Getting started as an independent courier is easy, and has the advantage of potentially becoming profitable pretty quickly due to the lack of overheads. However, there are some undertakings which you should consider, like what type of vehicle to have and what type of insurance to take out. Whether you intend to work casually, part-time or full-time, this guide hopes to show you some tips to be a success.

All our Runners are independent contractors. This is why we ask for your ABN information. If you don’t already have an ABN, you may be able to apply for one. The ATO will determine the eligibility for your entitlement to an ABN and their guidelines must be strictly adhered to. Before you start applying, please make sure you understand all your tax obligations and get advice from your accountant.

From 1 January 2023, it is a mandatory requirement to have your business registered for GST to continue being a qualified Runner on the GoPeople platform. When you get an ABN, you don’t automatically qualify for GST. They’re two different things. Please contact the ATO and/or your accountant for further advice. Typically, based on ATO’s requirements, “You must register for GST if you run a business or other enterprise and your annual turnover is $75,000 or more.

Conduct Acts in a friendly, professional manner to Senders/Recipients Understands that they’re a contractor, not an employee  Has a good understanding of the Knowledge Base Organised Wears correct attire, especially shoes Is able to solve simple problems (eg difficult to find the address) by themselves Has their own delivery gear (eg trolley, bucket, cooler bag) Complies with Senders’ Special Requirements  Reliable Obtains the correct method of POD Understands what ATL means Takes care of fragile items Cancels with notice Conversable

A few Do’s and Don’ts a Runner should be aware of: Do’s Do introduce yourself when you enter a Sender's business “Hi, I’m [Name], the GoPeople Runner!” Do park only where it's allowed Do wear closed shoes, a clean shirt and long trousers. No thongs or flip-flops! Do have a phone charger in your car Do have a crate/box for transporting flowers Do always read Sender Notes and Comments for each delivery Do leave flowers upright while dropping-off them at the door of the Recipient Do stay polite and professional at all times Don’ts DON’T transport flowers in the boot or near the heating or Air Convents and don’t leave them in the sun DON’T smoke in your car while on the job DON’T waste more than 5-10 mins trying to find an address, contact GoPeople as soon as you are having an issue so we can start helping you A few Do’s and Don’ts a ‘Shift Runner’ should be aware of: Do’s Do wait until the start of the Shift and until your jobs are assigned (unless advised otherwise by GoPeople or Sender) as the Sender will be busy organising their items for delivery and may have customers in the shop Do follow the Routing Map and which item you are dropping-off carefully Do show up on time Don’ts DON”T contact Senders or Recipients outside of delivery hours DON’T block the driveway or anyone else’s car.

To ensure we get the best Runners, when you sign up with GoPeople, we ask all potential Runners to complete a 6-step induction process. This article will give a basic outline about the process, as well as answering all commonly asked questions 1. Personal information This step is pretty simple. First of all, up the top, we ask you to upload a profile photo. We recommend uploading a selfie. A photo of your face will help build trust between you and the Senders.

How do I upload my photo ID? To complete this section, you will need the following: Step 1: A valid driver license: take a Photo of the front and back of your driver license. Step 2: Upload the second ID document. It could be Medicare, Passport or Birth certificate. Step 3: Take a video selfie by reading out loud the numbers on the screen. Finish the recording within 10 seconds.

Your profile photo must contain yourself in it. If you are using a random picture that does not have your face, please update it immediately. It is important to have a smiling, clean and professional-looking photo on your profile. This is viewable to your customers as well as the recipients. Giving them a great first impression will help you with smoother deliveries and communications. This will also help you receive more positive reviews.

How to avoid injuries while on the job GoPeople would like to remind every Runner that by running their own business it is their own responsibility to adopt proper Work Health and Safety (WHS) practices. Here are a few tips to assist in the prevention of your own injury or illness. Keep your eyes on the road. When you are driving, you should be doing just that and nothing else.

