10 Must-Know Uber Eats Hacks For Drivers & Customers
Uber Eats is one of the leading food delivery apps in the world. In fact, it's available in 45 countries and over 6,000 cities at the time of writing this post.
And if you're anything like me, you've probably used Uber Eats to order food before or as a side hustle to make some extra cash.
That's why in this post, I'm sharing some of the best Uber Eats hacks you can use to save more money on deliveries and to also make more money if you're a gig worker.
With this mix of customer and driver Uber Eats hacks, you'll be ready to maximize the potential of this leading food delivery platform.
Let's get to it!
The Best Uber Eats Hacks
As mentioned, some Uber Eats hacks in this article are going to help customers get free food and save more money on their upcoming orders.
But I'm also sharing some Uber Eats driver hacks that you can use to make more money delivering food if that's what you're more interested in.
By combining these hacks, you should be able to keep more money in your pocket and make the most out of your Uber Eats experience.
1. Get Free Uber Eats Gift Cards
It goes without saying that an awesome Uber Eats hack is to get your hands on free Uber Eats gift cards.
This is by far the easiest way to get free food from Uber Eats. And I've been using the following sites and reward apps to cash out Uber Eats gift cards for years to save more money:
- Swagbucks: This popular site pays you to answer surveys for money, shop online, play trivia games for cash, surf the web, and more.
- Branded Surveys: Another leading survey site with PayPal cash and gift card rewards.
- PrizeRebel: This paid survey website lets you cash out Uber Eats gift cards at only $10.
- Mistplay: A fun Android app that lets you earn money by playing games.
- Survey Junkie: One more survey site with a low $5 cash out requirement.
- Pinecone Research: A leading U.S. survey panel that pays you $3 per survey!
I also made a YouTube video which shares even more tips you can use to get free gift cards, which includes ones to Uber Eats.
Again, this Uber Eats hack takes a bit of work on your end. But it's by far the most consistent way to enjoy free deliveries in my experience.
2. Join Uber Eats Pro
If you currently drive for Uber Eats, one must-know hack is to join Uber Pro if it's available in your market.
This rewards program pays you with points for completing rides and deliveries. Points help you gain different status levels, and the higher your status, the more perks you get.
Some of the perks of Uber Eats Pro include:
- 100% of tuition at Arizona State University Online coverage
- 25% discounts on car maintenance if you sign up for CarAdvice
- Up to 5% cash back on gas with the Uber Visa debit card
Again, this program is still rolling out to different markets, so check your Uber Eats driver app to see if it's available.
3. Check Your Email For Uber Eats Discounts
While this Uber Eats hack is quite basic, it's also a great way to snag some massive discounts and freebies on your next order.
Once you order a few times from Uber Eats, the company begins emailing you with promo codes and discounts. And this is especially true if you stop ordering for a week or two since the company wants to win you back,
For example, Uber Eats recently emailed me an awesome discount of 40% off my next five orders when I spend $40 or more:
This is a massive amount of money to save. And I've gotten similar ones with $20 Uber Eats discount codes before, free delivery vouchers, and similar perks.
Overall, this is a great way to save more money, and it's one of the simplest hacks for Uber Eats out there.
4. Earn Cash Back From Uber Eats Orders
Another one of the best Uber Eats hacks is to earn cash back the next time you order food and essentials from the platform.
That's right: it's actually possible to make money shopping at Uber Eats if you know where to look.
For example, Rakuten, a popular cash back extension, currently pays you up to $2 back when you shop at Uber Eats. And you can also get a sign-up bonus of over $50 if you sign up to drive for Uber Eats as well.
I've been using Rakuten for years, and it's my favorite way to save more money when shopping online. And I like that it pays you cash back via check or PayPal so you earn real money.
Earning $2 per Uber Eats order might not sound like much. But if you order 10 times a month, that's $20 in free money, just for shopping through a rewards site instead.
Apps like Pogo can also pay you with small amounts of free PayPal cash when you shop with a linked card. All-in-all, there are plenty of ways to earn some free cash the next time you use this food delivery giant.
Get $30 from Rakuten!
5. Try Uber Eats Alternatives
While it might sound obvious, one Uber Eats hack you can try is to simply use other food delivery apps instead of just sticking with Uber.
This hack is especially important for gig economy workers as well. After all, stacking food delivery apps is an excellent way to get more orders per hour and ultimately make more money.
Some of the best jobs like Uber Eats you can try include:
- DoorDash: The leading food delivery app in North America that lets you deliver via bike, car, and scooter.
- Instacart: The leading grocery delivery service that's in 5,000+ cities.
