There are various side hustles that let you earn money using your car. While the most profitable ones often involve a lot of driving, there are also options that don’t require racking up extra miles.
Below are popular, legitimate ways to make money with your car. The choices available depend on your car’s age and condition, local opportunities, and your own preferences.
How to Make Money With Your Car
Here are the top ways to start earning with your car right away:
- Drive for ridesharing platforms
- Deliver food
- Shop and deliver groceries
- Do deliveries for Amazon Flex
- Advertise via car wrapping
- Rent out your car
- Help people move
1. Drive for a Ridesharing App
Working as a rideshare driver is a straightforward way to earn with your car. You take passengers from one place to another, they pay through the app, and you keep most of the earnings—it’s that simple.
To qualify, you need to be at least 21, pass a driving record and criminal background check, and meet the app’s minimum vehicle age and condition standards. You’ll also cover most vehicle costs: gas, insurance, maintenance, and repairs.
The two main rideshare apps are Uber and Lyft. Both operate nationwide, but one might be more popular in your area, and each has unique perks. Plus, you get to keep 100% of customer tips with both.
Note that rideshare apps don’t require exclusivity. Drivers approved for both often switch between Uber and Lyft when accepting rides, cutting down on idle time and increasing hourly earnings.
2. Deliver Food
If you’d rather not drive people, you can deliver food from local restaurants. Food delivery drivers pick up orders from eateries and drop them off to customers.
Qualifying for food delivery apps is a bit easier: you don’t need a specific type of car, and you can start at 18 (instead of 21 for ridesharing). But you still need to pass a background check and deliver orders on time.
DoorDash and Uber Eats are the two main food delivery apps. If you’re already an approved Uber driver, you’re automatically eligible for Uber Eats—but you can also apply just for Uber Eats if you prefer.
3. Shop For & Deliver Groceries
For a more engaging side gig, try shopping for and delivering groceries. These jobs involve driving to the grocery store, picking up items from a customer’s list, and delivering them to their home.
Like most driving gigs, you’ll need to pass a background check. You also need to show you know your way around produce and can lift up to 40 pounds on your own.
Instacart and Shipt are the main apps for grocery delivery work. Both focus on groceries but are expanding into other deliveries, like pet supplies, drugs, and convenience store items. And just like with Uber and DoorDash, you keep all customer tips.
4. Make Deliveries for Amazon Flex
Amazon Flex offers independent drivers up to $25 per hour to make deliveries on their own schedule—at least until drones take over, the retail giant says.
To drive for Amazon Flex, you need a valid driver’s license, active auto insurance, and a mid-size four-door sedan or larger vehicle for deliveries.
As with other delivery gigs, it’s smart to diversify: for example, do Instacart shifts during busy weekend shopping times and Amazon Flex deliveries on weekday evenings.
5. Wrap Your Car in Advertising
If you have a newer car and a long daily commute, your vehicle could be a good fit for removable advertising decals.
The big plus of car wrapping over delivering goods is that you might not need to drive more than usual—as long as you meet the advertiser’s minimum mileage requirements. Since per-mile pay is low, it’s not worth driving around aimlessly to boost mileage (and it’s not eco-friendly, unless you have an electric car).
Carvertise and Wrapify are the two most popular car wrapping companies. Both pay a flat fee for each campaign, so you’ll know your earnings upfront. Car wrapping is a good way to supplement income while doing other gigs.
6. Rent Out Your Car When You’re Not Using It
Renting out your car for short periods when you don’t need it can be profitable. Maybe it’s a second car your household rarely uses, or you live in a city with good public transit or bike lanes.
If you have a newer car and rent it out regularly, you could earn several hundred dollars a month—enough to cover insurance and loan payments, and maybe have some left over.
Turo and Getaround are the main apps for car rentals. Both are car-sharing platforms connecting owners and renters. The key difference: Turo lets you set your own rental price, while Getaround sets it for you.
7. Help People Move
You don’t need a box truck or full-size van to help people move. All you need is a decently sized trunk and backseat, plus a willingness to do physical work.
To advertise your moving help, use platforms like TaskRabbit—where you can list your services and rates, and get matched with people needing moving help locally. You can also use your social media accounts, like Facebook or Nextdoor, to let others know about your side gig.