Open up your Runner App. You should automatically land on the 'Browse' section, where you'll see available jobs. For this article, we're going to select the job named 'Test'. This job is a delivery of flowers from Chatswood to the Sydney Opera House. CHECK THE JOB’S DETAILS FIRST Click on the job to open it up. Before Applying or Taking the job, make sure you’ve read and understood all the requirements of the job:

You can add jobs to your run on the Go People Runner app.  Pleast note, this feature is only available when the customer allows it. Step 1: go to the Shift, and click the 'Start picking up' button Step2: Find the 'Add a Job' button at the bottom of this page This button is only available when the customer has allowed it.  Step 3: Scan the barcode on the parcel, or skip this step if there is no barcode

In the How Do I Get A Job Knowledge Base article, we discussed how to have a job given to you.  This article includes two YouTube videos indicating how you complete a job, from picking up the delivery to having the delivery done.  PICKING UP GoPeople Runner App Pick Up Training video DELIVERING GoPeople Runner App Drop Off Training video

Shifts are a feature of GoPeople's GoSHIFT service. With this service, GoPeople offers Senders the option to hire a Runner for several hours at a time, to complete any and all jobs assigned to the Runner. The main benefits of shifts to Runners, are that they offer Runners more hours as well as more regular and stable work. This makes them popular amongst Runners - so apply for them early!

Applying for shifts is super easy. When you open your Runner App, you’ll be automatically directed to the ‘Browse’ page. This page has two tabs – click on the right tab labelled ‘Shifts’. Click on any shift – for the sake of this article we’ve clicked on the top one – and you’ll be taken to another page with more information about the shift (there’s a map at the top of the page, but it had to be cropped out for the screenshot).

If you've been allocated a Shift, GoPeople recommends that you should set up a reminder to make sure you get to the Shift on time.  First of all, go into your app, and click on the Shift you've been allocated. Then scroll down to the bottom, and follow the prompts: Now, if you exit the Runner's App and go to either Apple Calendar or Google Calendar, you should see your Shift listed as an event:

Sometimes after applying for a Shift something comes up and you need to cancel. In order to let us know (hopefully as early as possible) just open the Shift you can no longer fulfil, scroll down and click on the ‘Cancel’ button (in red, on the right hand side).  Then enter the reason why you can no longer do this shift. For example, ‘sick’, ‘car broke down’, ‘other commitment’, etc.

What are roaming shifts? A roaming shift is a shift managed by GoPeople not by a specific Sender. During such shifts, there are usually multiple pick-ups from different Senders and multiple drop-offs to customers.  How many pick-ups will there be during a Roaming shift? It depends on the locations of the jobs. Jobs are calculated based on EWT (Estimated Work Time). Statistically, there are usually between 1 and 4 pick-ups per run.

Q: Who can apply? A: Any Runner, new or experienced. The more experience you have, the more likely you are to be allocated to a Shift. Make sure to read our delivery guidelines to understand how to do your job in the best way possible! If a Shift is assigned to a first time Runner, we will make sure to call them to provide a guideline of the Sender. If that isn't the case, we'll reassign the Shift to someone else.

At the completion of a Shift, you have the opportunity to give a Shift Review. You have the option of leaving a rating and giving an explanation. This is to help make the Shift and Run work better for you next time. Don’t worry the Sender won’t see your review - it is for Admin only. Do not leave any comments about payment here as the Shift review is for operational purposes only.

Go People Mates is a place Runners can help each other. Runners within the same Mates group can transfer Shifts to each other. It will be particularly helpful if you cannot attend to a booked Shift due to personal issues. Instead of cancelling the Shift, you can transfer the Shift to someone in the same Mates group. Each Runner can only belong to one Mates group. If you wish to start a Mates group, you will need to finish at least 10 Shifts.

Challenges are incentives or rewards that let you earn extra money or gain additional benefits when you meet the criteria. E.g. the "Friday Incentive Challenge" will reward you with $20 when you finish at least five days of Shifts in one week, including one Friday Shift. All Challenges are located under "Accounts" -> "Challenges". Please make sure you have updated your Runner App to the latest version. How to check progress?

To transfer a Shift to another Runner, you both need to be the same Mates group. What is Mates? You can only transfer a Shift to another Runner at least 30 minutes before the Shift starts. If you miss the cut-off, you will have to cancel it. In order to avoid any issues transfering shifts, please make sure the details of Shift are clearly communicated to the Runner you are transferring to including shift starting time and Sender's requirements, as well as the Shift Runner Service Terms and Conditions.

When you've been allocated several jobs, GoPeople recommends that you use the big "Route Jobs" button at the top of the screen. You'll then be taken to a map screen:  This map screen will show you the all the jobs to be completed. Importantly, it will show you how long the drop-off location is open to (very important in the case that you're delivering to a school or a business), and an estimate of how long it would take you to get there.