- Shipt: A popular gig like Instacart that also pays you to shop for groceries.
- Grubhub: This gig app is similar to Uber Eats and DoorDash and also pays you to deliver food.
- Walmart Spark: This delivery gig pays you to deliver food and essentials to Walmart customers.
This YouTube video from UDM provides a guide on how to multi-app with Uber Eats and other gigs like Instacart or DoorDash.
I also want to highlight the fact that this Uber Eats hack can work for customers as well.
Different delivery apps run promotions and discounts all the time. So, check out a few other options before you place your next Uber Eats order to see if you can save.
6. Deliver At The Best Times
Another critical Uber Eats hack for any drivers is to drive at the best times for Uber Eats.
A lot of people I know who don't like making money with Uber Eats forget this fact: delivering at the right times is crucial for making as much money as possible.
This also makes a lot of sense. After all, if you deliver during peak times for ordering food, like right before lunch and during the dinner rush, you generally get more orders and make more per hour.
In contrast, if you deliver food during the morning, you might not find as much success. This is generally the case for any driving gig, not just Uber Eats, but it's an important hack to keep in mind.
7. Earn Credit Card Rewards
One of my favorite Uber Eats food hacks is to earn cash back rewards whenever I order food from the platform.
And thankfully, this is incredibly easy to do if you order with the right credit card.
These days, plenty of credit cards have lucrative cash back rates for food and dining. Some of the best cards you can use to order from Uber Eats include:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: This card pays you 3x cash back on dining and delivery.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 3x cash back on dining and delivery.
- Capital One Savor Rewards: Get 4% cash back on dining and entertainment.
- Capital One Venture Rewards: Earn 2 times the miles when shopping at DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Plus, you can stack your credit card rewards with various reward apps, like Fetch Rewards, to earn even more from your purchases.
Extra Reading – The Best Apps Like Fetch Rewards For Saving Money.
8. Save Money On Gas
Alright: it's time for another Uber Eats hack that can help delivery drivers keep more money in their pockets!
Since Uber Eats doesn't pay for gas, fuel is the main expense most Uber drivers face. So, one simple hack is to use various reward apps that help you save money on gas.
Some of the best apps I enjoy using in this category include:
- Upside: The leading gas rewards app that can save up to $0.25 per gallon at select stations.
- Receipt Hog: Upload your shopping receipts and earn free PayPal cash with this app.
- ReceiptPal: Another receipt scanning app with PayPal prizes.
- Checkout 51: A grocery and gas rewards app that you can use to save money.
Sure, these apps won't make you hundreds of dollars per month. But this simple hack for Uber Eats adds up quickly, and even saving $10 to $25 per month can make a difference.
9. Invite Your Friends To Uber Eats
One of the best Uber Eats hacks involves leveraging its referral bonuses by inviting your friends to join the platform.
For example, in many markets, Uber pays you a referral bonus if you invite someone to drive for Uber and Uber Eats. So, if any of your friends are looking for a new side hustle, you can get quick money just by inviting them to drive.
Uber sometimes pays bonuses to new customers who get invited to the app as well. So, check your Uber Eats app and see if there are any easy bonuses you can use to earn free money.
This tip is also a popular DoorDash hack, so you can try it with other food delivery apps as well.
Extra Reading – The Best Instant Withdrawal Sign Up Bonus Offers.
10. Order Food As A Group
One final Uber Eats hack you can use to save money on delivery fees is to simply order food as a group.
My friends and I do this all the time when we have parties. And if you can get everyone in the group to agree one one restaurant, it's easy to split the delivery fee amongst friends.
You can also agree how much to tip your delivery driver and then split that expense as well.
Extra Reading – The Best Uber Eats Driver Tips.
Are There Any Free Food Uber Eats Hacks?
No, there aren't any free food Uber Eats hacks that let you get free food without spending anything. However, plenty of Uber Eats hacks help you get discounts on your orders. And you can always get free gift cards to Uber Eats with some hacks and then use those funds to cover your purchase.
To save the most money on Uber Eats, I suggest using survey sites like Branded Surveys and Swagbucks to get some free gift cards. And always check your email and the Uber Eats app for discounts.
Extra Reading – How To Earn $1,000 A Week With Uber Eats.
Final Thoughts
I hope this list of hacks for Uber Eats helps you save more money on your next order if you're a customer and also helps my fellow drivers make more money with this gig.
Uber Eats is a massive platform. So, there are plenty of ways to save and make more money with this app.
And remember: you can always use other apps, like Grubhub or DoorDash, to mix things up once in a while.
Thanks for reading!
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