「 2025.10 Update」This post has been fully updated with ways to buy discounted gift cards through DoorDash and stack them with multiple dining-category credit card rewards.
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DoorDash’s Clever Uses
Spending Category
DoorDash is pretty amazing. Although it can help you buy almost anything, for most credit cards the purchase category codes as dining, which gives us a lot of benefits. We can even turn purchases like groceries and electronics into dining-category spending through DoorDash.
In the dining category, we have many credit cards that offer great cash back
Dining
| Credit Card | Cash Back | Annual Fee | Notes | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Strata Elite | 4.5%/9% (6x TYP) | $595 | $700 in annual credits; 3x normally, 6x on dining on Friday and Saturday nights | Apply |
| Citi Prestige | 6.5% (5x TYP) | $495 | $250 in annual travel credits | No longer available for direct application; only obtainable via product change |
| AMEX Gold | 6.4% (4x MR) | $325 | $300 in annual credits | Apply |
| Citi Custom Cash | 5% | $0 | $500 monthly cap | Apply |
| AMEX Green | 4.8% (3x MR) | $250 | Clear credit of $189 | Apply |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 4.8% (3x UR) | $95 | $50 hotel credit | Apply |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 4.8% (3x UR) | $795 | About $2,500 in various annual credits | Apply |
| US Bank Altitude Go | 4% | $0 | Only applies to the first $2,000 in dining purchases per quarter | Apply |
| Citi Strata Premier | 3.9% (3x TYP) | $95 | $100 annual hotel benefit | Apply |
| Capital One Savor | 3% | $0 | No annual fee for the first year | Apply |
| BOA Customized Cash | 3% | $0 | Can be boosted to 5.25% with a premium checking account | Apply |
| Wells Fargo Autograph | 3% | $0 | Apply | |
| Citi Costco | 3% | $0 | Requires at least a $55 Costco membership | Apply |
| Detailed analysis: Best Credit Cards for Dining |
Here, it is especially worth mentioning the Citi Strata Elite credit card. This card earns 6x points on restaurant purchases after 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. If you value each point at 1.5 cents, that works out to 9% cash back. And through DoorDash, it is easy to time your purchase to fall within its 6x window. So with DoorDash, you can effectively get 9% cash back on electronics, groceries, dining, pet supplies, beauty products, and more! Pretty nice.
New premium card with a $300 annual hotel credit, $400 in statement credits, and complimentary airport lounge membership
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Thank You Points (3-month spend $6,000)
- Rewards: 12x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel; 6x on airfare; 6x at restaurants and on delivery on Friday and Saturday evenings; 3x on dining at other times; 1.5x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel partners, or redeemed for cash back
- Annual fee: $595（Discount available for Citi Gold and Private clients）
- Apply now>>
Buying Gift Cards
Besides selling physical goods and delivering meals, DoorDash itself also sells a large number of third-party gift cards.
For example:
- Best Buy, Target, Lowe's, Sephora, and more
- Also zift gift cards, which can be redeemed for Amazon, Xbox, GameStop, Lowe's, Kohl's, and other gift cards
All of these gift card purchases code as DoorDash spending, which means dining-category spending. By using the dining cards mentioned above, you can earn excellent cash back when buying gift cards—for example, Citi Strata Elite’s equivalent 9% cash back. That means Amazon and Best Buy are effectively 9% back too.
Besides regular-price purchases, DoorDash even frequently runs gift card discount promotions. For example, there are currently 15% off certain gift cards, or a promotion where buying a $100 gift card gets you a $10 DoorDash gift card. Combined with the card rewards above, that is basically discounts on top of discounts!
Complete Dining Reimbursement
If you hold the Marriott Brilliant card, you get $25 in dining credit each month. You can simply buy a $25 gift card through DoorDash to use up the credit. Even if you are not in the U.S., it does not matter—you can just buy the gift card through this site!
About DoorDash
DoorDash is also a food delivery app. You can order meals from partner merchants in the app. In addition, they now also handle delivery for all kinds of merchants. There are quite a few small promotions from time to time, so give it a try. If you have not signed up yet, you can use our referral link:
- DoorDash sign-up link (sign up and get a $5 off $20 coupon)
How to Use It
Just search for what you want in the search bar. Groceries, snacks, electronics, beauty products, pet supplies, medicine—basically everything is there. DoorDash is basically an app that helps you summon a personal shopper who buys things for you and delivers them. Note that different merchants have different opening hours, promotions, and prices.
Pickup
If you do not want to pay delivery fees and just want to use the $5 off sign-up offer, log in and tap the Pickup button at the bottom of the DoorDash home screen. This will show merchants near you that accept pickup. Here is a screenshot example—a store in Simi Valley, California at 9:29 p.m. Open stores are shown with green balloons, and stores that are already closed are shown with gray balloons. Just choose an open store to place your order.
Here, the author takes no responsibility for anyone who blindly places an order, ends up driving a long distance and wasting gas, or walks so much that their HP bar drops badly. Consider this a preemptive disclaimer—thanks!
After choosing the store and confirming the address, go in and add an order that meets the coupon requirement (ideally just barely above the required amount, so the effective value is highest).
Finally, when paying, enter the coupon, confirm the price, and then click pay. After about half an hour, just go pick it up!
Delivery
If you choose Deliver, you will be charged all kinds of mysterious fees and tips, so keep an eye on that.
Chase Credit Card Promotion
Now DoorDash has partnered with Chase to give Sapphire Reserve, Preferred, and Ink users a free DashPass membership (free delivery on orders) through December 31, 2027. Freedom and Slate users get 3 months of free membership. You need to add the corresponding Chase card to DoorDash as the default payment method. You can see this benefit in your Chase account, and you can also activate it in DoorDash. There are also monthly or quarterly credits that you can use for free.
Chase co-branded cards also currently get one free year of DashPass, which can be activated at the link below. After adding a Chase co-branded card, you can also get an extra $10 credit each quarter—don’t forget to claim it.
Notes
Finally, a few notes: these notes apply not only to DoorDash, but also to other delivery apps like Grubhub.
First: Whenever possible, choose pickup instead of delivery, because delivery comes with all kinds of strange service fees and tips—basically getting clawed back! Pickup usually has $0 in fees, and since you are not using the merchant’s delivery service, you have a reason not to tip.
Second: When placing an order, always check the merchant’s address and make sure the trip is worth it before ordering.
Let me say it again—the author is not responsible for anyone who blindly places an order, ends up driving a long distance and wasting gas, or walks so much that their HP bar takes a major hit. This is a preemptive disclaimer, thanks!
Third: Try to order from merchants whose prices are no different from buying directly in-store. Some stores charge $9.99 in-store for a dish, but DoorDash and Grubhub insist on charging $10.99 or even $11.99. If that is the case... the coupon basically does not save you any money...
In short: always watch out for getting clawed back. That is also the whole point of chasing deals, so please keep it in mind!