilled deliveries.
- Pay Exclusions (ON & BC): Time and distance for cancelled deliveries due to lack of progress may be excluded from minimum wage calculations.
- Order Removal: If no action is taken in a timely manner, Skip may reassign or cancel the order.
- Earnings Clawback: If an order is reported as undelivered or fraudulent, any payment already issued may be reclaimed.
- Do Not Use (DNU) – Alcohol Orders: If an alcohol order is not delivered or returned, your account may be temporarily placed on hold until the product is returned to the store.
- Loss of Alcohol Access: Repeated issues with alcohol orders may result in permanent removal of access to those order types.
- Platform Revocation: In rare but serious cases involving fraud or repeated policy violations, courier access to the network may be revoked.
- Impact on Acceptance Rating: Repeatedly accepting but not completing deliveries can lower your metrics. This may affect your eligibility for offers.
Can pay be reclaimed for undelivered orders?
If an order is undelivered, and there is evidence of improper handling, any earnings issued may be recovered. Skip investigates such cases individually.
What are the consequences for violating alcohol delivery policies?
Consequences include temporary DNU status, suspension of access to alcohol orders, or full deactivation depending on the severity of the issue. Couriers must comply with all ID checks and return procedures. Check out our article about delivering age-restricted items.
Can I lose access to certain order types or the Skip platform?
Yes. This can happen due to:
- Repeated order issues
- Customer complaints
- Fraud or safety violations
- Ineligibility for specific deliveries (e.g., Shop + Pay, alcohol)
- Prolonged Inactivity on the network
Are there penalties for slow deliveries or leaving my zone?
There are no direct penalties, but these actions may lower your metrics and reduce the volume or quality of offers you receive.
Ratings
Is performance tracked?
While Skip does not performance-manage couriers, industry standards and work expectations for highly perishable goods and demanding customer confidence are considered when evaluating courier contracts on the network, such as:
- Completion and acceptance rates
- Delivery time
- Customer feedback
- Zone compliance (staying within your delivery area)
- Customer reviews and issue trends
How often is performance data reviewed?
Skip does not engage in performance management, and any initiatives related to post-contract obligations are not tied to daily work assignments. However, acceptance ratings and customer reviews will continue to be provided for transparency and feedback.
Couriers across Canada (excluding Hamilton) receive a biweekly Delivery Data Report, summarizing:
- Your delivery completion and acceptance rates
- Number of deliveries completed
Are there programs for high-performing couriers?
Couriers with strong and consistent performance in certain provinces may have access to:
- Preferential Scheduling: Couriers with higher stats will get priority when schedules are created. Make sure to set your availability each week to take advantage!
- Priority Order Assignments: Delivery Data will help decide who gets priority during order assignment.
Check out this Inside Track article for more details around Preferential Scheduling and Priority Order Assignments.
Do one or two bad ratings affect my standing?
Not usually. Performance is reviewed as a whole. One-off issues won’t typically impact your access unless they become consistent over time.
Are there consequences for not completing deliveries or poor performance?
While Skip does not engage in performance management or discipline based on daily metrics, certain behaviours can lead to reduced access to offers or, in serious cases, removal from the platform. Examples include:
- Undelivered orders: You will not be paid for uncompleted deliveries. Repeated instances may reduce your access to future offers and could result in revocation.
- Delays in pickup or delivery: Frequent delays may affect your performance metrics and limit access to preferred order types, and may lead to revocation of access if issues persist.
- Leaving your delivery zone: Operating outside your assigned area can reduce the number of offers you receive.
- Customer or restaurant complaints: Multiple complaints may result in access restrictions or account deactivation.
- Alcohol delivery violations: Not following ID verification or return procedures may lead to temporary account holds or permanent removal of alcohol delivery access.
Will I be notified if actions are taken due to performance or issues?
You’ll be informed via the courier app or by email if any changes are made to your access or account based on performance concerns or delivery issues.
