Starting on Amazon Flex: requirements, insurance and pay day
What you need before your first Amazon Flex block: the right car, or an e-bike where it is offered, the two insurance policies Amazon asks for, the checks, how blocks are booked, and the day the money arrives.
Correct for the 2026/27 tax year. Last checked 29/09/2026.
How Amazon Flex pay works covers what a block is really worth. This page covers everything before that: whether you can do it at all, and with what.
The basic requirements
- Be 18 or over.
- A full UK driving licence to deliver by car.
- The right to work in the UK, checked during onboarding, and a National Insurance number.
- A background check.
- A compatible iPhone or Android phone and a bank account.
- Flex open to new drivers in your area. If it is not, you can join an interest list.
Which vehicles are accepted
| Vehicle | What Amazon asks for | Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Car | Mid-size or larger, 5 or more seats | Hire and reward plus at least social, domestic and pleasure |
| Van, or pickup with an enclosed bed | Accepted | Hire and reward plus at least social, domestic and pleasure |
| E-bike, where offered | Legal electrically assisted pedal cycle; insulated bag or box at least 55 x 26 x 36cm | Public liability and personal accident |
For tax the vehicle decides your mileage rate: 55p a mile for a car or van up to 10,000 business miles, and 20p a mile on a bicycle, which includes an e-bike, with no threshold. Amazon also says e-bike blocks may pay different rates from car blocks.
Insurance
Amazon does not insure your car. Your ordinary policy covers social, domestic and pleasure use, and delivering for money is not that, so you add hire and reward cover. Amazon lists two partners: Inshur, which sells it by the hour, month or year, and Zego, by the month or year. E-bike riders need public liability and personal accident cover instead, and Amazon lists Superscript, or you can choose your own.
Hourly cover suits someone doing the odd block; a monthly or annual policy suits regular work. Either way it is a cost of the business. Hire and reward against courier and food delivery cover explains the policy types.
Booking blocks
You can reserve blocks up to a week ahead, or pick them up when they appear. Each one shows its length and estimated earnings before you accept. Check in at the delivery station by the block's start time. Amazon's own published estimate is £14 to £18 an hour, depending on location, which is before fuel, insurance and tax.
Pay day
Amazon pays every Wednesday for blocks completed the previous Monday to Sunday, straight into your bank. A bank holiday pushes it to the next working day. Download your earnings each month, because the Flex app is the only copy Amazon gives you.
Amazon reports what it pays you to HMRC each year under the digital platform rules, by calendar year. Your return is by tax year, 6 April to 5 April. What the platforms tell HMRC explains the difference.
Flex driver support is on 0808 145 3757, 7am to 7pm every day.
Sources
Common questions
- When does Amazon Flex pay?
- Every Wednesday, for blocks completed the week before, Monday to Sunday. If the Wednesday is a bank holiday the payment moves to the next working day. It is paid straight into your bank account.
- Does Amazon provide insurance for Flex drivers?
- No. Car drivers need their own hire and reward insurance on top of at least social, domestic and pleasure cover. Amazon lists Inshur, which sells cover by the hour, month or year, and Zego as partners.
- What car do I need for Amazon Flex?
- A mid-size or larger car with five or more seats. Vans and pickups with an enclosed bed are also accepted. A small city car is the usual reason an application stalls, because parcels will not fit.
- Can I do Amazon Flex on an e-bike?
- Where Amazon offers it, yes. The e-bike must be a legal electrically assisted pedal cycle, you need an insulated bag or cargo box at least 55cm by 26cm by 36cm, and public liability and personal accident insurance. No driving licence is needed.
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.
Track this automatically
Shift log · True hourly rate · Estimated tax: the JoltMile app works this out from your own shifts. Your first 10 shifts are free.
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