The DoorDash activation kit is a set of items that DoorDash sends you after you sign up to be a DoorDash driver. Your activation kit includes most of the things you’ll need to start Dashing.
I first signed up for DoorDash way back in 2016, and back then, you didn’t get an activation kit in the mail. Instead, you had to go to an in-person orientation where a DoorDash employee would walk you through how the DoorDash app works, then give you a delivery bag and a DoorDash red card before manually activating your account.
A lot has changed since I signed up to be Dasher all those years ago. These days, you no longer have to do an in-person orientation. Instead, DoorDash walks you through how to use the app online, then mails you a DoorDash activation kit. It makes signing up to be a Dasher much easier than it used to be – you don’t even have to leave your couch to sign up anymore.
You might be wondering what exactly is the DoorDash activation kit. In this post, we’ll look at what the DoorDash activation kit is and answer a few questions related to it.
What Comes In The DoorDash Activation Kit?
The DoorDash activation kit typically comes with three things: (1) a DoorDash delivery bag, (2) a DoorDash red card, and (3) a welcome manual that gives you basic directions on how to download the Dasher app and set up your account.
During the pandemic, DoorDash also started sending new Dashers a DoorDash branded face mask and a small tube of hand sanitizer. I’m not sure if DoorDash still includes those items in the DoorDash activation kit, so if anyone has recently received the activation kit, please feel free to let me know in the comments.
Let’s take a closer look at each item in the DoorDash activation kit:
1. DoorDash Delivery Bag
The DoorDash delivery bag is a red insulated bag with the DoorDash logo on it. It’s a good beginner bag if you just need something to hold food.
If you use a bike to do deliveries as I do, eventually you’ll need to upgrade to a delivery backpack, but if you do your deliveries using a car, you can probably stick with using the included DoorDash delivery bag (and if you deliver with other apps like Uber Eats or Grubhub, you can also use this bag to deliver with those apps too).
Getting the delivery bag for free is a nice benefit because you’d otherwise have to pay a few dollars to get an insulated food delivery bag.
2. DoorDash Red Card
The DoorDash Red Card is a company debit card that DoorDash provides to Dashers. Most orders on DoorDash are prepaid, so you won’t need to use the Red Card, but there are a few restaurants where you may have to place the order yourself or pay for the order using your Red Card.
If you get an order like this, DoorDash will automatically load the required amount onto the card, which you then use to pay for the order. It’s important to note that the Red Card can only be used when you have a delivery that requires the card, so don’t think you can start using it to buy things for yourself.
You’ll also need to activate the Red Card in the Dasher app before you can log in and accept deliveries. You’ll find some sources online that seem to suggest you can start Dashing without a Red Card, but I don’t think this is right. That’s because a few years ago, I had an issue where my Red Card expired and I wasn’t able to log into the Dasher app until my new Red Card arrived. It didn’t seem to matter that I wouldn’t need the Red Card for the vast majority of my deliveries – DoorDash simply wouldn’t let me log into the app until I had activated my new Red Card.
That being said, maybe things have changed over the past year. I know that in the past, DoorDash made you confirm that you had your Red Card before you could start a dash, but it no longer makes you do that anymore. This change may mean you no longer need to have an active Red Card to start dashing.
3. DoorDash Welcome Manual
The last thing that comes in the DoorDash activation kit is a welcome manual (it’s really more of a welcome pamphlet). This manual provides basic information about how to use the app and how to activate your Red Card. It also gives you information on how to link your bank account so you can get paid.
Can I Start DoorDash Without The Activation Kit?
I’ve found conflicting reports about whether you can start DoorDash without the activation kit. On the one hand, the DoorDash help section seems to say that you have to complete a delivery before you can even request the DoorDash activation kit, which would suggest that you can do deliveries without the activation kit.
That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, however. First, I don’t see why DoorDash would make you complete a delivery before you can even get your delivery items. And second, I recall that when you sign up, you request the activation kit during the signup process. Indeed, elsewhere on the DoorDash website, it seems to suggest that you request your activation kit during the signup process.
Several years ago, my wife signed up to be a Dasher and she couldn’t start her first delivery until her activation kit arrived and she activated her Red Card in the Dasher app. And as I mentioned previously, I had an issue a few years ago where my Red Card expired and I had to wait for my new card to arrive before I could start Dashing again.
That being said, things might have changed, especially since the Dasher app no longer makes me confirm that I have my Red Card before I start a dash.
How To DoorDash Without The Activation Kit
As I mentioned in the previous section, there seems to be some conflicting information about whether you need to have the activation kit to start dashing. Part of the DoorDash website seems to suggest you can dash without the activation kit. My personal experience was that I couldn’t start dashing without an active Red Card.
That was a while ago though and there have been some changes in the Dasher app that suggest you could start dashing without the activation kit.
In practical terms though, it doesn’t matter. You can try to dash without the activation kit. If it works, great. If not, wait until your activation kit arrives, then start dashing.
Conclusion
Of the three big food delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub), DoorDash is the only one that sends new delivery people a free delivery bag. Uber Eats and Grubhub both only send you their respective company debit cards. They don’t send a delivery bag to new drivers.
Getting a free delivery bag is a fairly nice benefit. It saves you a little bit of money since you can use this delivery bag, not only for DoorDash but also for any other delivery apps you’re working for.
Hopefully, this post addresses some of the major questions about the DoorDash activation kit. If you want to share your recent experience with the activation kit, please feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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 ($10) – 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 $10 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.
- 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.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($100) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 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.
- Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on January 31, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before January 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- OnJuno ($60) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $10 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and make a deposit of $50 or more. You will also get 1000 JCOIN. The 1000 of JCOIN is cryptocurrency. At the time I'm writing this, it'll be worth about $50. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
- 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.
- 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.
- Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
- Netspend ($20 + 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 $20 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 $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
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.
- DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 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.
- Novo Bank. 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. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
- 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 $10 for opening an account.
- 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.
I can confirm that you CAN Dash now w/o a Red Card in fact when you sign up they tell you to complete 1 Dash before you will be sent the Kit. I have been Dashing for a week now and have yet to receive my starter Kit. They have not forced me to activate the Red Card yet so when I get it I may not activate it as I do not want the hassle of using it. I have been getting PLENTY of delivery offers without it.