When delivering, GoPeople needs to track you at all times. To track you, this means you've got to make sure your GPS is turned on.  Importantly, GPS is used to determine how long you've been in one location, if you're on time (or running early or late) and whether you've followed your route. So if you wish to raise a Dispute (such as a Waiting Fee or EWT accuracy), you need to have your locations services turned on so we can investigate.

Here is the standard procedure to make a successful Contactless delivery. These are designed to ensure a smooth delivery experience for yourself as well as the customers. Arrive at the drop-off location. Find parking and park your vehicle properly. Take the delivery out of your vehicle, and walk to the recipient's front door. Knock on the door or ring the bell. Place the goods on the floor. Stay away from the entrance for at least two meters and wait for the recipients to come out.

Runners have to take a photo as Proof of Delivery (POD) if the recipient isn't present and the parcel hasn't been claimed by anyone else. These photos, if instructed to take them, must be good enough for GoPeople. Basically, they're used by GoPeople to prove to Senders and Recipients that the parcel has been successfully delivered. Here's a quick guide to help you understand when to take a photo, and how to take a photo.

Safe to Leave Guidelines are designed for Runners to follow if delivery has ATL (Authority to Leave) but no one is present at the drop-off location to accept the delivery.  Please make judgement calls based on the following guidelines. Please also follow the delivery instructions if anything specifically is left on the job to overrule the guidelines. Units/Apartments Safe to Leave in the mailbox if it can fit. Safe to Leave the delivery on the top of the mailbox if there are security cameras Safe to Leave the delivery at the front of the unit/apartment door (follow the sender's instructions if there are any special requirements) NOT Safe to Leave the delivery on the top of the mailbox, if it is not inside a secure building NOT Safe to leave if the goods left can be seen from the busy street.

On GoPeople Runners App, there is a built-in SMS feature. This may be useful to notify a recipient regarding the status of the delivery. It’s also a great way to communicate with a recipient who is not at home when you deliver a package or if you are having difficulties gaining access to their place. This is a very simple step-by-step guide on how to send SMS to a recipient using predefined SMS templates.

While you are not required to hold an RSA to deliver alcohol, you must still abide by the responsible service of alcohol (RSA) in a delivery context. Hefty fines apply for providing alcohol to a minor, an intoxicated person or leaving on the premises unsupervised (including to the person delivering the product).   Do not deliver alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 Do not deliver alcohol without a valid photo ID if the recipient looks under 25 years of age.

Sometimes deliveries cannot be completed. (No one’s home, it’s not safe to leave, the patient has been discharged, and there’s no contact number etc.) In this case, you need to inform GoPeople or the Sender as soon as possible. Ideally, inform us in the comment section of the job, so there is a written record of it. You can also request a return in your App (once and only once it’s approved by the Sender).

If you've been unable to successfully deliver an item, and the Sender wishes to have it returned, this is what you should do.  NOTE: If you are unable to return an item, and have a valid reason, please inform GoPeople The Sender wants the item to be returned. You can either request a return (see below) and the Sender or GoPeople Admin can approve it. Or the Sender or GoPeople Admin can book the return for you.

The business is closed but it is before 5pm If this happens, it is very important that you make contact before deciding what to do next. The Recipient may want you to re-deliver it elsewhere but if the Sender (who booked and paid for the delivery through GoPeople) doesn’t approve it, you may not get paid for it. So please make sure you do the right thing by following some simple rules:

The Recipient Is Not Home Nor Picking Up My Calls Firstly please check in the “Notes” section of the job details, and look for “Authorisation to Leave” (ATL). If there is ATL simply leave the goods in a safe spot and take a photoas Proof of Delivery (POD). If there isn’t any ATL, please call the Sender and/or Recipient, asking them what to do. If they do not pick up, you can contact Go People Support on 1300 416 722 or leave a comment in the “Comments” area of the job.

Delivering to a hospital can sometimes be a difficult experience. So here are a few tips to help you make deliveries easier.  Hospital Deliveries Automatically Have Extra EWT When Sender books a hospital delivery, our routing algorithm will give you extra time to complete your delivery or deliveries. In most cases, you'll have 15 minutes extra, and another 5 minutes for every separate delivery after that. I Can't Find A Park Most hospitals will have a Patient Drop-off Zone car park, a space close by to the entrance with lots of spaces for temporary parking.

