How To Develop Postmates like Food Delivery App? Know Here

postmans food app
  • Ankit Patel Ankit Patel
  • November 18, 2022
  • 6 min read

Do you have an app idea in your mind? Finding it hard to bring it to fruition? Yes? We know the feeling. After the pandemic, when it became necessary to digitize almost all kinds of operations, it became even more critical for traditional markets, like food delivery joints to digitize their operations. This led to the inception of many food delivery apps.

One most prominent among them was Postmates. Upon its creation in 2011, the solution went on to streamline how customers received meals at their doorstep. It also attracted the minds of entrepreneurs worldwide primarily due to its business, and revenue model, followed by features, etc., to name a few. Thereupon the creation of the Postmates clone app took place so that food delivery startups could perform quick business launches and get their visibility boosted in a short time.

These solutions have made it easy for customers to get quick meals at their doorstep. This is after they enter the app, add their location details so they get a list of restaurants nearby and order the meals. This has been responsible for their prominence growing manifold.

Many food delivery apps have been particularly responsible for this. Some among them are Swiggy, UberEats, Postmates, and Zomato, to name a few. We will be however discussing in detail Postmates and their business model. We will explain the factors that have led to their becoming a source of inspiration for new restaurant setups.

If you are among them, the time is now. We know the challenges associated with development. To make this streamlined, we have brought forth this comprehensive guide. It articulates the steps to simplify the journey so you start earning profitable returns.

About Postmates App

postmates app

Founded in 2011, and in areas of operation – 3500 cities across all 50 states in the USA. Postmates is a food delivery platform that has streamlined the way meal deliveries get done. Connecting customers to local restaurants nearby the solution ascertains that regardless of the time, the former gets meals delivered at an accelerated pace.

Developed with the initiative to transform the way meal deliveries get done, the solution ensures that customers receive meals at an accelerated pace.

This is due to the solution having really easy operations. All customers have to do is enter the app, and add their location details, upon which they would get a list of restaurants nearby. They need to next select a restaurant they want and order meals. Once they perform this action, the restaurant would assign a driver for picking up the order. Last, when the order is picked, the customer and delivery driver can track each other until the final delivery is done.

App Features

Customer App Delivery Boy App Restaurant App
Customize menu Earning History Revenue management
Order History Accept/reject the delivery request Restaurant/customer/delivery driver management
Add to cart Set delivery radius Reports and analytics
Multiple payment modes Invoice generation Order history
Advanced search filter Set availability online/offline Assign pickup to the delivery driver

Market Stats

Postmates courtesy of its easy operations has achieved great popularity and prominence. Have a peek at these numbers below to know this better.

Postmates Business Model

Check out the image below.

postmates business model

Image Source: jungleworks.com


The image above elucidates the basic operations of the app. Here’s elucidating the Postmates business model in detail in the pointers below.

  1. Creating demand. With a smartphone app, the customer allows users to place an order.
  2. Payment gets made thereafter.
  3. The restaurant receives the order, accepts it, and gets a driver assigned to pick order.
  4. The customer gets the flexibility to track orders so that the expected delivery time is easy to know.

This reasons for it to become a source of inspiration for new restaurant setups thereby encouraging them to develop a similar solution. Are you among one them and want to know how you can perform the development? Follow these pointers below.

How To Develop Food Delivery App like Postmates?

Want to be a champion in the revolutionary food delivery market by developing the Postmates clone app? Read these lines below to know how you can accomplish this.

1. Food Delivery Industry Trends

First and foremost, it is critical to gain insight into the food delivery industry trends. This means you need to know the market stats. Check these numbers below-

  • Share in the food delivery market is at 9% in 2022.
  • Annual sales volume was $4 billion in 2020.
  • Subscription to premium services has gone up by 23% in 2022
  • It completed 5 million deliveries in 2020
  • The current number of users stands at 9.3 million

2. Get a Grasp of Food Delivery Business Model

It is important to have an insight into the food delivery business model. This will ensure that the operations take place seamlessly.

food delivery business model

Here are three main kinds of food delivery business models-

  • Order-only model– This model allows customers to enter the app, add their different details, and order meals.
  • Order and delivery model– This model supports customers to order meals and request delivery thereafter.
  • Fully-integrated model– This model delivers assistance to the admin or the owner of the food delivery business to manage tasks like production, order, and delivery, along with the price.

3. Research Your Competitors

Once you have a comprehensive knowledge of the industry trends, and business models, get a grasp next on your competitors.

Know their activities and what they are doing. Assess their USP and analyze if it is missing something or not. In case it is not, understand the features that will boost user engagement and include them. This is going to ascertain the overall success of your app in the long run.

Ask these questions-

  • Are customers happy with what they receive? Yes/no?
  • If not, how do I make my solution easy to approach for customers so they download more?
  • What features should I add to my app? (while adding, keep customer connection with the restaurant in mind).
  • How do I monetize through my app?
  • How can I ensure smooth app operations?

4. Include Robust Tech Stacks

To ascertain that your food delivery app like Postmates works robustly, choose tech stacks that are robust and fully functional. This will ensure user engagement to take place at maximum and allow the app to function effectively.

Here are some technologies that will assist you in this-

  • Android: Kotlin, Java, React Native, Flutter
  • iOS: Swift, Objective-C, React Native, Flutter
  • Backend & API: Node.JS/Express.JS
  • Front-end: React.JS
  • Push Notification: Twilio, Push.io
  • Database: MongoDB, HBase, Postgres
  • For Server: AWS
  • For Geolocation: Google Maps API
  • Payment Integration: PayPal, Braintree, Stripe

5. Choose the Appropriate Revenue Model

It is ideal next to get a grasp of revenue models and select one that will help your profits to skyrocket successfully.

Here are four ways through which Postmates generates profits.

  • Delivery charges from customers and restaurants.
  • Advertisement charges to restaurants for listing.
  • Peak hour charges to customers for late hours, occasions, etc.
  • Subscription fees to restaurants for registering on the platform.

6. Integrate Postmates App

The last step to streamline your journey when you develop food delivery app like Postmates is to empower yourself with the food delivery clone. The readymade solution will accelerate the rate of brand visibility, ensure your rate of returns goes up, and allow you to gain scalability and growth in a short time.

However, it is a good idea that before you empower your operations with the solution, make sure you know its open-source nature. This means it is recommended to assess whether the power to update will be ultimate for you or not. This is followed by ascertaining whether the company you associate with to get hold of the Postmates clone app has appropriate expertise in this field. This means checking their client reviews, portfolio, and so on.

integrate postmates app

So you know the steps to develop a food delivery app like Postmates, let us get a hands-on of the cost area.

Cost to Develop Postmates App

Postmates has created a revolution in the food delivery market. It has become a source of encouragement for those who plan to digitize their restaurant operations. If you are one of them, you must have an idea of the cost for development. So if we have to give a formative figure related to the cost to develop the Postmates app will be around the range of $40,000 to $50,000. This might go up in a situation wherein the design is not user-friendly or if the constituents they possess are too complex.

Wrapping Up

Since 2011, Postmates has revolutionized the way food delivery services are provided. This is courtesy of the unique features it has and its easy operations, as well. This has been responsible for it to become an inspiration for those who plan to transport their food delivery joint operating offline to the path of success and profits. If you are among them too, get the Postmates clone app to your business advantage today. Connect with us, and share your requirements. We will empower your business with a custom app that promises transformational returns.

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