CIt’s a stark sign of recent times that ordering carryout has become as popular as dining out. And if you live in a metropolitan area it’s likely you’re using food delivery services more than ever.
Who doesn’t enjoy the convenience of spending a few minutes on your phone placing a food order, then having your meal magically arrive at your doorstep? Hotel Tech Report, a leader in providing stats to the hospitality industry, tells us that 47% of American households have used a food delivery app.¹ Bloomberg Second Measure adds that the average DoorDash customer spends over $300 a quarter.²
If you’re one of many consumers finding yourself using food delivery services with greater frequency, you’re sure to find value in our article today.
We’re going to talk about how some popular reward-earning credit cards have teamed up with food delivery services to offer free or discounted memberships, statement credits for food delivery purchases, elevated rewards earning, money-saving offers, and additional perks.
Top Food Delivery Services
There are a lot of food delivery services in the marketplace right now, along with accompanying debates as to which one is best. According to CNET, a well-established technology media company, here are the most popular apps and services to top its list.³ Keep in mind that your favorite will likely depend on your geographic location and personal experience.
- DoorDash — One of the most popular food delivery apps, you can order from local restaurants via your computer or smartphone.
- Uber Eats — Just like the ride-sharing service, you can track your order in real-time when you order food delivery via the Uber app.
- Postmates — As long as the restaurant you’re ordering from is open, you can request a food order delivery 24/7.
- Grubhub/Seamless — With lots of promotions and discounts, plus the ability to use PayPal for your purchases, Grubhub and Seamless can be both cost-effective and convenient.
- Delivery.com — More than just food delivery, Delivery.com delivers groceries, gifts, and more.
In addition to single-delivery pricing, most food delivery services offer subscriptions that allow you to pay a monthly fee and receive free delivery, reduced fees, and special offers.
Let’s now take a look at which credit cards offer food delivery service benefits you can use.
The 9+ Best Credit Cards for Food Delivery Services — Summary
Before we get to the details of the food delivery and restaurant benefits for the featured cards in our article today, let’s look at a high-level overview of how the cards compare.
The 5 Best Credit Cards for Food Delivery Services
Whether you use a food delivery service or purchase from a restaurant directly, it’s easy to earn rewards on your meal purchases.
If you spend a lot with food delivery services, selecting a card that earns big on those category purchases could make economic sense for realizing value in the form of cash-back, statement/account credits, or redeemable points.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — DoorDash DashPass & 3x Points
Why the Card is Best for Food Delivery Services
- DoorDash DashPass — Receive a complimentary DashPass subscription. If activated by December 31, 2023, the subscription is active through December 31, 2024. If activated during the 2024 calendar year, the subscription will be valid for 1 year from the date of activation.
Be sure to register your card with DoorDash to receive the related benefits.
Why We Like the Card Overall
Hot Tip: Use your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to purchase discounted Uber gift cards when on sale via the Shopping through Chase portal. You’ll save on Uber Eats food delivery purchases and receive elevated earnings on eligible purchases.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Card — DoorDash DashPass & 3x Points
Why the Card is Best for Food Delivery Services
- DoorDash DashPass — Receive a complimentary DashPass subscription. If activated by December 31, 2023, the subscription is active through December 31, 2024. If activated during the 2024 calendar year, the subscription will be valid for 1 year from the date of activation.
- $5 Monthly DoorDash Credit —- Cardholders and authorized users can bank up to $15 in credits every 3 months with a total of $60 in credits annually.
Why We Like the Card Overall
- 10x points on dining booked through Chase Dining, powered by Tock (including dine-in, takeout, and delivery)
- 10x points on car rentals and hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 10x points on Lyft (through March 31, 2025)
- 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
- 5x points on airfare booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x points on all other travel
- 3x points on all other dining
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to over 1,300 airport properties worldwide
- $300 statement credit for travel purchases each card anniversary year
- Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 1.5 cents each via the Chase travel portal or transfer to travel partners for potentially greater value
- Primary car rental insurance and trip interruption/cancellation coverage
- Purchase protection and extended warranty
Register your card with DoorDash before using the food delivery service. If you don’t have the card, you’ll want to check out all the reasons to consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Bottom Line: With a complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are great choices for food delivery service purchases. Just make sure you activate your subscription by December 31, 2024.
Amex Platinum Card — Uber Cash
Why the Card is Best for Food Delivery Services
- Up to $200 in Uber Cash — Receive $15 in Uber Cash each calendar month with an additional bonus of $20 in December, up to $200 in Uber Cash each year. You must add your card to your Uber account to receive the credit. Uber Cash can be used for U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats food delivery services or pickup.
