Last Updated: November 4, 2025
Using a Shipt mileage tracker is vital for Shoppers to accurately record business miles. Shipt does not track or reimburse your mileage, so it’s up to you to keep accurate records for tax purposes. This guide helps you understand how to track mileage, which apps work best, and how to maximize your tax deductions to boost your earnings.
Table of Contents
Why Shipt Shoppers Need a Mileage Tracker for Tax Deductions
As a Shipt Shopper, you are an independent contractor. This means you are responsible for your own taxes, including deducting business expenses. The most significant write-off for Shipt drivers is often mileage. Accurately tracking your miles can save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars each tax year.
The IRS Mileage Rate and Its Impact
The IRS allows you to deduct either the actual cost of operating your vehicle or use the standard mileage rate. This rate covers fuel, maintenance, and depreciation. Most Shipt drivers find the standard mileage deduction simpler and more beneficial than tracking actual expenses. However, without a reliable mileage tracker, you risk missing out on these substantial savings.
What Counts as a Business Mile for Shipt?
Understanding what qualifies as a business mile is key to maximizing your Shipt mileage deduction. The IRS considers many of your driving activities for Shipt as deductible, such as:
- Driving to the store after accepting a Shipt order.
- Driving from the store to the customer’s delivery location.
- Driving between multiple Shipt orders if you have back-to-back deliveries.
- Driving from a delivery location to a “hotspot” where you expect to pick up new orders.
- Trips to pickup supplies like insulated bags or other items essential for your Shipt work.
- Trips to refueling, repairs, or maintenance of your car.
Remember, the goal is to clearly separate your business driving from your personal driving. This distinction is crucial for IRS compliance.
Top Mileage Tracking Apps for Shipt Drivers
Today’s market offers many excellent mileage tracker apps designed specifically for gig economy workers like Shipt Shoppers. These apps automate the tracking process, making it easy to keep accurate records. Recent reviews and user feedback consistently highlight a few top contenders.
Key Features of Leading Mileage Trackers
Most top-rated apps share common benefits that make them indispensable for Shipt drivers.
- Automatic trip tracking: These apps use your phone’s GPS to record your drives as they happen, often with “set it and forget it” convenience.
- IRS-compliant reporting: They generate detailed reports that meet IRS requirements. Crucial if you ever face an audit.
- Distinguishing work from personal miles: You can easily categorize trips with a swipe or tap, ensuring only business miles are deducted. Some apps, like MileageWise, do this automatically.
Comparing the Best Mileage Tracker Options
Let’s look at some of the most popular choices and what makes them stand out.
These apps serve many thousands of users each, showing their widespread adoption among gig workers. This adoption is no accident; these tools simplify a complex part of self-employment.
These apps serve many thousands of users each, showing their widespread adoption among gig drivers. This adoption is no accident; these tools simplify a complex part of self-employment.
Advanced Mileage Tracking with MileageWise for Shipt Shoppers
Accurate mileage tracking isn’t just about logging trips; it’s about doing so in a way that stands up to IRS scrutiny. MileageWise offers robust tools to ensure your Shipt mileage deduction is maximized and audit-proof.
MileageWise understands the unique needs of gig economy workers like Shipt Shoppers. The app and dashboard offer solutions for different needs, offering solutions to any situation you’re in: from mileage tracking to acing your audit.
Mobile App for Mileage Tracking
- Automatic Mileage Tracking: Detects every Shipt delivery run, so no trip gets missed.
- Quick Setup: Start tracking in minutes and focus on completing orders instead of complicated onboarding.
- Ad-Free & Privacy-Focused: No ads or unnecessary permissions—just secure, accurate tracking..
- Backup Mileage Capture: Rebuilds missed miles in case of patchy signal or minor device issues.
- Flexible Routing/Distance Calculations: Choose between exact routes or optimized distance calculation.
- Routing Integration with Waze: Navigate to drop-offs with Waze while MileageWise logs your trips.
- Expense Tracking Integration: Keep gas and delivery expenses organized for easy tax filing at year-end.
Dashboard for a Retroactive Mileage Log
- Google Maps Timeline Integration: Import your Google Location History to recover drives from busy delivery days.
- AI-Powered Mileage Wizard: Automatically rebuilds past Shipt routes into complete, IRS-ready mileage logs. Works with fragmented data and caters to user preferences.
- IRS Compliance Auditor: Reviews your log for IRS standards and identifies potential red flags so your deductions are always audit-proof.
- Bulk Client & Trip Import: Upload saved delivery locations or frequent routes in one go for smoother management.
- Comprehensive Trip Management: Categorize trips, manage recurring drives, and edit logs in batches to save hours of manual work.
Try MileageWise for free for 14 days. No credit card required!
Automatic Mileage Tracker App
AI Logs & Google Timeline Import
A Shopper’s Story: Finding the Perfect Shipt Mileage Tracker
I’ve been shopping and delivering for Shipt for over a year, and while the job is flexible, tracking my miles used to be a nightmare. I’d forget to log drives, and at tax time, I had no idea how many miles were actually deductible. I tried a few mileage apps, but most missed trips or bombarded me with ads. Then I found MileageWise, and it’s been a game-changer.
The automatic tracking starts when I begin my deliveries and stops when I’m done—no manual effort needed. It even has a backup mileage capture feature for the days I forget to open the app. I love that it’s ad-free and privacy-focused, and setting it up took just a few minutes. Now I can focus on orders, knowing my drives are being logged accurately in the background. MileageWise turned one of the most stressful parts of gig work into something effortless.
Conclusion
As a Shipt Shopper, tracking your mileage is not an option; it’s a necessity for smart financial management. A reliable Shipt mileage tracker helps you meet IRS requirements, reduce your taxable income, and maximize your take-home pay.
Don’t leave money on the table. Invest in a mileage tracker app.
FAQ
Does Shipt track or reimburse my mileage?
No. Shipt treats shoppers as independent contractors and does not automatically track or reimburse mileage. You’re responsible for keeping your own mileage log for tax purposes and reimbursements/deductions.
How do I track mileage while shopping with Shipt?
You can use a spreadsheet or install an automatic mileage tracker to track your miles during your shift. See this video by Justin Maxwell that elaborates on this question.
Do I need to record my odometer readings on my mileage log?
While per-trip odometer readings aren’t required when using the standard mileage rate, it’s smart to record annual odometer readings (beginning and end of year) to substantiate total vs. business miles.
How Can I Be Sure My Mileage Log is IRS-Compliant?
An IRS-compliant mileage log needs specific details for each trip:
- Date of the trip.
- Starting and ending location.
- Purpose of the trip (e.g., Shipt Grocery Delivery).
- Total miles driven.
- Beginning and ending odometer readings of the year.
Good mileage tracker apps automate much of this. MileageWise’s IRS Compliance Auditor automatically checks logs against these requirements and flags potential issues, giving you peace of mind.
