Can you use someone else’s car for DoorDash? You might be asking yourself this question for a variety of reasons. Maybe your car is in the shop, so you need to borrow someone’s car. Or maybe you signed up to drive for DoorDash and don’t even have your own car.Â
The answer is that, for all practical purposes, you can use someone else’s car for DoorDash. Technically, you aren’t supposed to do that, but there’s basically no way for DoorDash to know that you’re using someone else’s car. And since DoorDash is a food delivery service, the type of car you’re using doesn’t really matter (in contrast to Uber or Lyft, where your car is important).Â
In this post, we’ll look a closer look at whether can you use someone else’s car for DoorDash and consider some other options to consider instead of using someone else’s car.Â
Can You Use Someone Else’s Car For DoorDashÂ
When you sign up for DoorDash, you are required to submit your car and insurance information, as well as go through a background check. Technically, that means you are only supposed to use your car and are not allowed to use someone else’s car.Â
However, from a practical perspective, there’s no way for DoorDash to know which car you are using. That means you could use any car you’d like to complete your deliveries.Â
There are a lot of reasons why you might use someone else’s car. You might have a family member that has a more fuel-efficient car, for example. Or maybe your car is damaged and is being repaired. Rather than lose out on your earnings, it might make sense to borrow a car for a bit until you are able to go back to your own car.
Of course, there are insurance considerations to consider if you’re going to use someone else’s car. If you get into an accident while you’re driving someone else’s car, for example, you may have issues with determining whether coverage applies to you. You’ll have to determine whether your situation makes sense to use someone else’s car.
Renting A Car For DoorDashÂ
In addition to using someone else’s car, you could also consider renting a car. DoorDash does explicitly allow you to rent a car to do deliveries. Indeed, they have a partnership with Hertz for Dashers to rent cars, and car-sharing services like HyreCar allow you to rent cars for gig economy work.Â
Whether it makes sense to rent a car will depend on your situation. To make it worthwhile, you have to be doing DoorDash enough to cover the costs of the car rental and make a profitÂ
That being said, one of the things I like about renting a car is that you avoid putting wear and tear on your own car and you get a better view of what your expenses actually are. Cars are interesting because most costs are invisible and it can sometimes be difficult to figure out how much your car actually costs you. Most sources put the cost of operating a car at between 50 cents and 80 cents a mile, so if you drive a lot, your car costs more than you might realize.Â
I wrote a more detailed post about renting a car for DoorDash, so check that post out if you’d like more information on renting a car. You can find the post here: DoorDash Car Rental – Is It Worth Getting A Car Rental For DoorDash.
Using A Bike Instead Of A CarÂ
Another option to consider is to deliver for DoorDash using a bike, rather than using a car. There are a lot of advantages to using a bike. You can avoid traffic and don’t have to worry about parking. Your operating costs will be minimal. And you can even get some exercise while you do DoorDash. Â
If you live in a dense area, you’ll likely make even more money than if you use a car since you’ll be able to move faster and can avoid traffic and parking.Â
Bikes are good too because they don’t require insurance, so any insurance issues with using someone else’s car can be avoided.Â
If you live in a few select markets, you could even opt to walk your DoorDash orders, although this generally isn’t a good option if you’re looking to make a lot of money (I’d only walk orders if I was looking more to enjoy myself or get the experience of walking).
I’ve been writing for years about how biking is the best way to do DoorDash and if my choices were to use someone else’s car or use a bike, I’d always choose to use a bike. If you’re interested in learning more about biking with DoorDash, you can check out the posts I’ve written on this topic below:Â
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, you technically are only supposed to use your own car to do DoorDash, but in reality, you can use someone else’s car if you need to. There are things to consider – primarily insurance considerations to think about, as using someone else’s car while doing DoorDash can muddy things a bit.Â
Rather than using someone else’s car, you could also consider renting a car. And beyond using a car, you could also opt to use a bike, avoiding all the hassles of insurance and the other issues that come with cars.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:
- GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
- Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- GO2Bank ($100) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $100 referral bonus.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($750) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Fifth Third Bank ($225) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Netspend ($40 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $40 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $40 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $750 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
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