DoorDash is one of the biggest players in the food delivery space – so it’s not surprising that a lot of people are looking for DoorDash hacks.
At the outset, this post is geared toward Dashers that are looking for ways to improve their efficiency and earn more money. For people looking for DoorDash hacks to get free food, unfortunately, there aren’t many. The best things you can do are find promo codes and refer friends for DoorDash credits.
With that being said, here are some DoorDash hacks that can help you earn more money and have a better experience delivering with DoorDash.
1. Multi-App
Perhaps the most important DoorDash hack is to never rely solely on DoorDash. One of the most important features of the gig economy is the flexibility that comes with it. If you want to earn the most possible from these apps, you need to take advantage of this flexibility.
Rather than using a single app, be sure to sign up and use all of them. When I do DoorDash, I always turn on Uber Eats and Grubhub as well, giving me more opportunities to get deliveries and make money. Ideally, you can pick up multiple deliveries going in similar directions, allowing you to stack orders for maximum earnings. It takes practice to understand all the intricacies of multi-apping. But like anything, you get better at it with time.
And don’t be afraid to multi-app with other apps besides food delivery ones. When I’m doing DoorDash, I’ll often incorporate grocery delivery apps (Instacart and Shipt), auditing apps (IVueit, ProxyPics, or WeGoLook), and product review apps (ProductTube). If you’re looking for more gig economy app ideas, check out my post: The Ultimate List Of Gig Economy Apps.
2. Unassign Orders To Avoid Contract Violations
Contract violations are an annoying part of DoorDash. If you do something that violates the DoorDash independent contractor agreement, you are subject to a contract violation, which will be noted in your Dasher app. DoorDash makes clear that if you receive too many contract violations, you are subject to deactivation. As a result, it’s important to do what you can to avoid these contract violations.
The most common contract violation you’ll probably encounter is when you’re late arriving at the restaurant or completing the delivery. When you accept an order, DoorDash gives you an expected pickup time. If you arrive more than 10 minutes after the expected pickup time, you are subject to a contract violation.
Similarly, you also have a 10-minute grace period to deliver the order. Whatever the expected delivery time is, you get 10 extra minutes to deliver it before it’s considered late and subject to a contract violation.
Since contract violations are something you want to avoid, I’ve found that if you’re running late to the restaurant, it’s better to unassign the order rather than arrive late and end up with a contract violation. For me, I’m most likely to run late to a restaurant because I’m multi-apping and end up spending more time than I expected picking up or delivering other orders. If I know I’m going to be more than 10 minutes late, I’ll always unassign the order to avoid the contract violation, rather than arriving late.
Getting one contract violation isn’t the end of the world. But you have to complete 100 eligible deliveries to get rid of a contract violation, so I think it’s best to avoid contract violations altogether, even if that means lowering your completion rate.
Remember that DoorDash could also deactivate you if your completion rate falls below 90%, so you’ll want to make sure you don’t fall below that number either.
3. Unassign Orders That Are Delayed, Slow, Or Aren’t Going Well
As a corollary to the previous point, if you arrive at a restaurant and find that the order is massively delayed or isn’t going well for whatever reason, don’t be afraid to unassign it and move on to another order. You’re only earning money if you’re efficient and completing deliveries, so if you find a restaurant is behind, it may be worth unassigning it and waiting for a better one.
DoorDash does track your completion rate and you’ll need to keep it above 90% to avoid potential deactivation. I usually aim to keep my completion rate around 95% so that I have a buffer to unassign orders if I want.
One nice thing is that DoorDash recently released a feature that allows you to unassign a DoorDash delivery without penalty if the restaurant is taking a long time to complete the order. If you’ve been waiting at the restaurant for a while, you’ll see an option in your Dasher app to unassign the order. You won’t get paid for the order if you unassign it, but it won’t impact your completion rate.
4. Earn Cashback On Gas And Receipts
This is a smaller DoorDash hack, but I think it’s worth sharing with people who aren’t familiar with it. If you do DoorDash, you may accumulate some receipts. Receipts can actually earn you a bit of extra money if you know what to do with them.
For gas receipts, I recommend using an app like Upside. You earn points for your gas receipts, which you can then redeem for cash or gift cards.
Apps like ReceiptPal, Receipt Hog, Fetch, CoinOut, and Amazon Shopper Panel are also great options to earn extra money from receipts. Each time you get a receipt, snap a photo of it with these apps. I can usually earn a few hundred dollars per year from these receipt apps.
Here’s a Fetch referral bonus post if you’re interested in earning some extra points with Fetch.
None of these apps are going to make you rich, but they can help you earn a bit of extra money each year from receipts you’re already getting anyway.
5. Use A Bike To Do DoorDash
One of the nice things about being a Dasher is that you can switch vehicles fairly easily within the app. In the Dasher app under the account screen, you’ll see an option that lets you change the type of vehicle you’re using.
If you’re a driver, I highly recommend adding a bike to your vehicle list as well. Depending on where you live, doing DoorDash with a bike can be more profitable. This is especially true in dense cities, where you’ll be dealing with traffic and parking. For the best of both worlds, consider getting an ebike. In some cities, you can even do DoorDash on foot.
I’ve been delivering with DoorDash on an ebike for years and make more than I would with a car while having a lot more fun too.
6. DoorDash In Other Cities (The DoorDash Vacation)
An underrated aspect of DoorDash is that you can Dash in any city that DoorDash operates in. This is an excellent way to earn some extra income while you’re traveling.
Whenever I go to another city, I’ll almost always turn on my Dasher app and do a few deliveries. Not only does it help me earn some extra income while I’m traveling, but it also gives me a fun way to explore a city.
To get around, I’ll usually check out a bike from the bikeshare system. Most cities have a bikeshare system where you can check out a bike by the hour or for the day. A lot of bikeshare systems have also added ebikes, which make biking much easier.
I think of this as the “DoorDash vacation.” You can go on vacation, explore a new city, and do some DoorDash at the same time.
One reader pointed this out in the comments, but in theory, you could potentially consider all of the meals you have in a new city as a business expense if you’re doing DoorDash in another city. My understanding is that you could deduct 50% of your meals from your earnings. You’ll obviously need to discuss this with a tax professional, but it does seem like a possible DoorDash hack you can take advantage of too.
7. Refer Family Or Friends To DoorDash
A final DoorDash hack to consider is referring people to DoorDash for referral bonuses. DoorDash usually has promotions where you can earn fairly large bonuses if you refer a new Dasher and they complete a certain number of deliveries within a set time.
The best way to do this isn’t necessarily by referring random people though. It’s referring your friends and family instead.
For example, back when Postmates was around, I referred my wife to it and had her do some deliveries to earn the bonus. We made it a fun adventure, biking around the city while she did the deliveries she needed to do to qualify for the bonus. In the end, we earned $50 an hour for our time.
We’ve done the same with Uber Eats and DoorDash when they also had really good referral bonus offers. You can make this a fun and lucrative activity if you do it right.
Final Thoughts
The DoorDash hacks in this post are some of the less common strategies that you can use to improve your efficiency and earn more with DoorDash. Other strategies are fairly obvious – work during peak hours, give good customer service, be strategic with the orders you accept.
The point of this post was to look at some of the other DoorDash hacks you might think about. Wiuth these tips and some experience, you’ll be well on your way to earning more money with DoorDash.
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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 ($800) – 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 $800 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.
While visiting other cities, I heard you could write off the food you eat while dashing. Just something to ask your tax advisor.