Amazon Flex, Evri, DPD and Yodel: parcel work compared
Parcel work suits drivers who want daytime hours and a predictable load. The four big options differ on the vehicle they need, how you are paid, how often, and how much of the week they expect. Here they are side by side.
Last checked 29/09/2026.
Food delivery is evenings and weekends in short bursts. Parcel work is daytime, a vehicle full of boxes, and more miles. Within that, the options are further apart than they look.
Side by side
| Amazon Flex | Evri | DPD | Yodel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Blocks of 2 to 5 hours from a station | Local rounds: Flex or Plus | Owner driver route, employed, or Connect | Self-employed rounds |
| Vehicle | Mid-size car or larger, van; e-bike in places | Medium or large car, or van | Large van for a route; own car for Connect | Car or van |
| Paid for | Fixed price per block | Per parcel | Per route, salary, or per parcel | Per parcel, as drivers report |
| Pay frequency | Weekly, Wednesday | Monthly | Four-weekly, payroll, or weekly | Check your contract |
| Commitment | Book what you like | 1 to 7 days, or 5+ for Plus | Usually 5 days on a route | Varies by depot |
| Free insurance | None | £1.35 a day top-up, paid | None as standard | Check your contract |
Yodel was bought by InPost in April 2025, making the combined business the UK's third largest parcel carrier. Its courier terms are not published the way Evri's and Amazon's are, so read your contract closely.
Block pay against per-parcel pay
Amazon Flex tells you the price and the length before you accept, but not the route, so the risk is the miles. Per-parcel rounds tell you nothing about the price of an hour: a tightly packed street pays well and a rural lane does not, whatever the rate per parcel. Either way the useful figure is what you made per hour after fuel. What it really costs you per mile shows how to work it out.
Monthly pay needs a float
Evri pays monthly and DPD owner drivers are commonly paid every four weeks. Starting on either means buying weeks of fuel before any money arrives. Amazon Flex and DPD Connect pay weekly, which is easier on a thin budget.
Miles and the threshold
Parcel rounds run up miles fast, and the mileage rate drops from 55p to 25p after 10,000 business miles in a tax year. A full-time parcel driver can pass the threshold before Christmas. Plan your tax set-aside for the lower rate in the last months, and see the 10,000 mile threshold, worked.
Sources
Common questions
- Which parcel company is best to drive for?
- It depends on what you want. Amazon Flex suits occasional blocks in a car. Evri Flex and DPD Connect suit a local round in your own car. Evri Plus and a DPD owner driver route suit someone wanting full-time work, with very different costs.
- Do parcel couriers get paid per parcel?
- Evri, DPD Connect and Yodel rounds are generally paid per parcel. Amazon Flex pays a fixed price per block of time. DPD owner drivers are paid for running a route. Per-parcel pay makes a dense round worth far more than a spread-out one.
About the author
Issac Davies, Founder of JoltMile
Issac Davies drives for gig apps in the UK and built JoltMile to show drivers what a shift actually pays once fuel, insurance and tax come off. Every guide here is checked against HMRC and gov.uk guidance, and is information rather than tax advice.
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True hourly rate · Mileage tracking: the JoltMile app works this out from your own shifts. Your first 10 shifts are free.
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