Why We Like the Card Overall
- 5x earnings on flights purchased directly with the airline and through Amex Travel
- Worldwide airport lounge access to over 1,400 properties worldwide, including the prestigious Centurion Lounge network
- Over $1,400 in statement credits, including up to $200 airline fee credits, up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits, up to $189 in CLEAR credit, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits, up to $155 in Walmart+ credits, up to $300 in Equinox credits, and up to $240 in digital entertainment credits
- Secondary car rental insurance, trip interruption/cancellation coverage
Hot Tip: Be sure to check your Chase Offers or Amex Offers for DoorDash, Uber Eats, Boxed, or Grubhub bonus offers before making a purchase with your eligible card.
Amex Gold Card — Uber Cash, Dining Credits, 4x Points
Why the Card is Best for Food Delivery Services
Register your card and receive $10 per month in statement credits for purchases with Grubhub/Seamless food delivery or with The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations.
Add your card to your Uber account and receive up to $10 per month in Uber Cash, up to $120 per year. Uber Cash can be used for U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats.
Why We Like the Card Overall
- 4x earnings at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year
- 4x earnings at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- 3x earnings on flights purchased directly with the airline or at Amex Travel
- Earns flexible Membership Rewards that can be transferred to the American Express travel partners for potentially increased value
- Travel and shopping benefits/protections
Bottom Line: Chase has partnered with DoorDash to offer food delivery service benefits, while Amex aligns with Uber Eats. However, both issuers offer several card options that earn elevated rewards for restaurant and dining purchases.
Capital One Savor Card — Uber One Membership, 10% Cash-back
Why the Card is Best for Food Delivery Services
The Capital One Savor card earns 10% cash-back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases, as well as 4% cash-back on dining, including restaurants, cafes, bars, lounges, fast-food chains, and bakeries (food delivery services may code as dining).
Cardholders can also enroll in a complimentary Uber One membership through November 14, 2024.
Why We Like the Card Overall
- 8% cash-back on Capital One Entertainment
- 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 4% cash-back on entertainment and popular streaming services
- 3% cash-back at grocery stores
- 1% cash-back on all other purchases
- Roadside assistance and secondary rental car insurance
- Purchase protection/price protection/extended warranty
- No foreign transaction fees
Additional Credit Card Options for Food Delivery
You don’t have to use a food delivery service to earn rewards on restaurant food purchases.
Several rewards cards offer elevated earnings on dining purchases that would, in turn, apply to food delivery services and carry-out or delivery orders purchased directly from the restaurant.
In addition to the cards we mentioned earlier, you can receive bonus earnings at restaurants with these cards:
- Apple Card — earn 3% cash-back on Uber Eats and 2% cash-back on Apple Pay purchases
- Amex Green card — earn 3x points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
For more ways to earn rewards on dining, you’ll want to review our list of the best credit cards for restaurants and dining.
Hot Tip: Bank of America cardholders are eligible for a free year of Grubhub+.
Additional Chase Cards With DoorDash DashPass Benefits
Several additional Chase cards also come with DoorDash benefits.
Complimentary 3-Month DoorDash DashPass
The following Chase cards offer a free 3-month DashPass subscription, plus an additional 9 months at 50% off:
After the 3-month period, you’ll be auto-enrolled at a 50% discount ($4.99 per month) in DashPass for another 9 months. After that, the membership will be auto-enrolled at full price.
Hot Tip: Both the Freedom Flex card and Freedom Unlimited card also earn 3% cash-back on dining.
The free DashPass subscription, which must be activated by December 31, 2024, is not reason alone to select one of these Chase cards, but is a nice benefit considering that none of these cards charges an annual fee.
Complimentary 12-Month DoorDash DashPass
The following co-branded cards come with free DashPass benefits for 12 months after activation:
You must activate the membership by December 31, 2024.
World and World Elite Mastercards
All U.S. World and World Elite Mastercard members will receive $5 off each month until September 30, 2023.
Those cardholders who are not yet members can register for a complimentary 3-month DashPass membership.
Final Thoughts
Food delivery services are convenient, but they can also be expensive. By using a card that offers a subscription for free delivery, statement credits for purchases, special discounts, credit card welcome bonus, or elevated rewards earning, you can reduce the overall cost of using these services.
Another way to save is to check with your favorite restaurant first to see if they deliver, as many do. If you can make your purchase directly with the eating establishment, you may save on delivery charges and extra fees. In addition, you’ll be supporting local businesses — especially small businesses — with direct revenue. We’ve included the associated earnings on dining for our featured cards. Plus, many credit cards offer restaurant purchases as a bonus category, so you’ll still be earning elevated rewards on your purchase.
Food delivery service benefits alone are not a reason to select a specific credit card, but knowing which cards offer the benefits, and using those cards for your purchase, could put dollars back in your wallet.
For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefits of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
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