How to Earn Points and Miles on Food Delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats & Grubhub)
It’s been a long day at work. You still have a lot of things to do at home, including make dinner, and then you’ll have to clean up all the pots and pans used to make dinner.
Or, like many people, you open up your favorite food delivery app and start searching through the options for dinner. While ordering food delivery isn’t the most frugal choice, it’s obviously exremely convenient. And if you’re ordering food delivery, even only once in a while, why not earn the maximum number of points and miles possible? After all, if you do that, you’re saving money on future trips when you redeem those points and miles, right?
Credit Cards to Use for Food Delivery
The easiest way to earn points and miles on food delivery is by using a credit card that offers elevated points on dining purchases.
While not technically a way to earn additional points and miles, some cards also come with benefits that can save you money on delivery fees, memberships, and monthly food purchases.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred remains one of our favorite travel rewards cards, especially for beginners.
Not only does it earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining purchases, but it also includes complimentary DashPass benefits (worth $120 a year). Since DoorDash purchases code as dining, you’re earning 3x points while potentially saving money on delivery fees and service charges.
It’s one of the easiest ways to earn more rewards while spending less.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is another solid option for food delivery.
Like the Sapphire Preferred, it earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining purchases. It also includes monthly dining-related credits (like $5 to restaurants on DoorDash in addition to two $10 credits to non-restaurants) and other benefits that can help offset the card’s annual fee.
If you’re already taking advantage of those credits, ordering food delivery through eligible merchants can be an easy way to maximize the value you’re receiving from the card.
American Express Gold
The American Express Gold is one of the best cards available for food delivery.
The card earns 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide and includes monthly Uber Cash ($10) that can be used on either Uber rides or Uber Eats orders.
If you’re already ordering food delivery, using your monthly Uber Cash is an easy way to reduce the cost of your meal while still earning Membership Rewards points. Between the earning rates and built-in credits, it’s one of our favorite cards for frequent takeout users.
American Express Platinum
The American Express Platinum isn’t the card you’ll want to use to pay for food delivery since it generally earns only 1x Membership Rewards point on restaurant purchases. It does, however, include monthly Uber Cash ($15) that can be used on Uber Eats.
In fact, if you carry both the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum, you can combine those Uber Cash benefits for $25 a month. Depending on where you order from, that can be a free meal.
Chase Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex
Both the Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining purchases and have no annual fee. These cards are particularly valuable if you’re building a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
And, in the last few years, dining has been a 5x category on the Flex, so you could earn 7x on delivery that quarter. The math is as follows: 1x on everything + additional 2x on dining + 4x for the categories = 7x.
Other Dining Rewards Cards
Even if you don’t have one of the cards above, many airline and hotel credit cards offer bonus rewards on dining purchases. For example, the United Explorer Card earns bonus miles on dining (but just 2x), while the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless earns elevated points at restaurants.
As a general rule, you should never use a card that earns only 1x rewards on food delivery. There are too many better options available.
Shopping Portals
Unfortunately, food delivery services don’t typically offer many opportunities through shopping portals.
Occasionally, you’ll find first-time user promotions through airline shopping portals or Rakuten. New Uber Eats users, for example, sometimes receive cash back or Membership Rewards points when signing up through Rakuten.
While these promotions are worth taking advantage of, they’re usually one-time opportunities rather than long-term strategies for earning points and miles.
Earn Extra Miles with the United MileagePlus X App
One of our favorite ways to supercharge rewards earnings is through the United MileagePlus X app.
If you’re unfamiliar with MileagePlus X, it’s essentially a gift card marketplace that rewards you with United miles when you purchase gift cards through the app.
Instead of paying DoorDash, Grubhub, or Uber Eats directly, you can purchase a gift card through MileagePlus X and use that gift card to pay for your order.
This allows you to stack rewards:
- Earn United miles through MileagePlus X
- Earn credit card points from purchasing the gift card
- Use any food delivery memberships or benefits you already have
Participating food delivery merchants frequently include:
- DoorDash
- Grubhub
- Uber Eats
The exact earning rates change periodically, so it’s always worth checking the app before making a purchase.
One important note: we’ve found that Chase cards are best to use with MileagePlus X purchases because they maintain the merchant’s original coding. That means you will still receive elevated dining points in addition to the United miles earned through the app.
How We Maximize Points and Miles on Food Delivery
DoorDash is typically our food delivery service of choice because we’ve found the prices and fees to be lower than some competitors. Since we carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred, we also benefit from DashPass, which helps reduce costs even further.
When we’re planning to order food, we first purchase a DoorDash gift card through MileagePlus X. By doing this, we’re earning United miles from MileagePlus X while also earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points from the credit card purchase.
It’s a simple extra step that takes less than a minute but generates more rewards than ordering from DoorDash directly.
If we’re ordering from Uber Eats, we’ll first check whether we have any Uber Cash available through our American Express Gold or American Express Platinum cards. Using those monthly credits helps reduce our out-of-pocket costs while still allowing us to earn rewards on any remaining balance.
The exact earning rates will vary depending on the cards you’re carrying and any current promotions, but the principle remains the same: stack as many rewards opportunities as possible.
Should You Buy Gift Cards in Advance?
If you don’t have immediate plans to order food delivery but know you’ll use DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub eventually, purchasing gift cards in advance can be a smart strategy.
This is especially true if there’s a promotion running or if you’re trying to maximize a category bonus on one of your credit cards (like the original Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex).
Once the gift card is loaded into your account, you can simply use the balance whenever you’re ready to place an order. Just make sure you’re buying gift cards for purchases you’d make anyway. The goal is to maximize rewards on normal spending, not create additional spending simply to earn points and miles.
Frequently Asked Questions About Earning Points and Miles on Food Delivery
What is the best credit card for food delivery?
The best credit card for food delivery is one that earns bonus points on dining purchases. Some of our favorites include the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Gold, Chase Freedom Unlimited, and Chase Freedom Flex.
Does DoorDash count as dining?
In most cases, yes. DoorDash generally codes as a dining purchase with major credit card issuers, allowing you to earn bonus rewards on cards that offer elevated earnings at restaurants.
Can you earn airline miles on food delivery?
Yes. One of the easiest ways is by purchasing food delivery gift cards through the United MileagePlus X app. You’ll earn United miles from the gift card purchase and credit card rewards at the same time.
Is MileagePlus X worth using for food delivery?
Absolutely. It only takes a few extra seconds to purchase a gift card before placing your order, and those additional miles can add up surprisingly quickly over time.
Can I earn points on Uber Eats?
Yes. Uber Eats purchases typically earn the same bonus rewards as other dining purchases when paid with a dining rewards credit card. You may also be able to reduce your costs by using Uber Cash from eligible American Express cards.
Should I buy food delivery gift cards in advance?
If you know you’ll eventually use them, buying gift cards in advance can be a great strategy, particularly during promotions or when you’re earning elevated rewards. Just don’t spend money you otherwise wouldn’t just to earn points and miles.
Final Thoughts
Food delivery isn’t something we use every day, but when we do, we want those dollars working toward our next trip.
By using the “right” credit card, taking advantage of benefits like DashPass and Uber Cash, and stacking rewards through the United MileagePlus X app, it’s possible to earn significantly more points and miles than simply paying for your order directly.
If you’re going to pay for convenience, you might as well earn a free flight or hotel stay along the way.