A realistic breakdown of delivery payouts across all five delivery types, what a typical driver morning actually earns, what expenses to track, and exactly how Stripe Express payouts work — including what the IRS requires you to know.
Agents set their own payouts when they post a delivery request. There's no fixed rate — but the platform shows you the payout on every pin before you bid, so there's no guesswork.
Payout ranges by delivery type (agents post the full driver payout; 15% service fee charged to agents on top):
| Delivery type | Typical posted range | Driver payout (100%) | Avg stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| SignSet | $40 – $65 | $40 – $65 | 1 (the For Sale sign) |
| SignStash | $35 – $55 | $35 – $55 | 1 (pickup + return) |
| SignSpread | $45 – $80 | $45 – $80 | 6 – 14 directionals |
| SignSweep | $40 – $70 | $40 – $70 | 6 – 14 retrieval stops |
| RiderRun | $35 – $55 | $35 – $55 | 3 (pickup → swap → return) |
The 15% platform service fee is charged to the agent on top of the posted payout — it is never deducted from driver earnings. If an agent posts $55, you receive $55 in full.
Here's a realistic example — not a best-case scenario, just a representative Saturday morning in a market with active delivery volume.
| Time | Job | Stops | Your payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:45 | SignSpread — 8 directionals, 2.1 mi route | 8 | $55.00 |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | RiderRun — swap rider at a For Sale post | 3 | $39.00 |
| 9:45 – 10:20 | SignSet — For Sale installation, gated community | 1 | $55.00 |
| Total: 2h 20min · 12 stops | $149.00 | ||
This is a realistic 2.5-hour morning. Distance between gigs varies — in a dense suburban market you might do 3 gigs in 12 miles total. In a spread-out market you might drive 20+ miles between them. Miles matter for both your time and your expenses.
How the map helps you route efficiently: The live delivery map shows payouts and locations at the same time. Before you bid, you can see whether two deliveries are 0.8 miles apart or 18 miles apart. Bidding on nearby deliveries of the same type (e.g., two SignSpreads in the same neighborhood) dramatically improves your effective hourly rate.
As an independent contractor, your net income is what you keep after expenses. The IRS treats gig income as self-employment income, and you can deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses.
Driving between gigs, driving to sign pickup locations, and driving to return signs are all business miles. The IRS standard mileage rate changes annually — as of 2025 it is 70 cents per mile. On a 40-mile morning, that's $28.00 in deductible expense.
Track your miles with a mileage app (MileIQ, Stride, Everlance) — log from when you leave home for a job to when you return. Manual logs are also acceptable but app-based logs are much easier to defend in an audit.
When you sign up as a driver, you connect a Stripe Express account. This is separate from SignStops — Stripe handles the actual money movement, and your bank account details are held by Stripe, not SignStops.
When payouts release: After you mark a delivery complete and the 24-hour review window closes (agents can trigger early release, but 24 hours is the default), Stripe queues the payout. Funds typically arrive in your bank account within 1–3 business days, depending on your bank.
Payout minimums: Stripe Express has no payout minimum by default. Payouts transfer automatically on the standard schedule once funds are available.
Your Stripe Express dashboard: You can view all your payouts, pending amounts, and transaction history directly in Stripe Express at any time — separate from the SignStops driver dashboard.
If you earn $600 or more from SignStops in a calendar year, SignStops is required to issue you a 1099-NEC form (nonemployee compensation) by January 31 of the following year. You'll need to report this income on your federal tax return.
Important: even if you earn less than $600, you are still legally required to report that income. The $600 threshold is a reporting requirement for SignStops, not a threshold for your own tax obligation.
As an independent contractor, you pay both the employee and employer portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes — currently 15.3% on net self-employment income. This is in addition to ordinary income tax. Many new gig workers are surprised by this.
The half of self-employment tax you pay (the "employer half") is deductible on your federal return, which partially offsets the hit. But you should plan for it: set aside 25–30% of your net earnings for taxes if you're doing this as a meaningful income source.
If you expect to owe $1,000 or more in federal tax from self-employment, the IRS requires quarterly estimated payments (due in April, June, September, and January). Failing to pay quarterly can result in underpayment penalties even if you pay in full at year-end.
When you sign up as a driver, you'll be asked to complete a W-9 form. This provides SignStops with your Tax ID (SSN or EIN) so they can file the 1099-NEC if required. Accurate W-9 information is required to receive payouts.
Not tax advice: This guide covers general concepts for informational purposes. Gig worker tax rules can be complex and vary by state. Consider consulting a CPA or enrolled agent who works with self-employed clients — especially if gig income becomes a significant portion of your total earnings. Apps like Keeper or FlyFin specialize in self-employment taxes and can be cost-effective for most drivers.
That depends on your market, your schedule flexibility, and your proximity to active listings. A few things that work in your favor with sign delivery work:
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