Financial Panther

Financial Independence, Side Hustling, and Ebikes

Grubhub Bike Delivery – How It Works And Why You Should Do It

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Doing Grubhub using a bike is one of the best ways to earn extra income – it’s why Grubhub bike delivery is the way I tell most people to do Grubhub. Most people will opt to do Grubhub using a car. Doing your deliveries by bike, in my opinion, is the better way to do it.  

But how do you sign up for Grubhub bike delivery? In contrast to other food delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats, signing up to do Grubhub on a bike is a bit more difficult. That’s because, unlike other food delivery apps, Grubhub limits bike delivery to only a select few markets. It’s a shame they do this, but that’s how it is. 

Fortunately, there are ways around this limitation. In this post, we’ll go over how Grubhub bike delivery works and how to sign up for it even if you live in a market where Grubhub doesn’t offer bike delivery. We’ll also go through some of the advantages of doing Grubhub with a bike.

What Is Grubhub Bike Delivery?

Grubhub is a food delivery service that allows customers to order food from their favorite restaurants and have it delivered to their door. Unlike DoorDash and Uber Eats, Grubhub is actually a fairly old company, first founded in 2004 (before the rise of smartphones). At one point, Grubhub was the largest food delivery service in the United States, but it has since found itself falling behind DoorDash and Uber Eats. 

Grubhub utilizes independent contractors to deliver orders, so anyone can sign up and deliver for Grubhub so long as they can pass the background check, don’t have any major issues in their background report, and have a smartphone and access to a vehicle. 

Grubhub bike delivery, meanwhile, is exactly as it sounds. Rather than delivering food using a car, you deliver food for Grubhub using a bike. If you’re signed up for bike delivery, you’ll receive orders from Grubhub that are tailored towards bikers. The main thing is that they’ll generally be a shorter distance than normal car deliveries.

There is one caveat, however. Grubhub does not offer bike delivery in most markets it operates in. Indeed, on Grubhub’s website, they state that “currently bicycle and scooter deliveries are only supported in certain areas – usually large cities like NYC and San Francisco.” Meanwhile, Grubhub states that they allow car and moped deliveries in all markets.

In practice, most people will only be able to sign up to deliver by bike in New York and San Francisco. I believe you may be able to sign up for bike delivery in Chicago as well. But in most cities, bike delivery isn’t going to be an option. I don’t know why Grubhub is so intent on people using cars to do their deliveries, but that’s how they work. 

How To Do Grubhub Bike Delivery Even If It’s Not Available 

Fortunately, even if Grubhub doesn’t offer bike delivery in your market, it’s likely you can still deliver using a bike. That’s how I do it in my home market. 

To deliver using a bike in a market that doesn’t offer bike delivery, you’ll first need to sign up to deliver using a car. Unfortunately, this means you’ll need to have a car, driver’s license, and valid insurance. Grubhub makes you upload this information when you apply, so there’s no way around that. 

Assuming you have a car, license, and insurance, you’ll be able to get signed up to do Grubhub in a car. Then, instead of using your car, you’ll simply use your bike to do deliveries. Grubhub doesn’t check to make sure you’re doing your deliveries in a car, so even though you’ll be signed up to do deliveries in a car, you can still do your deliveries with a bike. 

I’ve been delivering for Grubhub for years and even though I’m signed up to do deliveries in a car, I’ve never once done a delivery in my car. I always use my bike. 

You will have to be strategic about the orders you accept. Since you’ll be signed up for car delivery, Grubhub may send you orders that are going too far away. You’ll need to reject all of the orders that can’t be reasonably completed with a bike and only accept shorter-distance orders. This isn’t hard to do, especially if you know your market well.

Advantages Of Grubhub Bike Delivery 

Biking has many advantages compared to using a car to do Grubhub. Here are four advantages that come from biking that you can’t get from driving.

  1. You Get Exercise. Doing deliveries in a car is a sedentary activity and not very healthy for you. If you’re like most people, you probably spend a lot of your day sitting already. Being able to bike around and get some exercise in my spare time is a great way to stay in shape. Getting paid to essentially exercise is not bad at all – and you can’t get that with a car.
  2. Low Expenses.  The great thing about biking is that you’ll dramatically reduce your overhead expenses. When you’re doing deliveries using your bike, you don’t have to worry about paying for gas or putting miles on your car. The cost to maintain a bike for an entire year is minimal. Cars, meanwhile, are expensive vehicles that cost you more and more each time you drive them.
  3. You Don’t Have To Worry About Finding Parking. Anyone who has done deliveries in a car knows that it’s a massive pain to find parking in some areas. This makes sense when you think about it. Restaurants tend to be located in busy areas that aren’t particularly friendly to cars. A lot of customers also live in big apartment buildings that don’t have much parking. I love being able to just bike up to the restaurant or customer and walk right in without having to deal with parking.
  4. You’ll Avoid Getting Stuck In Traffic. Traffic is a huge hassle for most people. Worse yet, food delivery tends to coincide with times when traffic is the worst. The delivery rush tends to happen around dinner time, right when people happen to be on the road. But when you’re on a bike, you don’t have to worry about traffic.  It’s an amazing feeling to fly past a long line of cars stuck in traffic. 

Even better than using a regular bike is opting for an ebike or electric scooter. I do almost all of my deliveries using an ebike or scooter and it has dramatically improved my efficiency. Indeed, an ebike could be the best investment you ever make.

Using an ebike or scooter also gives you the best of all worlds. You won’t get tired. You can go as fast as a car can in most cities. And you won’t have to deal with parking, gas, traffic, or all the other costs and headaches that come with a car.

Final Thoughts 

Grubhub bike delivery is an excellent way to earn extra money using your bike. It’s fun, better for the environment, and far more efficient than using a car. 

Grubhub is annoying in that they don’t offer bike delivery in most markets. But it’s easy to get around it so long as you can qualify to sign up to deliver in a car. 

I hope that information was helpful. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or thoughts.

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.
  • 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.
  • Moomoo (15 free stocks and 1 stock of Tesla or Google) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 3 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
  • Webull (12 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 12 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for 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 ($150) - 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.
  • 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.
  • Upgrade ($150) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $150 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 $150 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
  • 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 ($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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
financial panther

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.
  • 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.25% 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.
  • 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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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    If I signed up with grub hub for bike deliveries does that put a limit on what type of deliveries I will receive?

    Reply

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