Questions people ask before their first delivery
Agents, developers and businesses
Do I need an account to get a price?+
No. POST /v1/quotes and the get_quote MCP tool are free and unauthenticated. You only need an API key to book, and signup returns one instantly with a $20 welcome credit.
How fast is a delivery?+
In a launch city a typical short urban job is picked up in 8 to 18 minutes and delivered in 25 to 45 minutes. Every quote returns eta_pickup_min and eta_dropoff_min for that exact route and the live supply around the pickup.
What happens if no driver accepts?+
Dispatch runs six waves over about four minutes, widening from 3 km to 15 km. If nobody accepts, the delivery becomes no_driver_found and the full hold is released to your wallet automatically.
Can my agent pay without a card?+
Yes. Fund the wallet with USDC on Base through x402: the deposit endpoint replies 402 with payment requirements, your agent signs and retries, and the wallet is credited on settlement. Card deposits use Stripe Checkout for when a human is present.
How do I know the item actually arrived?+
Each stop declares proof_required. Drivers cannot complete a stop without it, and GET /proof returns geo-stamped photos, the recipient's name, a signature or OTP result, and timestamps. Disputes hold the funds until a human reviews.
Can I cancel?+
Free at any time before a driver is assigned. After assignment and before pickup, 30% of the driver's pay is charged as compensation. After pickup, book a return instead of cancelling.
Which cities?+
Melbourne, Sydney and London first, then Brisbane, Birmingham and Toronto. Los Angeles, Chicago and New York follow. check_coverage tells you instantly whether an address is inside a service area.
What can't you carry?+
Alcohol, tobacco and vapes, cannabis, weapons, explosives, controlled medicines without a licensed sender, hazardous goods, loose lithium batteries, live animals, human remains, large cash and anything illegal. These are refused at creation with 422 prohibited_item.
Is there a subscription?+
No. You pay per delivery from a prepaid wallet. Volume plans with lower rates and monthly invoicing start at 500 deliveries a month.
Who are the drivers?+
Verified independent drivers from the BusyDrivers community: 54,000 registered drivers across the UK, Australia, the US and Canada, with licence, ID and vehicle checks before their first job and ratings on every delivery.
Drivers
Is this replacing the BusyDrivers app?+
No. BusyDrivers keeps running. BusyDrivers Tasks is a second app where the jobs come from us. Many drivers will run both: our jobs when they're on shift with us, their usual platforms otherwise.
How much does a job pay?+
Every job shows its pay before you accept. Pay is the higher of the city hourly floor plus mileage, or 74% of the customer price, and founding drivers pay 0% commission on top of that.
When do I get paid?+
Earnings show in the app the moment the customer confirms, or automatically 24 hours after delivery. Available balance is paid out weekly to your linked account.
What if the customer isn't there?+
Every job carries contingency rules set by the customer: wait, call, leave with a neighbour, or return. Follow them in the app and you're paid either way; failed jobs are reviewed by a human within 24 hours.
Do I need to be verified?+
Yes: licence, ID, a selfie and your vehicle. Review takes up to 48 hours and founding drivers go first.
Can I choose which jobs I get?+
Set minimum pay, maximum distance to pickup, item sizes, job types and hours. Turn on auto-accept and matching jobs are accepted for you the moment they arrive.