If you’re an American, it’s hard to ignore the Grubhub name when you’re looking for online eating options. Here’s what you need to know before placing your first order.
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What is Grubhub?
How does Grubhub work?
How to sign up for Grubhub
How to use Grubhub
What is Grubhub Plus?
What is Grubhub?
Grubhub is an app- and web-based meal delivery service founded in 2004. While its full history is more complex, the short version is that it grew its reach through a merger with Seamless and a series of takeovers, eventually getting bought itself by the Netherlands’ Just Eat Takeaway.
Just Eat operates in many countries around the world, but the Grubhub brand exists mainly in the US, where it covers over 4,000 cities across all 50 states. There are over 300,000 participating restaurants in the country.
How does Grubhub work?
Once users create an account (see below), they can use the Grubhub website or mobile app (for Android and iOS) to browse local restaurants, add menu items to a cart, then select a payment method and check out. While the service is of course focused around delivery, you can skip an associated fee if you opt to pick up food yourself.
Note that partner restaurants don’t handle delivery. Instead your food is picked up by Grubhub drivers, who get paid on a gig basis, much like Uber drivers or Instacart shoppers. For this convenience, restaurants pay Grubhub a portion of their revenue. That’s why it often costs more for online orders than it does for dine-in or take-out.
How to sign up for Grubhub
The app and website offer a variety of ways to sign up. If you want to sign up with your email address, you’ll be prompted to enter your first and last name and create a password. You can also sign up by linking an existing Amazon, Apple, Google, or Facebook account. Either way, you’ll be asked to set a default delivery address.
Be prepared to attach a online payment method to your account, too. Options include credit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or PayPal. If a restaurant supports it, you may be able to use cash, but don’t count on it.
Assuming you’re using the mobile app, the first thing to do is adjust your filters via the Home tab. You can switch between Delivery and Pickup, and if you hit the Preorder tab, you can schedule an order up to 4 days in advance. If you don’t preorder, Grubhub assumes you want your food ASAP.
In the top bar you’ll see your current delivery address next to a map pin. Tap on this to change where orders go. Make sure your address is as precise as possible, conforming to what you’d find in an app like Google Maps — drivers don’t have time to wander around a neighborhood looking for you.
Use the Sort button to filter local restaurant listings. The app defaults to a “recommended” view, but you can also search by price, rating, distance, or delivery speed. Of these, speed and price (low-to-high) are probably the most useful.
Tap in the Search field to look for something more specific, such as doner kebabs or a particular restaurant.
Once results pop up, select a restaurant to see its menu and add items to your cart. Once you’re ready, continue to checkout, making sure order details are correct. You also get a chance to add special delivery instructions, which can be essential if you live in an apartment or condo complex, or you’re staying at a hotel.
Once you select a payment method, you’re ready to place your order. The order is confirmed by email, and you can keep track of its progress via app notifications and the Orders tab.
What is Grubhub Plus?
Grubhub Plus is a monthly subscription plan that waives delivery fees on orders over a certain minimum ($12 before taxes, tips, and fees). You also get improved customer support, and various perks and rewards, such as charitable donations or occasional free meals.
There are limitations. Restaurants must specifically be participating in Plus, something marked by a listing badge. And even when a restaurant is part of the Plus network, your order loses free delivery if it includes alcohol.
Plus costs $9.99 US per month after a free trial. The trial period can vary, but lasts no more than 30 days.
Read more:How does Uber Eats work
FAQs
Yes, albeit with a giant asterisk next to that. It’s supported only a on per-restaurant basis, and there’s no way of telling ahead of ordering. Assume you’ll be using online payments for most if not all orders.
The answer to this could change at any moment, but DoorDash is typically cheaper for small orders, i.e. ones under $20. If your order is $50 or higher, you should automatically go with Grubhub.
The service is now owned by a Dutch company, Just Eat Takeaway, which completed a $7.3 billion acquisition in 2021.
