How to price an errand so a runner says yes fast

When you post an errand on erruns, runners nearby see it and decide whether to offer. The single biggest factor in how quickly someone accepts isn't the time of day or the distance — it's the offer you set. Price it well and you'll often have runners competing for it within minutes. Price it too low and it quietly sits, ignored.

Here's how to land on a number that's fair to you and attractive to a good runner — without overpaying.

Start with the runner's real effort, not the task

A "quick" errand is rarely quick for the person running it. A 10-minute pharmacy pickup might mean 25 minutes of travel, a queue, and the trip back. Before you set a price, picture the whole round trip:

• Travel time — both ways, in real city traffic.
• Time on the task — queuing, choosing items, waiting.
• Effort & care — heavy bags, fragile items, or anything that needs judgment.
• Out-of-pocket costs — fuel, parking, or load — separate from your offer and any item costs you reimburse.

A fair offer respects the runner's whole trip — not just the minutes spent on the task itself.

Rough starting points

These are ballpark ranges to anchor against, not fixed rates — adjust for distance, urgency, and effort:

• Quick local pickup (prescription, documents) — ₱100–150
• Grocery run (a short list, nearby) — ₱150–250
• Wait in line / queue for you — ₱150–300 depending on how long
• Multi-stop or bulky delivery — ₱250–450
• Skilled home service (massage, nails, car care) — set by the pro's listing, not a quick offer

Five things that get an errand picked up faster

1. Match urgency with the offer

"ASAP" competes with every other run a runner could take right now. If you need it urgently, nudge the offer up a little — you're asking someone to drop what they're doing.

2. Write a clear, specific task

"Pick up my prescription at Mercury Drug, Glorietta — it's prepaid, just need it collected before 6pm" gets a yes far faster than "buy medicine." Clarity lowers the runner's risk, and lower risk means they'll accept for a fairer price.

3. Don't bury costs

Be upfront about item costs you'll reimburse versus the runner's fee. Runners avoid errands where the money feels unclear.

4. Bundle sensibly

Two stops on the same street is efficient and worth a small premium. Five errands across the city in one post is a hard sell — split them.

5. Build a reputation as a great poster

Tip well, rate fairly, and communicate. Runners remember good posters, and your future errands get picked up faster because of it.

What about overpaying?

You rarely need to. Because runners offer and you choose, a fair price usually attracts several people — and you pick the one whose profile and rating you trust. Set a reasonable number, watch the offers come in, and let the marketplace do the rest.

Ready to hand something off? Get the erruns app and post your first errand in under a minute.