How Old Do You Have To Be To Grubhub? (And Why Grubhub Is Perfect For Young People)

How old do you have to be to Grubhub? It’s a question you might be asking yourself if you’re young and are looking for a side hustle to bring in some extra income.

Here’s the answer. To deliver for Grubhub, you must be at least 19 years old. Other than meeting the minimum age requirement, there’s not much else you need to do Grubhub.

how old do you have to be to grubhub

In this post, we’ll go into some more detail about the requirements to become a Grubhub driver. I’ll also explain why I think Grubhub is a great side hustle or money maker for any young person looking for a way to earn more money in their free time.

How Old Do You Have To Be To Grubhub?

As noted already, to deliver for Grubhub, you have to be at least 19 years old. This is different from DoorDash, which only requires you to be 18 years old, or Uber Eats, which requires you to be 19 years old if delivering by car, but lets you deliver on a bike if you’re 18 years old.

If you’re 19 years old, you’ll be able to sign up for Grubhub and all of the other major food delivery apps. If you’re still 18, you’ll need to wait on Grubhub and sign up for DoorDash and Uber Eats as a biker.

In addition to meeting the 19-year-old minimum age requirement, Grubhub also requires you to meet the following requirements:

Access to a car
Valid driver’s license and auto insurance (or valid state ID if you’re biking)
Smartphone
Pass the Grubhub background check

Most people won’t have trouble meeting these requirements although the background check can be problematic if you have a criminal history or issues with your driving record. For example, if you have a DUI, you likely won’t be able to pass the Grubhub background check.

Why Grubhub Is The Perfect Side Hustle For Young People

I’m a huge fan of Grubhub and think it’s one of the best side hustles for young people, especially if you’re still in college or are a recent graduate. Grubhub didn’t exist back when I was in college, but you can be sure that if it had, I would have definitely signed up for it.

Below are four reasons why I think Grubhub is a great side hustle for young people.

1. Flexibility

The main reason delivering for Grubhub works is that it comes with great flexibility. You can log in and accept deliveries whenever you want, work for as much or as little as you want, and accept or reject any delivery requests that come your way.

This flexibility means that you can fit Grubhub around your schedule. If you have time during the day, simply log into the app, do some deliveries, and make some extra money. It doesn’t matter when you have spare time either. As long as people are ordering food, you can do Grubhub. That makes it particularly well suited for young people and students, who often have odd schedules and some extra time on their hands.

2. You Don’t Technically Need To Use A Car

Grubhub is a bit interesting compared to the other food delivery apps. While the other apps let you sign up to deliver with a bike in almost any market, Grubhub limits bike delivery to only a few select markets – namely New York and San Francisco. For most people, it would seem you can only deliver for Grubhub using a car.

However, while you might only be able to sign up to deliver with a car, nothing is stopping you from completing your deliveries with a bike. I’m technically signed up for Grubhub as a car driver, but I’ve never done any deliveries using my car.

You’ll have to be more strategic about the orders you accept because Grubhub will still send you orders that are designed for cars, but as long as you pick orders that you can complete on a bike, you can still do Grubhub on a bike even if you’re signed up as a car driver.

Using a bike comes with a lot of advantages too. First, you can save a lot of money since bikes are far cheaper to operate than cars. Second, if you work in a dense area, you’ll be able to save a lot of time by avoiding traffic and not having to deal with parking. If you’re young, there’s a good chance you even live in a dense area that’s better suited for biking than for driving.

You aren’t limited to only using a traditional bike either. My brother often does his deliveries using a skateboard. I’ve transitioned towards doing most of my deliveries using an electric bike or electric scooter.

Try out various modes of transportation and see what works best for you.

3. The Reverse Latte Factor And The Power Of Compounding

Becoming a Grubhub Driver can be very valuable financially thanks to a concept that I call the Reverse Latte Factor. There’s a concept in personal finance called the Latte Factor (coined by David Bach, who wrote a great personal finance book called The Automatic Millionaire). The idea behind the Latte Factor is that we spend small amounts of money daily on things that we don’t really notice. If we save and invest that money, it can add up to hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars if given enough time.

The Reverse Latte Factor takes that idea and applies it in reverse. Instead of saving small amounts, what happens if we earn small amounts of extra money and save it? It turns out that it can add up to a lot of money.

Consider this. Earning an extra $10 per day means you’ll end up with $3,650 by the end of the year. If you invest that amount each year for 30 years and average a 7% annual rate of return, you’ll end up with over $368,000. Double it to $20 per day and you’re looking at over $735,000. Save $30 per day, and you’ll end up a millionaire – just from 30 dollars a day.

When you’re young, compounding can be an amazing force. Take the time now to earn a bit of extra income and your future self will thank you.

4. It’s Fun

Perhaps most importantly, I think Grubhub is a great side hustle because it’s fun. There’s something about going out and completing these little tasks that I find very satisfying. In a way, it sort of gamifies my life. It also probably helps that I’ve been doing it so long that I know the best ways to make Grubhub as stress-free as possible.

You don’t have a lot to lose by trying out Grubhub – so just give it a try and see if you enjoy it. If not, you can always find something else to do.

Final Thoughts – I Wish I Had Grubhub Back When I Was In College

Grubhub is something I wish existed back when I was in college in 2009. I had a variety of jobs in college. I worked as a janitor in my dorm for a bit. Then I got a job at a golf course, which worked out well because it gave me access to free golf.

But I also had a lot of free time on my hands too – time that I would have loved to use doing something more productive. If Grubhub had been around back then, I definitely would have done it. And I’d probably have had a lot more money in my pocket too.

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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.

SoFi Money ($325) – 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 $300 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 ($300) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $300 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 $300 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
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.
Fifth Third Bank ($200) – 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.
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.