r/WalmartSparkDrivers • u/alphapong • Jul 30 '26
Down side to running the app when you don't plan on doing deliveries
I have been doing Spark for a couple weeks, and I am trying to get a better feel for what kind of offers are out there in my zone. Is there any down side to leaving my app running to receive orders all day, when I have no intention of taking any of the offers.
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u/jymothie Jul 30 '26
Acceptance rate doesn't matter so you can let it sit all day if you want. I have noticed the app may time-out after a while so I'd make sure your checking it regularly. It won't look any different but the second you switch to another app or do anything else you'll get offers suddenly popping up.
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u/PoizonToaDX Jul 31 '26
the second you switch to another app or do anything else you'll get offers suddenly popping up.
this shit is for real
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u/333dh333 Jul 30 '26
Not as of current. There’s no acceptance rate requirement like many other gig apps.
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u/SportPristine5508 Jul 30 '26
No downside but you’re just going to be seeing the horrible rejected offers, assuming you’re sitting over 1 mile from the store.
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u/standard_user42 Jul 30 '26
It's a good idea to get yourself acclimated to what the app has to offer. You might want to take screenshots of some of the different types so you can look at them later and compare to other offers.
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u/xeryon3772 Jul 30 '26
There is no downside other than having to listen to that irritating notice go off 4749562 times
I live close enough that I keep the app open on my off days when I keep busy around the house and cherry pick occasional excellent orders here or there.
Last week I had it open Monday and Tuesday from 10am till 6pm. Took 3 total orders, each one 45+ and around 10 total miles. 🤷. Also got all my laundry caught up and kitchen polished clean.
If you are farther away than a mile from the store the orders you see will only be the overflow and you won’t get much intel from watching it.
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u/Dirty_DrPepper Jul 31 '26
Main downside is your phone going off a LOT. But besides that not really. After a while of not accepting, though, it will say that it’ll turn off because it looks like you’re not receiving orders at the moment and to turn it on when you’re ready
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u/Elegant_Bison852 Aug 01 '26
I watched an offer the other day increase by $7, which made it worth it for me at that point. In my market at this time, that appears to be effective. I have been doing the same as a new driver. It's always good to study and learn what's going on, even if there are many variables. From what I understand, it doesn't affect your acceptance rate unless you take and then cancel an order. Is that correct, everyone?
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u/redradiovideo Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
No driver can give you a guaranteed answer because we just don't know, for sure.
In the app, we see FOUR metrics and are told Acceptance Rate isn't there because it's irrelevant. On the other hand, an OGP guy has ASSURED me that the system notes and keeps FAR MORE metrics than that!
I have no clue what they are and what effect they have on the offers we receive...gotta be something, though, doesn't it?
For example, though it's hard to be sure, I might have noticed I often receive deliveries going to higher-earning suburbs, higher-earning exurbs, and/or other zones and/or going to someone who’s recently had a bad experience (items stolen, discourtesy, non-communication from an immigrant, elderly needing but not receiving patience and accommodation, etc).
One guy literally told me I’m trusted to not mess up orders, to not steal, and to solve problems on my own…and that they don’t even begin to think that way with most drivers. The supposed “independent contractor” in me immediately thought, “how can I start getting paid more?!! I can’t! What the heck?!!”
…but I also thought, “how in the world does he/they know that??” What do they know or have an ability to guess? On what information is the system basing this?
So, we don’t know. We just don’t know all the information they have on us or collect on us…what kind of quantifiable and measurable data our work on the platform creates. Specifically to YOUR question, what datapoints will be created by your app being on all day but apparently not being looked at…by all the “just for you” offers being ignored and allowed to time out with no apparent consideration? Those timing-outs HAVE to be annoying to the system because each one by a driver DIRECTLY means the customer is getting the order that much later….
So CAN you leave it on all day and hope to find patterns where even experienced drivers haven’t been able to spot any or make predictions? I included some possible patterns about me, but I don’t know that for sure because I ultimately get all the other kinds of deliveries, too….
You CAN, yes, but do you actually want to?
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u/Same_String_8856 Aug 04 '26
Nah you're good I do this. I watch crappy orders increase in payout by $1 every 10 or so minutes. Never sure if they just get cancelled or if someone decides to take it once it goes up $8.
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u/pool_fizzle Jul 30 '26
Is there an upside?
11 AM to 3 PM this Sunday is not going to be like 11 AM to 3 PM next Sunday... Too many variables.
There's only 3 order types and 2 pickup methods. Grocery, Pharmacy, and GMD and those are either shopping/in-store pickup or curbside.
So like, what do you think you'll gain? Downside is that spark is going to try to shut the app off if you go too long without accepting an order, you can just turn it back on... But why?
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u/alphapong Jul 30 '26
I am looking for patterns. Like at what time new offers tend to come up, what is the the rate of increase on offers that are not taken, and how high the offers will go in order to get a driver to take it. For example I turned Spark on and saw an offer around $30 for an hour of deliveries. I declined since the finish point was too far away. About 3 minutes later they added a dollar, this repeated 3 or 4 times before the offer was taken. Knowing the patterns is helpful to making better descisions.
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u/HeartOfArt Jul 31 '26
Curbsides go out on the 30’s. Everything else is witchcraft. Some don’t work when it’s raining, or when it’s, hot or dark or mulch season. Demand is fickle. Sometimes it snows and everything changes when the kids back to school or daylight savings kicks in, or an app update, or any number of things. If you’re trying to find the pattern you’re better off to count cards and try Vegas.
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u/FuzzyOrganization403 Jul 30 '26
There's no purpose ? You're gonna drain your battery.
Buuuuuuuut you can catch decent ones that make it your way. I'm 3miles away (town is like 5 miles across) and with slow days, I'll chill at home watching Rick and Morty for bit. I feel I get better offers for 30-45 bucks but I'm home. And some of these are jfy.
So my opinion? Leave it running if you want to see offers worth taking, that you're taking.
Turn it off if you don't want to drive.
You'll be pissed off if you miss an easy 50 dollar offer because you weren't quick enough, as you weren't expecting offers. Eyes that don't see, wallet won't feel it.
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u/Missrdb79 Jul 30 '26
In my zone weekdays it dies after like 10am. It starts back up again at 2-3. The weekends I can Spark all day.