Does DoorDash deliver groceries? The answer is yes, DoorDash does deliver groceries. While apps like Instacart and Shipt are typically better suited for grocery delivery, customers can order groceries via DoorDash and Dashers can deliver groceries too.
So how does grocery delivery work? In this post, we’ll go over how the grocery delivery process works with DoorDash and what you can do to make sure your grocery order goes smoothly. If you’re a Dasher, we’ll also discuss whether it’s worth accepting grocery delivery orders from DoorDah.
Does DoorDash Deliver Groceries?
While DoorDash is known more for restaurant deliveries, you can order groceries with DoorDash from participating grocery stores and big box stores such as Walmart and Target. Customers can also place orders from convenience stores like Walgreens and CVS. You can also order items from smaller convenience stores like 7/11. Some gas stations will also allow customers to order from them with DoorDash.
As for how it works, as a customer, you’ll look up the store you want to order from in the DoorDash app and select your items. Your grocery delivery request will then get sent out to available Dashers. Most of the time, Dashers will be responsible for shopping for your order. That means the Dasher will go to the store, find the items you requested, pay for the items, and then deliver the items to your location. Since Dashers usually have to shop for your order, it does take a little more time compared to ordering from a restaurant, where the Dasher only needs to pick up your order.
Some stores may also have it set up where the store picks and prepares the items in advance, then hands them off to the Dasher when they arrive. In my experience, these types of orders usually apply to small convenience stores and gas stations (think places like 7/11 and Holiday gas stations). For example, here’s a delivery I did where the customer ordered a can of Red Bull from a gas station. When I arrived, the order was already prepared for me to pick up.
When ordering groceries from DoorDash, it’s important to note that the prices in the DoorDash app may not match the prices in the store. Any sales that the store is offering also likely will not apply. DoorDash Dashers are instructed not to provide customers with the physical receipt they receive from the store, so you won’t know what the prices are in the store when you receive your order.
Tips For Customers When Ordering Groceries With DoorDash
DoorDash grocery deliveries are a little different from normal restaurant deliveries, primarily because most Dashers will have to shop and pay for the order. Since Dashers have to shop for the order, it’ll take more time for the Dasher and require more work on their part.
Here’s an example video of when I did a grocery delivery order from a local grocery store. This order was a bit more difficult because I couldn’t find an item and had to ask a store employee for help.
Here’s another one where I delivered some stuff from Target to a customer. This one also came with some interesting challenges because the customer asked me to add an item for them that they had forgotten.
As a Dasher, I’m usually hesitant to accept grocery delivery orders because of the added time and complication that often comes with it. If you’re a customer ordering groceries with DoorDash, I recommend following these tips to help ensure the smoothest grocery delivery experience.
1. Tip Appropriately
DoorDash does tend to pay Dashers more for grocery deliveries, but it’s not usually much. If you’re ordering grocery delivery, it’s important to provide a good tip to compensate your Dasher for the added time it takes to shop for your order.
Of course, tipping is not mandatory, but without a tip, it may take longer for a Dasher to accept your grocery order. That’s because if the order isn’t paying much, many Dashers won’t accept your order, which means it’ll sit there for a while until DoorDash raises the pay enough to make it worthwhile.
2. Keep Your Phone With You Or Allow Automatic Substitutions
One of the most frustrating parts of doing DoorDash grocery delivery is when the customer isn’t responsive when I contact them. When Dashers shop for a customer’s order, sometimes the requested item won’t be available. Dashers need to scan each item they pick up and if the item isn’t exactly the same as what the customer requested, the app won’t let it go through. This is true even if the difference between the scanned item and the requested item is only slightly different.
In situations where the item isn’t available, Dashers will need to contact the customer to get approval on a substitute item (or cancel the requested item entirely). That means when you place a grocery delivery order as a customer, you should keep your phone with you and respond to messages from your Dasher quickly. Otherwise, they’ll be forced to wait at the store for you to respond, causing them to waste more time. For Dashers, time is money, so being stuck at a grocery store waiting for a customer is not ideal.
3. Try To Keep Your Grocery Delivery Orders Simple
Keeping grocery orders simple is the best thing you can do when it comes to ordering groceries with DoorDash. Since Dashers need to shop for the order, it makes shopping faster for them if the order is simple.
If you can, try to keep your grocery orders to only a few items. If you do need to order a lot of things, try to make sure they’re easy-to-find items. And of course, make sure to keep your phone near you so that you can respond to any substitution requests.
Should You Accept DoorDash Grocery Orders?
As a Dasher, should you accept grocery delivery orders? I’m generally hesitant to accept grocery orders because of how much longer they take. If the order is a lot of items, I almost always will reject it, even if the order is paying well. That’s because the more items that are involved, the more things that can go wrong. Inevitably, these orders take much longer than you’d expect.
If the order is only a few items, I will accept it if the order is going where I want to go and is paying decently well. Most of the time, that means I’m accepting orders from places like CVS or Walgreens, where customers are typically only ordering a few items and I know I’ll be able to find the items fairly easily. For the most part, I’ll reject orders from traditional grocery stores because I always have trouble finding items in a grocery store.
My advice is to stick to smaller orders, as those will usually be easy to complete. Whether the order is paying enough will be up to you to decide. I’d avoid larger orders just because of the added hassle, especially if it’s an order from a traditional grocery store. In my experience, places like Target are good at directing you to the correct aisles where the items are located, but many grocery stores don’t give you any information about where an item is located, which means you’ll waste a lot of time walking around the store.
Final Thoughts
DoorDash does deliver groceries. Grocery deliveries require more work from Dashers because most of the time, the Dasher has to shop and pay for the order using the DoorDash Red Card.
For customers, the most important things you can do are tip well to compensate Dashers for the extra time it takes to shop for the order and perhaps more importantly, keep your phone nearby and be responsive to inquiries or substitution requests from your Dasher. I know that as a Dasher, it makes my life much easier when the customer responds quickly to any messages or substitutions I send to them.
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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – 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 Ebike – 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.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R 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 just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares 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 shares using Webull.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- 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.
- Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – 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.
- 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 ($900) – 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.
- GO2Bank ($50) - 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 $50 referral bonus.
- 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.
- 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 ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 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 $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 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.
- Empower. 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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