Online Time vs. Active Time: Which Shows Your Real Hourly Profit?

Compare pay per active hour with pay across your full workday to see what delivery driving actually earns after vehicle costs.

By TRUE Driver Profit · October 7, 2026

Delivery apps may show active time, online time, or trip duration. Those numbers answer different questions. If you want to know what delivery work earned per hour of your day, include the time you spent waiting for offers as well as the time spent completing trips.

What online time and active time mean

Online time usually means the time you are available in an app, including periods when you are waiting for an offer. Active time generally refers to time tied to a particular trip, but platforms define and display it differently. Check the labels and current help information in each app you use.

For example, Uber explains that its active-hour estimate includes time to drive to pickup, wait at pickup, and complete a trip, while an online hour also includes waiting between requests. DoorDash describes active time in its Earn by Time program as beginning when an offer is accepted and ending when that delivery is complete. These are platform-specific definitions; do not assume every app uses the same clock.

Calculate both hourly rates

Use the same earnings total for both calculations, then compare the result:

Gross per online hour = shift earnings ÷ total time online.
Gross per active hour = shift earnings ÷ active delivery time.
Net per online hour = (shift earnings − work costs) ÷ total time online.

Hypothetical example: You earn $120 during a six-hour online shift, with four hours of active trips. That is $20 gross per online hour and $30 gross per active hour. If the shift used 90 miles and your vehicle cost is $0.30 per mile, estimated vehicle cost is $27. Net earnings are $93: $15.50 per online hour or $23.25 per active hour. This example is only a calculation illustration, not an expected earnings claim.

Which number should you use?

Use active time to compare how much an individual trip pays for the time engaged in that trip, when the platform’s definition is clear. Use online time to understand how the whole shift performed, because it includes the gaps between offers. Use net per online hour when deciding whether the workday is meeting your personal income target after vehicle costs.

Neither rate tells the whole story by itself. Online time can include a break or time you were not truly available, so record the hours that reflect how you actually worked. Active time can make a slow shift look stronger by leaving out gaps. For a useful comparison, apply the same method each day and label it clearly.

Keep offer estimates separate from shift results

An offer calculator may estimate profit per hour using that offer’s expected time. That helps you compare the offer. It is not the same as your full-shift earnings per hour, which should include all work time and actual shift expenses. After your shift, compare the app’s earnings record with your own time and mileage notes.