Major pay raise for independent couriers

Significant changes have been made to the fee schedules for independent couriers involved in market and food delivery. With increases ranging from 27 percent to 47 percent applied to package and hourly earnings, the lowest hourly earnings bracket has been set at 51 lira for weekdays between 14:00 and 17:00, while rates after 02:30 at night have risen to as much as 92 lira. On Sundays, the highest hourly earnings have reached 100 lira.

Substantial increases have also occurred in the earnings for single and multiple order deliveries. While it is observed that compensation for multiple orders has been raised by 24 to 47 percent, the amounts paid per bulk order now start at 25.5 lira and go up to 50 lira.

Adjustments have been made to the per-kilometer fees couriers receive based on the distance of their deliveries. Payment for the first 3 kilometers has risen to 6.5 lira, for distances between 3 and 5 kilometers to 6.7 lira, and for packages between 5 and 6 kilometers, the fee has increased to 7.1 lira. For deliveries of 6 kilometers and beyond, 7.8 lira is paid. Additionally, during the winter period, an extra 30 lira has been included in payments for orders exceeding 6 kilometers as part of a promotional campaign.

Incentives have also been increased for couriers who meet their daily order quotas. A courier who completes 20 orders in a day will receive 620 lira, while one who delivers 24 orders will receive 760 lira. As the number of orders increases, the amount to be paid rises incrementally; for 82 orders, this amount reaches 4,400 lira.

NEW INCOME LEVEL FOR INDEPENDENT COURIERS

For an independent courier who delivers an average of 42 packages per week, weekly earnings reach approximately 29,400 lira, and hourly income reaches 452 lira. This pace brings the total monthly turnover to 117,600 lira. It is noted that these figures are even higher for couriers who work longer hours.

Unregistered income and invoice practices continue to be a subject of debate. Among independent couriers, the buying and selling of invoices through illegal means to avoid tax burdens is becoming widespread. For example, tax evasion is being facilitated by supporting 100,000 lira invoices issued to food companies with non-existent expenses. By paying a fee of 2-3 percent for invoices issued via commission, high amounts of income can be earned with less tax. This situation causes significant tax losses.

Furthermore, the tendency for couriers to work without invoices in some of their side jobs persists. Especially in requests coming from businesses not affiliated with e-commerce platforms, when looking at short distances, figures such as 100 lira per delivery are received, and because no invoice is issued, the tax liability is completely eliminated.

Although the high earnings may appear to be a financial advantage, many independent couriers face financial difficulties because they do not pay regular Bağ-Kur premiums or taxes. For this reason, some couriers are switching to subcontracting firms to avoid the debt burden, while entrepreneurs are waiting for BAĞ-KUR premium amnesties or tax debt restructuring. However, the persistence of these problems in the long term poses a risk to the sustainability of the courier sector.