If you order food from DoorDash often, you may have heard about their membership program, DashPass.
DashPass is a convenient way for frequent DoorDash buyers to save money on their purchases, and offers a whole bunch of benefits that you wouldn’t get without it.
But is DashPass actually worth it, and will you save money by purchasing a DashPass membership?
In this article, we’ll analyze DashPass in detail, showing you exactly how much money you’ll save with a DashPass plan.
This way, you’ll know for certain whether or not DashPass is worth it for you.
What Is DashPass, And What Are The Benefits?
DashPass is a subscription-based membership offered by DoorDash, that offers a number of savings for $9.99 a month. The service works for both DoorDash, and Caviar (another company owned by DoorDash).
You can think of it as being sort of similar to Amazon Prime, in a sense – you can reap massive savings with the DashPass membership – but it’s only valuable if you actually order food through DoorDash often.
So, what are the benefits of DashPass? Let’s look over them in detail!
1. Free Delivery Fees On Orders Over $12
This one can make a big difference on its own.
Delivery fees for DoorDash typically range from $1.99 to $5.99, depending on the restaurant you choose to order from. It should be noted that there is a positive correlation between the distance to the restaurant, and the delivery fee charged by that restaurant.
This means that the farther you are away from the restaurants you want to order from, the higher the delivery fee normally is. So, you would save even more with DashPass membership this way.
Some restaurants can even charge $8 or more for a single delivery!
Regardless of where you get your food, long as you spend at least $12 on your order, the delivery fee will be waived.
This means that from this benefit alone, you can pay for your DashPass membership from as little as 2 orders a month – not to mention the other savings that we’re going to cover in a moment.
2. Reduced Service Fees – Down To 5%
One of the downsides to DoorDash is that there are a lot of fees involved.
Not only are you paying for your food, but you’re also paying to have delivered, a DoorDash service fee, and a tip for the driver.
Service fees typically range from 10-15% of the order’s subtotal, with the average being around 14%. However, if you purchase a DashPass membership, the service fees are brought down to just 5%.
Service fees are based on the total order cost, meaning that larger orders will experience a greater total discount with a DashPass membership.
For example, a $20 order would normally amount to $2.80 of service fees, assuming a 14% average. With DashPass, the service fee would only be $1.
However, with a $100 order, the service fee would normally be $14. With DashPass, that same order would only have $5 in service fees. Combined with free delivery, and you’ve already paid for your DashPass membership with that one order alone!
Later in this article, we’ll show more examples on how much you can save on orders of various sizes.
Note: Discounts are not only for restaurants, but for groceries and pickup too!
3. DashPass Exclusives And Bonus Offers
From time to time, DashPass will also grant you access to exclusive offers that are only available to DashPass members.
This may be an extra side item at a participating restaurant, or some additional coupons for further discounts on your order.
Unfortunately, these bonuses are not super frequent, and are not necessarily happening at the restaurants you prefer to order at.
However, it is a nice little bonus in addition to the DoorDash discounts!
4. Priority Customer Service
Alright, let’s be honest. Most of us don’t contact DoorDash customer service that often, even if we regularly order from DoorDash.
That being said, DoorDash does offer priority service to those that are DashPass members.
This means shorter wait times, and more special attention from DoorDash employees.
While you wouldn’t get DashPass for the improved service alone, it is a nice extra touch that comes with being a member.
Check For DashPass-Eligible Restaurants In Your Area
It should be noted that unfortunately, not all restaurants are eligible for DashPass.
This means that you may still be charged for delivery fees when ordering from these resaturants.
Fortunately, finding out whether a restaurant works with DashPass is simple.
Simply open the DoorDash app, and look for the little DashPass icon. You can also see it by tapping through to the restaurant itself – underneath the restaurant or fast food chain, you will see an icon that says ‘DashPass’.
Fast food and other franchised chain restaurants are more likely to accept DashPass, than independent, smaller restaurants are.
Additionally, restaurants in urban cities are more likely to be DashPass eligible than restaurants based in rural areas.
Still, it’s worth checking out what’s available around you before signing up.
A Breakdown And Analysis Of DashPass’ Savings
Ultimately, whether or not DashPass is worth it comes down to how much money you’ll save.
