Amazon rolled out a new perk to Prime subscribers. You get a free Grubhub+ membership, which lowers the cost of food delivery fees. Fun fact: I spend a large part of my budget on DoorDash and Amazon delivery. To say this news excites me is, um, an understatement.
Fact is, I really want cheap food delivery.
Immediately, I signed up for Grubhub through Amazon Prime. After a couple of orders, I can confidently say this. If you're a Prime member, you should get the free membership. It will probably save you money, assuming you get food delivered sometimes.
A Grubhub+ membership saves you on delivery fees. It saves you $3 to $5 per order, which is about as much as you save with a DoorDash or Uber Eats membership. But you're still paying more than you would for pick-up or dining in. And it can be a lot more, once you add up fees and the tip.
Below, I'll explain how signing up for Grubhub+ through Prime can save you money. I'll also cover when it'll cost you more than it's worth.
Prime members should sign up to save money
Sign up for a free Grubhub+ membership if you're a Prime member and you sometimes order food delivery. If you've used Uber Eats or DoorDash, you know that delivery services like Grubhub charge many fees. A membership reduces the biggest fee: delivery.
Sure, you still have to cover a tip for your delivery driver, as well as other fees, like local taxes if applicable. But it's cheaper than the alternative: no membership. The catch is, Grubhub makes you order more than $12 worth of items to take advantage of the membership.
Only some restaurants qualify. I was upset to learn one of my favorite restaurants charges delivery fees to Grubhub+ members. (It doesn't charge fees to DoorDash members.) So, you won't save on every restaurant purchase. But many offer $2 to $5 discounts to Grubhub+ members.
How to sign up for free Grubhub
Here's how to sign up for a free Grubhub+ membership:
- Visit amazon.com/grubhub.
- Click "Activate now."
- Create an account.
- Agree to the terms and conditions to connect your Prime and Grubhub accounts and to share your Prime membership status with Grubhub.
By agreeing to the terms and conditions, you consent to letting Amazon and Grubhub share info. This will probably be used to advertise to you. On the one hand, you may see fewer irrelevant ads. On the other hand, you may get more temptation to spend. Take that how you will.
Grubhub members should switch to subscribing through Prime
If you have a Prime membership and a separate Grubhub membership, you're burning money. You're paying $10 for something you can get for $0. So, switch to subscribing to Grubhub through Prime. You can do this by linking your Grubhub account to your Prime account.
Here's how to link your Grubhub account to Prime:
- Visit amazon.com/grubhub.
- Click "Activate now."
- Log into your Grubhub account.
- Agree to the terms and conditions to connect your Prime and Grubhub accounts and to share your Prime membership status with Grubhub
Once you link your accounts, your Grubhub membership payments will be canceled. You won't be refunded for what you've already paid, but you won't be charged during the next billing cycle. You'll remain a Grubhub+ member, minus the membership fee, for as long as you have Prime.
Only sign up if you get meals delivered
It's only worth signing up for Grubhub+ if you get meals delivered. Otherwise, it's a temptation that you don't need. Frankly, I'm paying around 50% more for delivery than I would for dining in or ordering takeout. A Grubhub+ subscription helps, but it's still pricey.
Speaking of temptation -- if food delivery is going through your grocery budget like Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball, you should avoid signing up for a Grubhub+ membership. Chances are, you'll splurge. Convenience can be a blessing, but it makes it harder to break bad habits.
I spent an embarrassing amount of money on DoorDash delivery in 2023. I can confirm that membership encourages spending. It's worth it (for now), but my budget suffers. My DoorDash rewards credit card helps, but even 4% back can only do so much.
Don't sign up for Prime exclusively for Grubhub+
Don't sign up for a Prime subscription just to get free Grubhub+. It will cost you more than it's worth. Just get a Grubhub+ subscription. It's only $10 monthly. Prime costs $14.99 per month (or $139 per year if you pay upfront) -- it's more expensive than signing up for Grubhub+ alone.
That said, if you sometimes get food delivered and order from Amazon… yeah, signing up for Prime is probably worth it. An extra $5 monthly for fast and free shipping on stuff you already pay for is a steal, no matter how you slice it.
Unfortunately, Amazon has made zero mention of giving you Grubhub discounts with your Amazon credit card. Bummer.
Bottom line, the new Grubhub+ perk will save Prime members money on food delivery. It's cheaper than without a subscription. It's comparable to a DoorDash or Uber Eats membership discount. But it's only worth considering if you order food delivery and use other Prime perks.
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