We would like to highlight the importance of keeping perishable items as fresh as possible while on route from pick-up to drop-off.  Flowers Flowers need to travel in the front or back seat of your car and stay in a fresh environment so make sure you leave the aircon ON at all times during deliveries. The longer the flowers stay in your car the more the risk of spoilage, so please do not place flowers in your boot because, with the heat, they will die (or wilt) very quickly.

Sometimes you arrive at the pick-up and the Sender isn’t ready for several reasons, e.g. the item is still being prepared. Similarly, if you arrive at the drop-off and no one is there and you have no contact number available to assist you, there are a few things you can do. At a residence ask the neighbour, at a hospital ask admissions and at a business ask reception. If that fails, let the Sender or Admin know straight away as they may be able to locate a contact number for you, or an alternate delivery location with ATL.

GoPeople operates in the 5 main Australian states - New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. These states don't have the same laws with regard to Loading Zones, so in this article, the laws will be broken down, state-by-state. In all states, a loading zone will be indicated by the following sign: The arrow indicates where you can park; so in this case, you can only park to the left of that sign.

The Runner Merit Scheme is a program introduced by GoPeople to encourage better and more responsible Runners. Merit points provide a strong motivation to learn the Runner Knowledge Base, follow Sender’s delivery guidelines and become a better Runner. A 'merit' is something that you do well, so a 'demerit' is something that you do bad. A 'merit point' is a point that is taken away from you for doing something bad.

This article explains what you can do when things happen to avoid losing merit points. What to do if a friend wants to work for GoPeople? Do not ask your friend to use your account to do deliveries. Your account can be suspended immediately once found. We have an affiliate program where you can refer your friends to become Runners. Log onto the Runner App, and go into Account -> Invite friends for how it works.

You will only get paid when jobs are completed and confirmed. They can get confirmed by Sender or Recipient, if they don’t, our system will close them automatically 48 hours after the job is done, unless there is a GPS location or POD issues, in this case, an extra day can apply.  Please do not contact client or recipient asking them to confirm the job, they have already received a notification to do so.

Withdrawing money from your GoPeople Account is rather straightforward. However, there are a few conditions when it comes to processing withdrawals. Before that, here are the basic steps to withdrawing money. Open your Runners’ App and then press on the highest tab (which displays the current account balance), then click on withdraw. Then select how much you want to withdraw, and to what bank account. Press submit, and you’re done!

In the 'Account' section of the Runner's App, there's a sub-section called 'Bank Accounts'. This is where you can add bank accounts.  Click on that will take you to this screen, from which you can put in your bank details: Deleting Your Account If you wish to delete an account, you can. Click on 'Edit' in the top-right hand corner, and a red delete symbol will pop up to the left of all entered bank accounts.

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A PAYMENT Please send an email to support@gopeople.com.au with the job number(s) and explain your issue.  HOW DO I GET PAID? You will only get paid when jobs are completed and confirmed. They can get confirmed by Sender or Recipient, if they don’t, our system will close them automatically 48 hours after the job is done, unless there is a GPS location issue, in this case, an extra day can apply.

When you are performing a Shift or completing an on-demand job, the client or the recipient asks to wait because the items are not ready. You can use the "Start Waiting" button on your Runner's App to indicate that you have started waiting. You will be compensated for your waiting times. Payments work slightly different between Shifts and On-demand jobs. How does waiting fee work with Shifts at a pick-up location  If you are performing a 3-4 hour shift, when you arrive at the pick up location and asked to wait, the first 10 mins of the waiting time is included in your EWT allowance, any time after the first 10 mins will be added to your EWT (Estimated Work Time) and getting paid for the final EWT amount.

The Security bond is not mandatory. But by making a Security bond deposit, you are basically telling the clients that you are a genuine Runner. You are serious and committed to the job. It increases your chances of winning jobs. And more importantly, this bond will be used to match the item values that clients are sending to resolve disputes should anything happen during the run. You can withdraw your bond whenever you want.

Every day, GoPeople will automatically email you a Daily Runner Report. The Daily Runner Report will tell Runners: How many jobs you completed How many jobs you delivered late How much you earned (for your completed jobs) The Daily Runner Report isn't an invoice - the amount the report states you've earned is very likely to change. This may be because any disputes, related to an order you delivered, will be sorted out.

