10 DoorDash Tips You Should Know Before The Next Time You Order

When you're feeling too lazy to cook (and you don't want to take advantage of some of our favorite lazy meals), you only have a few options to get dinner on the table. You can always go out to eat, but what if you want to stay in the comfort of your own home? Alternatively, you could have a sad, single-ingredient dinner, like a bowl of popcorn, that won't leave you feeling full for very long. Or you could use a restaurant delivery service like DoorDash. This option brings basically whatever meal you want directly to your door, so you can sit back and wait for your food to arrive.

But if we're being honest, using DoorDash can come with serious drawbacks, from outrageous fees to long wait times. That's why we've compiled this list of the best DoorDash tips you should keep in mind the next time you order. By following these tips, you'll likely have a better meal delivery experience (and may make your delivery driver's life a bit easier in the process).

Have you ever had a disagreement with friends or family members about where to order food from? Or perhaps you're craving a burger from one fast food joint and a fast food dessert pie from another. Bundling your order can come in handy at these times. This way, you can get food and drinks from available restaurants or stores without paying added delivery fees — this feature, called DoubleDash, was rolled out on DoorDash back in 2021. Your orders from the different locations get dropped off at your door at the same time, ensuring that you're not waiting for one person's meal to arrive while the first one has been delivered for the last 15 minutes. No more fighting over where to order dinner.

DoorDash and other food delivery services can be really, really expensive. When you factor in how much you're spending on delivery fees, service fees, taxes, and tips (and you should absolutely always tip!), the price of your DoorDashed meal can be a lot higher than it would be if you ordered it from the restaurant directly and went to pick it up yourself. So if you want to utilize this service, then it only makes sense to take advantage of any promotions offered on the app. Usually, these will be pretty clearly visible when you check out, but you can do some digging on the app and even on DoorDash's website to ensure that you're redeeming any eligible promotions.

Some promos may only be available at certain restaurants, while others can be used at many different businesses. You might even be able to find promotions from third-party websites if you really want to research to get a better price on your food.

Have you ever ordered something on DoorDash only to have to wait for an hour or more for it to arrive at your home? We've been there before, and it can be annoying to wait if you're feeling seriously hungry. You can always cut down on wait times by picking up the food yourself or simply choosing a restaurant that's located closer to where you're having your food dropped off, but there's another way to better ensure that you're not waiting too long for your food: simply deciding not to order during the busiest times of the day for food delivery.

These times correspond with when most people eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Generally, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. is going to be a busy time for breakfast orders, while peak lunch hours stretch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and peak dinner hours run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. By ordering between these time frames, you might get a faster delivery.

DoorDash isn't exactly the cheapest way to feed yourself, and most people using the service know this. But what people may not know is that the price of your food isn't higher because of all the delivery fees you're paying and tips you're leaving — the food itself might actually be pricier. This largely stems from the fact that DoorDash charges restaurants a hefty fee to even be shown on the platform. This fee ranges from 15 to 30%. And considering that restaurants already run on incredibly thin margins, this makes it difficult for restaurants to stick to their standard pricing.

Therefore, a lot of restaurants will raise their prices for anyone ordering on the app. This is why you should always compare prices on the DoorDash app versus the actual restaurant's website. You might find that you're paying so much extra to DoorDash your food that the convenience isn't even really worth it.

If you have SNAP benefits, you're probably used to spending that money at brick-and-mortar grocery and convenience stores. But what happens when you can't get to the store, whether that's due to transportation issues, illness, or other considerations? Luckily, you can use your SNAP benefits to get groceries delivered right to your door. These benefits are not applied toward restaurants, of course, but they can be applied to a variety of grocery stores and convenience stores, making getting food to your home easier than ever.

All you have to do is add your SNAP card information to the payment method section of the DoorDash app. Once you've loaded in all your information, you can browse eligible stores and purchase necessities and whatever else you're craving from nearby stores. Keep in mind that SNAP benefits don't cover all types of food. Depending on your situation, you may not want to use this solution every time you grocery shop, but it's a fantastic option when you need that extra bit of convenience to make your day easier.

You don't want to have to cook dinner, so you decide to order delivery. But when you go into the DoorDash app and start to place your order, you realize that you're going to spend way more than you actually want to. This is a common problem a lot of people have with DoorDash and other delivery app orders. But that doesn't mean you have to skip your restaurant meal entirely — consider going to pick it up instead of getting it delivered. This can cut down on those delivery fees, and you won't have to tip your driver, cutting out a lot of the cost that comes with DoorDashing your meal.

Of course, if you're going this route, you may not have to use the app to order at all. Check the restaurant's website to see if you can order online and skip the app entirely, since some restaurants charge more on the app than when you buy directly from the restaurant.

When you're ordering from DoorDash, keep in mind that your driver may not immediately drop off your order right after leaving the restaurant. There's a good chance they have other stops along the way. Even if they do drive directly to you, there could be unexpected delays that you may not account for when ordering. This can lead your hot food to become somewhat cold and your cold food to warm up.

Most of the time, these delays aren't that big of a deal, but the possibility of a longer delay might make you pause when it comes to super perishable items. Some food delivery app users, for instance, suggest not ordering sushi, since you don't want to eat raw fish that's been sitting unrefrigerated in someone's car for a long time. Similarly, it might not be a great idea to order ice cream, particularly when it's hot out, from DoorDash. You might be left with a puddle by the time it gets to your home.

Once you place your DoorDash order and see how much you're paying in fees, you may be hesitant to include a big tip (or any tip at all) for your driver. After all, if they're getting paid by the app, why should you, as a customer, have to give them a tip on top of what they're already making? The unfortunate reality is that DoorDash drivers aren't making much for their base pay at all, so in many cases, they are relying on tips to make money. If you care about equitable pay for the person bringing you your food — and you absolutely should — you should tip them generously.

But tipping well isn't a matter of being nice. It may actually help you get your food earlier, since a larger tip will incentivize drivers to deliver your order. The next time you order DoorDash, make sure you plan on tipping generously. And if you don't want to tip, you're probably better off going to pick up the order yourself.

Some DoorDash users only get food delivered on a rare occasion, a few times a year. In that case, it makes sense to pay delivery fees when they come up. But if you're the kind of person who's using DoorDash regularly, then it may make sense for you to get a DashPass membership. This subscription, which currently costs under $10 a month, removes the delivery fee for orders above a certain price threshold. According to DoorDash, this results in around a $4 or $5 savings every time you order.

For those who DoorDash food several times a week (or even multiple times a day), opting for a DashPass membership can cut down on delivery costs. Just keep in mind that it may not be worth it if you're not ordering food delivery very often. Crunch the numbers yourself to determine if it's a service that could save you cash.

Generally, you can tell your DoorDash driver to leave your order at the door if you want to opt for no-contact delivery. But sometimes, it may be easier to meet your driver outside if you want your delivery process to go as smoothly as possible. This is especially true when it comes to large apartment complexes. If a driver isn't familiar with your apartment building, it may be tricky for them to locate your door. And if there's not a good place for them to park their car, it can be a serious pain for the driver to deliver your order. Plus, in snowy or wet conditions, having your order sit outside for very long could lead to problems with your meal.

Meet your driver outside if you don't want to field calls from them as they're trying to locate where to drop off the order. Not only does this make the drop-off process much easier for them, but it also may mean you get your food faster (and, therefore, hotter).