The goal is to save more money than what DashPass costs – $9.99 a month. But exactly how many orders are needed, and how can you determine how much you’ll actually saved?
We’ve put together a table below with example orders, of varying prices and delivery fees. All example food orders below assume the average 14% service fee that you would pay without a DashPass membership.
| Order Size: | Delivery Fee: | Service Fee Without DashPass (14%) | Service Fee With DashPass (5%) | Savings | Orders To Break Even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.99 | $1.40 | $0.50 | $0.90 | 12 |
| $10 | $3.99 | $1.40 | $0.50 | $0.90 | 12 |
| $10 | $5.99 | $1.40 | $0.50 | $0.90 | 12 |
| $10 | $7.99 | $1.40 | $0.50 | $0.90 | 12 |
| $25 | $1.99 | $3.50 | $1.25 | $4.24 | 3 |
| $25 | $3.99 | $3.50 | $1.25 | $6.24 | 2 |
| $25 | $5.99 | $3.50 | $1.25 | $8.24 | 2 |
| $25 | $7.99 | $3.50 | $1.25 | $10.24 | 1 |
| $50 | $1.99 | $7.00 | $2.50 | $6.49 | 2 |
| $50 | $3.99 | $7.00 | $2.50 | $8.49 | 2 |
| $50 | $5.99 | $7.00 | $2.50 | $10.49 | 1 |
| $50 | $7.99 | $7.00 | $2.50 | $12.49 | 1 |
| $75 | $1.99 | $10.50 | $3.75 | $8.74 | 2 |
| $75 | $3.99 | $10.50 | $3.75 | $10.74 | 1 |
| $75 | $5.99 | $10.50 | $3.75 | $12.74 | 1 |
| $75 | $7.99 | $10.50 | $3.75 | $14.74 | 1 |
| $100 | $1.99 | $14.00 | $5.00 | $10.99 | 1 |
| $100 | $3.99 | $14.00 | $5.00 | $12.99 | 1 |
| $100 | $5.99 | $14.00 | $5.00 | $14.99 | 1 |
| $100 | $7.99 | $14.00 | $5.00 | $16.99 | 1 |
| $150 | $1.99 | $21.00 | $7.50 | $15.49 | 1 |
| $150 | $3.99 | $21.00 | $7.50 | $17.49 | 1 |
| $150 | $5.99 | $21.00 | $7.50 | $19.49 | 1 |
| $150 | $7.99 | $21.00 | $7.50 | $21.49 | 1 |
(Important Note: Delivery fees are only waived on orders above $12. This is why the $10 orders above do not appear to save much money.)
As you can see, DoorDash makes good on their promise. They advertise that it only takes two orders a month to cover the cost of DashPass, and it does appear that they’re right in most circumstances.
The savings only go up as you order from DoorDash more frequently. Therefore, DashPass is certainly worth it if you use it regularly!
Why Does DoorDash Offer DashPass, When It’s So Easy To Save Money With It?
It seems counterintuitive, right? If it’s so simple to save more money by purchasing a DashPass membership, why would DoorDash offer it in the first place? Why not just have people pay full price?
In a way, it’s actually pretty smart.
First of all, DoorDash knows that there will be people that use DashPass heavily at first, but slowly taper off of it. However, they’ll keep paying the membership fee anyway, despite the fact that they’re not actually taking advantage of it.
This is similar to how gyms operate, and it’s quite effective. By this point, DoorDash has a ton of data on the trends of their customers, and can reasonably predict how often the service will be used.
Secondly and perhaps more importantly, DashPass customers use DoorDash far more often than customers without DashPass.
This increased use of the DoorDash service makes up far more than the savings of DashPass itself.
This is the same reason that Amazon offers Prime for such a cheap price. They don’t necessarily make their money on the membership fee, but instead make up for it by customers using the platform far more.
It makes sense – if the service is cheaper to use, why wouldn’t you want to use it more?
Therefore, DashPass is a win-win. Shoppers get a discount, and DoorDash makes more money at the same time.
DashPass FAQ:
Finally, let’s look over some frequently asked questions about DashPass.
Are All Deliveries Free With DashPass?
Deliveries are free with DashPass, as long as your order totals $12 or more.
