The pandemic has affected everyone, but delivery apps are more popular and now ubiquitous. The big question is which one deserves your business among the "big three" available in Vancouver, BC, Canada. I wrote this blog post last 2018 when the delivery apps were just starting out.
Let's look at each app and why I prefer one over the other.
DoorDash
I used to (past tense) love DoorDash. It was the app I use every week at work to order food for the whole team. The "group order" is a big deal for someone like me!
Now, I don't use it as often for two reasons:
- During my peak use of the app, it was reported that they do not give a tip to the dasher. That's infuriating because I order for 8-11 people (depending on how big our team was), and I tip 10-15%, which would mean that the tip did not go to the dasher. Grrr. I am still upset thinking about it.
- They charge a DoorDash fee to me, the consumer, and charge a different fee to the restaurant. It's upsetting that they are earning money from BOTH the customer and the restaurant.
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| DoorDash |
We still use DoorDash when the restaurant is only available on that platform. Recently, hubby's employer gave them DoorDash gift cards, so we have to use the app.
2022 Update: I have been using DoorDash more recently because I use Ampli to earn cashback and my RBC Credit Card offered a free three months of DashPass.
SkipTheDishes
SkipTheDishes is my preferred app among the three! Why? It's a Canadian start-up! It was acquired by Just Eat, but they have a big operation in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
They also don't charge me (consumer) any SkipTheDishes fee, and they allow me to "Contribute" to the local restaurant I am ordering from. Lastly, I use it more because of SkipRewards.
Update: They started charging a $0.99 SkipTheDishes fee which is still less than the percentage DoorDash charges.
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| SkipTheDishes |
Update April 2022: I don't use SkipTheDishes as often because we try to do less delivery and decided to just walk to restaurants and pick things up or dine in.
Uber Eats
I have the Uber app on my phone, and it's the only food delivery app I have on my mobile. My experience with Uber Eats has been great. Although, I only use it when the restaurant we want to order from is only available there.
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| Uber Eats |
Dine-In and Take Out
When restaurants were open, I only use delivery apps when we're at my parent's place in Richmond, and I am playing Overcooked with my siblings. Ordering in makes sense. Otherwise, we love to enjoy food in the restaurant without the delivery delay.
Because of the pandemic, I relied too much on delivery apps. Starting this month, we decided to do more take-out and pick-up. It means we can only order from the many restaurants near our home. We live near South Granville, so there are a lot of options!
What's your preferred app?