No. In fact, you’re not allowed to use them with many of Grubhub’s rivals either, since SNAP benefits are intended for groceries, not restaurant food. You can use them with some grocery delivery services.
marketplace, where restaurant owners can list their establishments for hungry diners to order from. We make it easy to grow your business by providing powerful self-service technology backed by an Account Advisor dedicated to your success.
DoorDash: Popular in the United States and Canada, DoorDash provides food delivery from various local stores and restaurants. Grubhub: Primarily serving the United States, Grubhub connects users with nearby restaurants for delivery or pickup.
If everything goes smoothly with your delivery and the weather is good, 20% is the standard cost of having the mealtime brought to your doorstep. Never tip less than five bucks, though.
Grubhub's pay model is simple and transparent, with drivers earning base pay and keeping 100% of tips from completed deliveries. Plus, you have the option to get paid the same day with Instant Cash Out or on Thursdays with direct deposit – whichever you prefer.
We bring your order right to your door. You can even leave special instructions for the driver so they can get the food to you efficiently. This way, you can spend more time with the people you love (or your TV show) instead of running around town picking up food.
Contact-free delivery lets customers request the order be left at their door, in their lobby, or another place at the delivery location when they're not available or simply prefer less direct contact.
Grubhub sends our delivery partners an insulated delivery bag and a Grubhub Driver Card after completing your first delivery, so it's important to always keep your mailing address updated on the app! We'll send you an email with the tracking number once it becomes available.
With a market share of 67 percent, DoorDash dominated the online food delivery market in the United States as of March 2024. Meanwhile, Uber Eats held the second highest share with 23 percent.
For smaller midsized orders of around $25 or $30, Uber Eats was typically less, but only by a dollar or so. If you're consistently ordering for two or three people, your bill is probably in the range that would make Grubhub the cheapest option.
During active delivery time you are guaranteed to be paid at least 120% of the local minimum wage at your pickup location, plus $.34 per mile compensation driven during active delivery time. And, of course, you will continue to receive 100% of tips.
As part of the rollout, the company defaulted to no tip. Drivers said their earnings were slashed as a result. The lawsuit alleges the way Grubhub explains the driver benefits fee continues to deter customers from tipping.
For standard deliveries, Grubhub suggests leaving a minimum of $5 or 10-20% of the delivery fee, whichever is higher. This practice ensures that even the smallest deliveries will still be profitable to drivers. After all, they really don't make much delivering food alone.
Well, it's not necessarily straightforward, but it's absolutely possible to make $1000 a week with GrubHub if you take a few key steps. But remember: in order to make the most of your deliveries via GrubHub, it's vital to take a few steps to optimize your delivery value.
Is DoorDash or Grubhub Cheaper? DoorDash is known to be significantly less expensive than Grubhub. After analyzing the cart values of numerous orders, it seems that people spent roughly $10 less while using DoorDash. Plus, DoorDash offers customers a membership where people can pay less in fees.
How it works: you type in an address, we tell you the restaurants that deliver to that locale as well as showing you droves of pickup restaurants near you. Want to be more specific? Search by cuisine, restaurant name or menu item. We'll filter your results accordingly.
Drivers are able to cash their earnings out up to $500 a day using the Instant Cash Out feature, which is free for Chase Bank customers and $. 50 each for all other bank customers. If you do not wish to use the Instant Cash Out feature, payments are sent on Thursdays to your bank via direct deposit.
Enter your delivery address on the left-hand side of the Grubhub homepage, and use the search bar on the right-hand side to type in a restaurant name, food item, allergen, or cuisine. You can also use the filters below to select delivery or pickup, cuisine and more to browse available restaurants.
With curbside pickup, you can arrive at the front of the restaurant, and a staffer will bring your food outside to you, ready to go. Grubhub offers curbside pickup—as well as delivery—from restaurants near you.
Grubhub makes food ordering easy and straightforward for work and business events. I like the clean design of the platform and the easy order management and follow-up with support. They have added a bunch of new charges and fees which add up with the order.
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