Next to your 'Take' button, you will see a number. This Knowledge Base article will explain what your number means, and how it may increase or decrease.  What is the default number of Takes? The default number of 'Takes' for new Runners is 2. If you had signed up as Runner before November 2017, the amount of Takes depends on how good of a Runner you are. What does the number mean?

The ‘Take’ button in the Runner’s App lets you Take a job instead of Applying for it. When you Take a job, you are automatically assigned the job. You can lose your ‘Take’ button if you don’t keep your rating up. This article will explain how to use your ‘Take’ button, and how to get it back again in the unfortunate case that you lose it. HOW THE ‘TAKE’ BUTTON WORKS When you first start working as a Runner, the ‘Take’ button will display a ‘(2)’ next to it in brackets.

GoPeople works closely with Workpro to complete Runner's onboarding process and Australian Police Checks. You will receive an email or text request to complete a Police Check OR you will be physically provided a Token and be provided with a web address to sign-in to complete the application. Step 1: Login or Sign Up If you are sent an email/text request, click on the link and ‘Login/Sign Up’. If you are not yet registered for WorkPro, ‘sign up for an account’.

GoPeople work closely with Workpro to complete Runner's onboarding process.   If you have not used WorkPro before, you will need to create an account to complete your tasks. If you have previously used WorkPro, use the same login credentials you used to sign up. Step 1: Login or Sign Up If you are sent an email/text request, click on the link in the email OR go to www.workpro.com.au, ‘Login/Sign Up’ and choose the Country/Region (AUS or NZ).

Our Senders expect jobs to be delivered on time. We expect you to pick up on time so that you can be part of that commitment.  If you arrive for a Shift more than 10 minutes after it starts you are classified as late. Also, if you arrive more than 30 minutes late Sender has the right to cancel your Shift. If they choose to cancel the Shift, you will be charged the cancellation penalty.

Did you know you can select the suburbs you'd prefer to work in? Once you have selected your preferred areas, you will have a better chance to be sent jobs that have pick-ups or drop-offs in that area. So here's how you choose the areas you wish to subscribe to: Go into the 'Account' section of the Runner's App, and click on 'My areas' Then, start entering your suburbs. Here we have just entered a few suburbs around GoPeople HQ:

If you hold a foreign driving licence, and are driving in Australia, there are rules as to whether or not you have to switch to an Australian driving licence.  There are different rules for different countries. You might be able to swap your licence, or re-do your driving test. If you’re found to be driving on an incorrect licence in Australia, you will get in trouble. You may be fined, or have your driving privileges suspended.

Before working with Go People, make sure you’re eligible to work in Australia.  If you’re an Australian citizen, you don’t need to worry - you have the right to work! All standard forms of visa let you work, except for tourist visas. If you’re on a tourist visa, you can’t work in Australia. To find out more about whether you can work in Australia, read this official ‘Working in Australia’ webpage or contact your lawyer and/or immigration agent (if applicable).

 Sydney Runner could hire a van from the following companies:  Zero Refrigerated Vehicle Rentals. https://www.zerorentals.com.au   All Wheels Refrigerated Truck & Van Rental. https://www.allwheelsrentals.com.au    RTR Refrigerated Truck Rentals. https://rtrtruckrentals.com.au   Budget Trucks Australia. https://www.budgettrucks.com.au/en/fleet/refrigerated-vans    Avis. https://www.avis.com.au/en/trucks/vehicles/au/refrigerated    SCTR. https://sctr.com.au/vehicles/trucks/refrigerated-trucks    Freezy Rentals. https://freezyrentals.com.au    Orix. https://www.orix.com.au/vehicle-rentals  Scully RSV. https://www.scullyrsv.com.au/truck-hire    Melbourne Runner could hire a van from the following companies:  Cool Rentals. https://www.refrigeratedtruckandvanrental.com.au    RTR Refrigerated Truck Rentals. https://rtrtruckrentals.com.au    Melbourne Van Rentals. https://www.

GoPeople and GoGet have terminated the strategic partnership.

If you experience problems with push notifications on a Samsung device, please perform the steps listed below based on the operating system:  Android 12 Disable battery optimization Open the Settings app on your phone. Tap on “Apps” and select GoPeople. Select “GoPeople” and open “Battery”. Select “Unrestricted”. Remove GoPeople from sleeping apps Open the Settings app on your phone. Tap on “Battery and device care > battery > Background usage limits”.