How long does it take for a courier to arrive after I book?

About 20 minutes is a good rule of thumb for an on-demand car courier. In dense cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, a bike courier can be at the door in about 5 minutes. Suburbs and larger vehicles take longer. Scheduled orders are dispatched ahead of their pickup window so the driver arrives on time rather than early.

Can I schedule a courier in advance instead of on demand?

Yes. Orders can be booked on demand, scheduled up to seven days ahead, or set to repeat for regular runs like daily store transfers or weekly wholesale drops.

What vehicle will show up?

It depends on what you are sending, not on a default. Flowers are not paint: a bike or sedan suits documents, small parcels and most retail and food orders, an SUV or van suits bulky or many-box orders, and a box truck with a lift gate suits furniture, appliances and pallets. Getcho matches the vehicle to the payload on every order.

How should I pack and label an order for a courier?

Always label the package with at least the recipient name and delivery address. It prevents mixups when a driver carries several orders and gives the driver something to go on if anything goes wrong. Add handling notes such as fragile, keep upright or do not stack, and have the order packed before the driver arrives.

How much does a local courier delivery cost?

It depends most on where you are. Courier fleets price by market: dense cities with pay rules for app-based couriers, like New York, Los Angeles and Seattle, cost more than most other metros, and within a city prices step up by zone as the drop-off moves away from the core, much like parcel zones. Distance, vehicle size and urgency come next. Large or bulky orders that need an SUV, van or truck typically start around $30 and go up with size and distance. Getcho quotes every delivery live, across fleets, before you book.

Why does the same delivery cost more in one city than another?

Each fleet sets prices by market. Labor rules, traffic, parking and how many drivers are on the road all differ by city, so a run of the same distance can cost noticeably more in New York or Seattle than in a suburb of Atlanta. Many fleets also split a metro into zones, charging more for drop-offs farther from the center. That is why one national price per mile rarely works, and why Getcho compares fleets on every order.

What makes a courier delivery more expensive?

Distance and zone, a bigger vehicle, a tight window like under two hours, a drop-off that is hard to complete such as an office or a building without a doorman, waiting time at pickup, and a failed attempt that has to be redone. Booking only when the order is ready, giving access notes up front, and letting customers choose a slower option all bring the price down.

Do I need to tip the courier?

It depends on the fleet and your setup. Tips can pass through from your checkout or be set per run. On time-sensitive runs a small tip can attract a driver faster: Parsel added a $10 tip to a Miami run with a strict 30-minute pickup window.

Which cities cost more for courier delivery?

Cities tend to fall into three tiers. Higher: New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Seattle, where pay rules for app-based couriers add to traffic and parking. Middle: Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami and Denver. Lower: Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Las Vegas and most smaller metros and suburbs. Inside each city, zones add a step up as you leave the core.

What are delivery zones?

Zones are how courier fleets and local carriers split a market for pricing. Instead of one price per mile everywhere, a metro is divided into rings or areas, and each step out costs more. It works like parcel zones, just on a city scale.

What do zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3 usually mean?

Zone 1 is usually the dense core where drivers are plentiful and trips are short, like downtown or lower and midtown Manhattan. Zone 2 is the rest of the core and the inner neighborhoods, like upper Manhattan or Brooklyn. Zone 3 and beyond are the outer boroughs and suburbs, often priced by distance from there. Exact lines differ by fleet and city, and in New York some local carriers even split Manhattan itself into more than one zone.

Can one courier make several stops?

Yes. Multi-stop routes let one driver pick up once and drop off at several addresses, or collect from several places, with proof of delivery at each stop. Adding a stop is usually much cheaper than sending another vehicle, as long as the extra time still fits every window.

Can a courier do a round trip or an exchange?

Yes. A driver can deliver and bring something back in the same trip, like swapping a rental, collecting a return or picking up items to repair, or a return pickup can be booked as its own leg.

How heavy or big can a courier delivery be?

Car couriers on the big on-demand fleets take everyday orders, and most cap item weight at around 75 lb. Anything heavier or bigger goes in an SUV, cargo van or box truck with a lift gate, booked through partners that carry furniture, appliances and pallets.

Do couriers deliver in the evening and on weekends?

In most metros, yes, since on-demand fleets run long hours every day. Your own delivery hours, cutoffs and blackout dates decide what customers can book.

Will the courier carry it inside or upstairs?

Standard courier delivery is to the door. White-glove delivery, such as carrying an order upstairs or into a room, is available through white-glove partners for orders that need it.

What goes wrong most often with courier deliveries?

In rough order: drivers going off course or off script, recipients not answering, wrong addresses, no access to the building, package mixups between orders, and no-shows. On a single fleet, a no-show often goes unnoticed until the customer asks where their order is. Most of these are solved by talking to the driver and the recipient early.

What happens if the courier does not show up or cancels?

Getcho runs fallback rules: if no driver is assigned within a set time, the order goes to another fleet, and if a pickup is missed or the wrong item is collected, a backup is booked. The aim is that the store and the customer never notice.

Can my customer track the delivery?

Yes. Customers get a branded tracking page with a live map, plus text and email updates at each milestone, with no app or login.

Do I have to watch every delivery?

Ideally you see nothing. Getcho handles driver texts and calls, and only contacts the customer when it really needs them, using address intelligence and profile notes gathered ahead of time. If you want the detail, every message, call and photo is available.

Can the customer and the driver contact each other?

Yes, through masked numbers, so neither side sees the other's real phone number.

What happens if the recipient is not home?

About 10 minutes is the usual default wait. If no signature or ID is required, the driver can leave the order at the door. Some fleets do not support returning an undelivered order to the store, so for high-value orders require a signature, which stops the driver leaving it at the door.

What proof of delivery do I get?

A photo of every delivery on the main fleets, plus optional signature, PIN code and ID or age check when you need them. Getcho reads the photos and the GPS trail to catch problems like a photo taken at the wrong door.

Can couriers deliver alcohol?

Yes, through fleets licensed for it, with an ID and age check at the door.

How far can a courier deliver?

Mostly state law and the fleet decide it, so there is no single radius. Long runs are possible: Ninja Transfers runs same-day and guaranteed next-day within 150 miles of its facility near Philadelphia. Getcho tells you what is possible from your location.

Can couriers carry refrigerated or frozen items?

Couriers do not provide refrigeration. Short transit times, plus cold packing for longer trips, keep perishables safe: Myers of Keswick sends perishables locally by courier and overnight cold-packed with FedEx.

What if an order is damaged or lost?

Getcho handles the claim with the fleet. Coverage depends on the courier and on whether the item value was declared, so declare value on expensive orders.

Guide

Courier Delivery: What to Expect

Book a courier and a driver usually arrives in about 20 minutes, or about 5 by bike in dense cities. The vehicle should match what you're sending, from a bike to a box truck. Most problems come from drivers going off course, recipients not answering, wrong addresses and building access. They're fixed by talking to the driver and the customer early, with backup fleets ready if a driver doesn't show. Price depends most on geography: each fleet prices by city and by zone within the city.

Get a quote Book a Demo

~20 min

typical wait for an on-demand car courier

~5 min

for a bike courier in dense cities

~10 min

usual wait at the door before a driver moves on

By zone

courier prices step up by city and distance from the core

Booking and pickup

How long does it take for a courier to arrive after I book?: About 20 minutes is a good rule of thumb for an on-demand car courier. In dense cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, a bike courier can be at the door in about 5 minutes. Suburbs and larger vehicles take longer. Scheduled orders are dispatched ahead of their pickup window so the driver arrives on time rather than early.
Can I schedule a courier in advance instead of on demand?: Yes. Orders can be booked on demand, scheduled up to seven days ahead, or set to repeat for regular runs like daily store transfers or weekly wholesale drops.
What vehicle will show up?: It depends on what you are sending, not on a default. Flowers are not paint: a bike or sedan suits documents, small parcels and most retail and food orders, an SUV or van suits bulky or many-box orders, and a box truck with a lift gate suits furniture, appliances and pallets. Getcho matches the vehicle to the payload on every order.
How should I pack and label an order for a courier?: Always label the package with at least the recipient name and delivery address. It prevents mixups when a driver carries several orders and gives the driver something to go on if anything goes wrong. Add handling notes such as fragile, keep upright or do not stack, and have the order packed before the driver arrives.
How much does a local courier delivery cost?: It depends most on where you are. Courier fleets price by market: dense cities with pay rules for app-based couriers, like New York, Los Angeles and Seattle, cost more than most other metros, and within a city prices step up by zone as the drop-off moves away from the core, much like parcel zones. Distance, vehicle size and urgency come next. Large or bulky orders that need an SUV, van or truck typically start around $30 and go up with size and distance. Getcho quotes every delivery live, across fleets, before you book.
Why does the same delivery cost more in one city than another?: Each fleet sets prices by market. Labor rules, traffic, parking and how many drivers are on the road all differ by city, so a run of the same distance can cost noticeably more in New York or Seattle than in a suburb of Atlanta. Many fleets also split a metro into zones, charging more for drop-offs farther from the center. That is why one national price per mile rarely works, and why Getcho compares fleets on every order.
What makes a courier delivery more expensive?: Distance and zone, a bigger vehicle, a tight window like under two hours, a drop-off that is hard to complete such as an office or a building without a doorman, waiting time at pickup, and a failed attempt that has to be redone. Booking only when the order is ready, giving access notes up front, and letting customers choose a slower option all bring the price down.
Do I need to tip the courier?: It depends on the fleet and your setup. Tips can pass through from your checkout or be set per run. On time-sensitive runs a small tip can attract a driver faster: Parsel added a $10 tip to a Miami run with a strict 30-minute pickup window.

Zones, range and trip types

Which cities cost more for courier delivery?: Cities tend to fall into three tiers. Higher: New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Seattle, where pay rules for app-based couriers add to traffic and parking. Middle: Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami and Denver. Lower: Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Las Vegas and most smaller metros and suburbs. Inside each city, zones add a step up as you leave the core.
What are delivery zones?: Zones are how courier fleets and local carriers split a market for pricing. Instead of one price per mile everywhere, a metro is divided into rings or areas, and each step out costs more. It works like parcel zones, just on a city scale.
What do zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3 usually mean?: Zone 1 is usually the dense core where drivers are plentiful and trips are short, like downtown or lower and midtown Manhattan. Zone 2 is the rest of the core and the inner neighborhoods, like upper Manhattan or Brooklyn. Zone 3 and beyond are the outer boroughs and suburbs, often priced by distance from there. Exact lines differ by fleet and city, and in New York some local carriers even split Manhattan itself into more than one zone.
Can one courier make several stops?: Yes. Multi-stop routes let one driver pick up once and drop off at several addresses, or collect from several places, with proof of delivery at each stop. Adding a stop is usually much cheaper than sending another vehicle, as long as the extra time still fits every window.
Can a courier do a round trip or an exchange?: Yes. A driver can deliver and bring something back in the same trip, like swapping a rental, collecting a return or picking up items to repair, or a return pickup can be booked as its own leg.
How heavy or big can a courier delivery be?: Car couriers on the big on-demand fleets take everyday orders, and most cap item weight at around 75 lb. Anything heavier or bigger goes in an SUV, cargo van or box truck with a lift gate, booked through partners that carry furniture, appliances and pallets.
Do couriers deliver in the evening and on weekends?: In most metros, yes, since on-demand fleets run long hours every day. Your own delivery hours, cutoffs and blackout dates decide what customers can book.
Will the courier carry it inside or upstairs?: Standard courier delivery is to the door. White-glove delivery, such as carrying an order upstairs or into a room, is available through white-glove partners for orders that need it.

During the delivery

What goes wrong most often with courier deliveries?: In rough order: drivers going off course or off script, recipients not answering, wrong addresses, no access to the building, package mixups between orders, and no-shows. On a single fleet, a no-show often goes unnoticed until the customer asks where their order is. Most of these are solved by talking to the driver and the recipient early.
What happens if the courier does not show up or cancels?: Getcho runs fallback rules: if no driver is assigned within a set time, the order goes to another fleet, and if a pickup is missed or the wrong item is collected, a backup is booked. The aim is that the store and the customer never notice.
Can my customer track the delivery?: Yes. Customers get a branded tracking page with a live map, plus text and email updates at each milestone, with no app or login.
Do I have to watch every delivery?: Ideally you see nothing. Getcho handles driver texts and calls, and only contacts the customer when it really needs them, using address intelligence and profile notes gathered ahead of time. If you want the detail, every message, call and photo is available.
Can the customer and the driver contact each other?: Yes, through masked numbers, so neither side sees the other's real phone number.

Drop-off, proof and problems

What happens if the recipient is not home?: About 10 minutes is the usual default wait. If no signature or ID is required, the driver can leave the order at the door. Some fleets do not support returning an undelivered order to the store, so for high-value orders require a signature, which stops the driver leaving it at the door.
What proof of delivery do I get?: A photo of every delivery on the main fleets, plus optional signature, PIN code and ID or age check when you need them. Getcho reads the photos and the GPS trail to catch problems like a photo taken at the wrong door.
Can couriers deliver alcohol?: Yes, through fleets licensed for it, with an ID and age check at the door.
How far can a courier deliver?: Mostly state law and the fleet decide it, so there is no single radius. Long runs are possible: Ninja Transfers runs same-day and guaranteed next-day within 150 miles of its facility near Philadelphia. Getcho tells you what is possible from your location.
Can couriers carry refrigerated or frozen items?: Couriers do not provide refrigeration. Short transit times, plus cold packing for longer trips, keep perishables safe: Myers of Keswick sends perishables locally by courier and overnight cold-packed with FedEx.
What if an order is damaged or lost?: Getcho handles the claim with the fleet. Coverage depends on the courier and on whether the item value was declared, so declare value on expensive orders.

Have a question we didn't answer?

Most setups are custom, and most go live the same day. Tell us what you're building or shipping and we'll show you how it would run.