Chinese food has a long culinary history in the country and is one of the most popular cuisines in Australia. It’s not surprising that in this country you can find delivery platforms such as EASI and HungryPanda that target specific markets like this.
EASI was launched in Melbourne in 2014, while HungryPanda was founded in Nottingham, UK in 2017 with an expansion into Australia in 2019.
After years of strong competition in the same target market, HungryPanda finally acquired its rival, EASI, in early 2022. These two platforms claim to be the best Asian Food Delivery App and have the most significant Asian user base in Australia.
Availability for Drivers
HungryPanda and EASI have an advantage over their competitors because they specialize in Asian and Chinese cuisine delivery. They have the largest number of Asian and Chinese restaurants featured on their app.
As we all know, Asians account for around 17% of Australia’s population. This figure excludes visitors, such as international students. Overseas students currently reach hundreds of thousands and will increase every year.
EASI and HungryPanda are available in major cities around the country, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, and Hobart. Launceston and Wollongong.
Following the acquisition process, EASI and HungryPanda will integrate across their respective markets. This means that in some cities, the HungryPanda app will be the sole option.
As a delivery driver, this is a great opportunity to reach out to additional consumers, in this case, Asian foodies. It also serves as a backup when other platforms are quiet.
The number of EASI or HungryPanda drivers is still limited and it’s only available in major cities. However, this is actually advantageous for the drivers.
In a given location, they don’t face a lot of competition. So, in theory, it is easier for drivers to get orders.
Driver Requirements
HungryPanda plans to expand in this market and will hire more delivery drivers. There are no additional criteria that differentiate it from other similar platforms.
- At least 18 years of age is required
- Be entitled to work in Australia. This means that you need to have a valid visa that permits you to work in the area.
- Copies of personal documents, like the signature page of a passport, are required by the company. It will be used in the background check process as well.
- For those of you who deliver by motor vehicle, a current driver’s license is needed. Although it’s best to have an international or full Australian licence, you might attempt using your probationary licence, or at the very least, a green plate.
- Vehicle registration and insurance for the vehicle that will be used for work.
You may begin your journey to become a driver by visiting HungryPanda Rider page.
Delivery Options for Drivers
As previously said, HungryPanda is a platform focused to delivering Asian and Chinese cuisine. While EASI is a platform that offers groceries delivery in addition to food delivery.
Following the acquisition, in some markets, EASI will discontinue operations and be completely replaced by HungryPanda. As a result, EASI’s grocery delivery services will be discontinued.
However, it is not impossible that HungryPanda will eventually offer grocery delivery in the future, as this service is growing in popularity in the country.
Delivery Driver Pay
Due to a lack of information, we are unable to determine the right driver pay rate per hour or day. However, the rate does not appear to be significantly different from competitors such as Uber or DoorDash.
Based on information from a fellow HungryPanda driver. The average delivery base charge fluctuates between $4 and $7, depending on factors such as distance, time of day, and vehicle used. She can accomplish approximately 30 orders per shift.
HungryPanda recently also offered an additional one-time bonus to drivers who completed a specified amount of deliveries within a certain time period.
Drivers can also receive additional customer tips to make their orders more worthwhile.
Driver Payment Options
HungryPanda will pay delivery couriers on a weekly basis, like similar delivery platforms in Australia do.
The payment method is direct deposit via bank transfers. Take time to fill up your bank account information throughout the sign-up procedure so that you can be paid right away.
I’ve never heard of daily compensation choices for drivers who deliver for this site. This is one of the platform’s drawbacks, thus they should think about adding a daily payment tool.
Hungry Panda Pros and Cons for Gig Drivers
One of my fellow gig delivery drivers told me about his experience of delivering with the platform in Sydney for about 4 months. We summarize his story as the pros and cons of the platform.
Pros
- In big cities where there are many Asian communities like Sydney, this platform often assigns multiple orders to driver. Our fellow driver said that he very often gets multiple orders, about 80% of the time. He brings at least 2 orders in the bag and rarely completes the entire trip with a single order.
- The Hungry Panda orders will usually be small in size as they are mainly from Chinese restaurant. This makes it easier for the driver to organize the order, especially if the driver is carrying multiple orders.
- Pick-up and drop-off locations are usually in the CBD area, unlike other platforms which sometimes take you away from the city centre.
- The platform has special incentives during rainy days that will increase payment per order by a multiplier. The multiplier usually ranges from 1.1x – 1.3x depending on the weather conditions at that time, whether it is light rain or heavy rain. As we know, when it rains many delivery drivers, especially those who deliver with e-bikes or scooters, choose to pause their activities. This means there aren’t enough drivers online to meet delivery demand.
Cons
- Hungry Panda navigation treats your vehicle as if it were a car, regardless of whether you ride a bike or not, which means the navigation may encourage you to drive on highways if you are unfamiliar with the area and have no idea where you are going.
- Most of Hungry Panda’s customers are Chinese students. Communication might be delayed when they expect the driver to speak basic Chinese and the driver also expects them to speak English
- Hungry Panda is very strict when it comes to delivery times. Unfortunately, delivery times start from the moment a customer places an order. The problem is that when a delivery driver arrives at the restaurant and the meal isn’t ready, but the timer continues to run. This delivery delay may result in pay deductions or a 40 to 60-minute penalty, this means that there will be no orders coming in during the penalty period.