If your order is less than $12, you may still be subject to delivery fees.
Therefore, you gain the most amount of value out of DashPass if you are placing larger orders.
Should You Still Tip If You Have DashPass?
Since DashPass lowers the delivery fee to $0 if your order is $12, you may be wondering – how does this affect the drivers? Does DoorDash still pay this out to the drivers delivering your food?
Actually, the delivery fee isn’t paid to DoorDash drivers, even if you aren’t a DashPass member. While DoorDash drivers are guaranteed a minimum amount for each delivery, they make a large portion of their income out of tips.
Tips aren’t at all affected by you having a DashPass membership.
Therefore, the courteous thing to do is to continue tipping your DoorDash driver the same amount you normally would, regardless of whether or not you’re a DashPass member.
Can I Share My DashPass With Someone Else?
DashPass is tied to your individual DoorDash account. This means that it can only be used by the account holder.
However, you can certainly use DashPass to order food for your entire household, or anyone else that lives at your address.
This means that your entire family can benefit from your DashPass membership!
Can I Cancel DashPass After The Free Trial?
Absolutely. You are free to cancel your DashPass membership at any time, including during the free trial.
After you cancel your membership, your benefits will expire. Your membership will automatically end, and you won’t be charged again.
The free trial is a great way to try out DashPass without any sort of commitment. Take advantage of it, and don’t be afraid to cancel if you decide that DashPass isn’t right for you!
How Do I Cancel DashPass After I’ve Signed Up For A Member
If you’re already signed up and have paid membership fees before, cancelling is just as simple.
All you’ve got to do is visit DoorDash’s website, or open the DoorDash mobile app and navigate to your account settings, and select ‘Manage DashPass’.
In order to avoid being charged again, you should cancel your subscription at least 1 day before it is set to renew.
You will continue to have access to all DashPass benefits until the date that your membership was set to renew.
Does Cancelling DashPass End It Immediately?
No. If you cancel DashPass, you will continue to have the benefits until your membership expires.
The only exception to this is if you cancel during the free trial. During the free trial, your benefits will end as soon as you cancel. However, if you are a paying member, you will still have access to DashPass until your payment period is over.
How Much Does DashPass Cost?
DashPass costs $9.99 a month, billed monthly.
If you choose to purchase an annual plan, you will be billed $96 for a one-year membership. This works out to $8 a month, and leads to additional savings.
Additionally, the annual plan may have other additional offers, such as discounts on your first few orders. Note that there aren’t any further discounts on service fees, and the extra offers for joining the annual plan are usually only available for a limited time.
Is The DashPass Annual Plan Worth It?
DashPass’s annual plan lowers the price from $9.99 a month, to an average of $8 a month. Additionally, there may be other promotional offers available to you if you sign up for their annual plan.
Whether or not this is worth it depends on how much you use the service. Many people sign up for DashPass and cancel after only a few months, because they just don’t use the service enough.
If you know you’re going to take advantage of DashPass for an entire year, then you can save even more money by opting for the annual plan.
Are There Any Discounts For DashPass?
Yes! In fact, many credit cards offer DashPass as a perk of card ownership. These cards may either offer a full year of DashPass, or offer a discount on the membership:
- Iberia Visa Signature Card
- J.P Morgan Reserve Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- Iberia Visa Signature Card
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- United Airlines credit cards
- Starbucks Rewards cards
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
- Disney Visa Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards
- British Airways Visa Signature Card
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
Note that this list isn’t complete. Perks and partnerships also change all the time. Therefore, it is best to inquire with your credit card issuer to learn more about the rewards that they offer.
Conclusion
As you can see, DashPass is a fantastic bargain, and pays for itself as long as you order DoorDash at least a few times a month.
The membership quite literally pays for itself in just a few orders, making it a no-brainer if you order DoorDash frequently.
However, if you order DoorDash once or less a month, it may not be worth it for you. This is especially true if you tend to place smaller orders.
That being said, DoorDash offers a free trial, so if you’re new to the platform, why not try it out? You’ve really got nothing to lose, and if you find yourself ordering food regularly, it’s bound to save you money.
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any other questions about DoorDash, please feel free to ask them using the comment form below.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister