Everyone loves free food but hates delivery costs. 

Free DoorDash credits can make takeout cheaper or even free.

I'm going to walk you through both legitimate methods and some creative tricks to score free credits on DoorDash. 

This guide covers everything from referrals and promo codes to credit card perks and insider techniques specifically for U.S. users.

What Are DoorDash Credits and How Do They Work?

DoorDash credits work like in-app currency that equals cash for your orders. 

These credits apply to your purchases but can't be cashed out or transferred elsewhere.

Credits come from various sources - promotions, referrals, or even compensation when an order goes wrong. 

When checkout time comes, any credits in your account automatically apply to your total, reducing what you pay out of pocket.

Keep in mind that credits often come with rules:

• Many credits expire if not used by a specific date

• Some might require minimum order amounts

• Certain credits only work with specific restaurants or food categories

Legitimate Ways to Get Free DoorDash Credits

1. DoorDash Referral Program

The referral program is a win-win for you and your friends. 

When you invite someone who's never used DoorDash before, you both get rewarded after they place their first order.

To find your personal referral code, open the DoorDash app and check your account section. 

Share this code with friends or family directly - just don't post it publicly, as that breaks DoorDash's rules.

Typically, new users get around $10 off each of their first 3 orders (about $30 total). 

As the referrer, you'll receive equivalent credits applied to your account, usually within 24 hours after your friend completes their qualifying order.

DoorDash does cap referrals, often limiting bonuses to the first 25 people you refer. Still, that's potentially hundreds in free food if you invite enough real friends.

2. New Customer Sign-Up Promotions

First-time DoorDash users get the royal treatment with significant sign-up bonuses. 

These welcome offers typically include a major discount or credit on initial orders – sometimes as high as $20–$30 total.

These deals change regularly, so check DoorDash's sign-up page or coupon sites for current offers. 

You'll need to use an invitation link or promo code when creating your account to claim these bonuses.

If you've already used DoorDash, consider signing up a family member who lives with you for their own account. 

Each person in a household can legitimately enjoy their own new-user promotion (as long as they're actually different people - DoorDash can detect fake accounts).

3. DoorDash Email & App Promotions

Make sure you're set up to receive promotional emails from DoorDash. 

These newsletters frequently contain exclusive promo codes and flash deals for free or discounted items.

The U.S. has numerous "National Food Days" (like National Pizza Day or Ice Cream Day) when DoorDash partners with restaurants for special freebies. 

Keep an eye on your inbox around these fun food holidays for surprise free items.

Don't forget to check the "Offers" or "Deals" tab in the DoorDash app regularly. 

Restaurants often run localized promotions like "$5 off $20" or free items with minimum purchases. 

These in-app discounts can be easily grabbed by applying the deal at checkout.

Consider allowing DoorDash push notifications, at least during prime promotion times, so you don't miss limited-time offers that might only last a few hours.

4. Promo Codes and Coupons

Finding working promo codes is easier than you might think. 

Check coupon websites like RetailMeNot or SimplyCodes for current codes that work for both new and existing users.

You'll find different types of codes - some give a percentage off (like 25% off), others offer a dollar amount credit (such as $10 off), and some provide free delivery. 

Remember that DoorDash only allows one code per order, so choose the one that gives you the biggest discount.

For existing users, regularly check the DoorDash app for any automatically applied promos. 

The company sometimes adds "$5 off next order" offers for select customers without them even asking.

Another smart tactic: signing up for competitor apps like Uber Eats can trigger DoorDash to send you retention offers if they notice you haven't ordered in a while.

5. Credit Card Perks & Partnerships

Several major U.S. credit cards have partnered with DoorDash to offer valuable benefits:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve provides free DashPass membership (normally $9.99/month) plus $5 in DoorDash credits each month when you activate the perk. Other Chase cards offer variations of this benefit:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred: Free DashPass and $0 delivery fees, plus occasional $10 off perks

• Chase Freedom cards: Limited-time DashPass trials or quarterly credits

Mastercard World and Elite cardholders often receive 3 months of free DashPass membership, which saves you delivery fees on qualifying orders.

To use these benefits, simply add your eligible credit card as a payment method in DoorDash. 

The app will usually prompt you to activate any available benefits like free DashPass or monthly credits.

If you have a popular travel or cashback card, check your benefits - you might be leaving free DoorDash money on the table without realizing it.

6. Rewards Apps & Gift Cards

Several apps let you earn points that convert to DoorDash gift cards:

Fetch Rewards gives you points for snapping grocery receipts or playing games. These points can then be exchanged for DoorDash gift cards. 

Similarly, Ibotta offers DoorDash gift cards in exchange for shopping rebates.

Survey and "Get-Paid-To" sites like Swagbucks, MyPoints, InboxDollars, and PrizeRebel let you earn points by taking surveys, watching videos, or playing games. 

These points can be redeemed for DoorDash gift cards, with many users reporting success getting $15-$25 cards this way.

Watch for gift card deals too. 

Platforms like the Swagbucks Rewards Store or PayPal Digital Gifts sometimes offer promotions like "Buy a $50 DoorDash gift card for $40" - essentially giving you $10 free. 

Around Black Friday and holidays, DoorDash gift cards might include bonus credit.

These methods take some time and effort but can steadily build up free food credit over several weeks.

7. DashPass Free Trials & Promotions

DoorDash's subscription service, DashPass, frequently offers free trial periods - sometimes one month, or even three months through partnerships. 

During the trial, you get $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on orders over the minimum amount.

While this doesn't directly give you "credits," the money saved on fees effectively makes part of your order free. 

DashPass members also occasionally receive exclusive credits and promotions - for example, "DashPass members get $5 credit on pickup orders."

Additionally, DashPass subscribers earn 5% back in credits on pickup orders. 

If you don't want to pay for full membership, use the free trial during a month when you plan to order frequently, then cancel before you're charged.

8. Resolve Order Issues (Ethically)

If DoorDash genuinely messes up your order - through missing items, wrong delivery, or extreme delays - their support team often issues credits or refunds as compensation.

When something legitimately goes wrong, use the app's "Report Issue" function or contact customer service right away.

Depending on the severity of the problem, DoorDash may grant partial or full credit to your account.

It's important to be honest - some customers do falsely claim missing food to get free credits, but this practice is unethical and could get your account banned. 

DoorDash tracks complaint patterns and may flag accounts with suspicious activity.

The right approach is to request credits only when you're truly wronged - DoorDash wants happy customers and will make things right when mistakes happen.

9. Social Media Giveaways & Contests

Follow DoorDash's official social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) where they occasionally run giveaway contests. 

These might be trivia challenges, tag-a-friend promotions, or retweet-to-win competitions with Dash credits as prizes.

Popular food influencers sometimes partner with DoorDash for promo code giveaways or gift card contests. 

For instance, a YouTube video might share a limited code for the first 100 users to get $10 credit.

Community groups like Facebook deals groups or the r/freebies subreddit can alert you to unofficial giveaways. 

DoorDash also sometimes runs in-app challenges - completing a certain number of orders in a week might earn you bonus credits.

If DoorDash runs a hashtag contest or social challenge, participating thoughtfully and creatively might increase your chances of winning substantial credits.

Community Hacks & Gray-Area Strategies

Note: The following methods may bend or break DoorDash's rules. They carry risks including account deactivation and ethical concerns. I'm sharing them for information, not endorsement.

10. Multiple Accounts and Referral Loopholes

Some users create multiple DoorDash accounts to reuse new-customer promos or referral bonuses. 

This typically involves using different email addresses, phone numbers, or payment methods to appear as a new user repeatedly.

This approach violates DoorDash's terms of service, which limit users to one account per person. 

Their system can detect duplicate accounts through device, payment method, or address patterns. 

If caught, your credits won't apply and your accounts could be banned.

People attempting this use tricks like resetting their phone, using different devices/IP addresses, and using new payment methods to avoid detection. 

They might get a few free orders before DoorDash catches on.

Rather than risking account deactivation, focus on legitimately referring actual friends - you'll build up credits without breaking rules or worrying about getting caught.

11. Stacking Promo Codes and Discounts

While DoorDash officially allows only one promo code per order, you can combine different types of discounts. 

For example, you can use:

• DashPass benefits (free delivery)

• A promo code

• Credits already in your account

• A payment method that earns rewards

This legitimate "stacking" approach maximizes your savings on each order. 

Instead of chasing glitchy hacks that get patched quickly, focus on these allowed combinations.

Another strategy: place group orders to split fees, apply one good promo code on a large order, pay with a rewards credit card for cashback, and use any credits you have - all in one transaction. 

This might reduce your out-of-pocket cost to nearly zero.

12. Exploiting Refund Policies ("Food Didn't Arrive" Scam)

An unfortunately common unethical hack involves falsely reporting orders as never delivered or items as missing to get refunds or credits.

This is fraud, plain and simple. 

DoorDash investigates patterns of such claims, and drivers can be unfairly penalized due to false reports. 

The company keeps delivery photo evidence and GPS logs to verify delivery claims.

This practice isn't just unethical - it could result in account bans or even retroactive charges if DoorDash determines the claims were fraudulent. 

The potential damage to delivery drivers' livelihoods makes this particularly harmful.

13. Reddit & Forum Tips

Reddit and forums share various other techniques:

• Using "Lapsed User" Coupons: Some users claim that if you stop ordering for a while, DoorDash will send "we miss you" credits. While this can happen naturally, it's not guaranteed and requires patience.

• Location Swapping: Some try changing their delivery location to somewhere with a known promo, applying the promo, then switching back to their real address. Results vary widely with this approach.

• Third-Party Coupon Apps: Tools like SimplyCodes or Honey automatically test many coupon codes at checkout. They won't create new codes, but might find working ones you didn't know about.

• Stacking Different Services: A creative approach involves using rewards from other services for DoorDash. For instance, redeem credit card points for DoorDash gift cards, or use cashback from a gas app to fund your food delivery.

Extra Tips to Maximize Your Free Credits

Want to stretch every credit and discount? 

Try these strategies:

Combine Offers Smartly

Whenever possible, stack different types of savings. 

Use credits or gift card balance for most of an order, then a promo code for the rest. 

Plan orders during your DashPass free trial period plus a holiday promo code for maximum savings.

Group Orders

Order with friends or family in one cart. 

Hitting a larger subtotal might qualify you for higher-value promos like "$10 off $40+" while paying just one delivery fee. 

Split the remaining cost with friends to lower everyone's contribution.

Off-Peak Deals

Look for promotions during less busy hours. DoorDash sometimes offers discounts for ordering during off-peak times (like 2-4pm). 

By timing your orders strategically, you'll find savings that peak-time users miss.

Leverage Restaurant Rewards

Many restaurants have loyalty programs that work through DoorDash (such as "buy 5, get 1 free"). 

These effectively increase the value of your credits by giving you additional free items.

Stay Organized

Keep track of your credits and their expiration dates. 

If you know you have $10 expiring next week, plan a meal before then so the credit doesn't go to waste. 

Also, save any active promo codes you find for easy reference.

Watch Competitors

Signing up for competing services like Uber Eats and Grubhub can trigger better offers from DoorDash.  

These companies compete for market share, so if you use a competitor, DoorDash might send you targeted deals to win you back.

And if they don't - you might as well just compare which is cheaper, Grubhub or Doordash, for example.

Conclusion

By combining these methods, you can enjoy DoorDash without spending much (or any) of your own money. From official referrals to smart coupon stacking, there are plenty of ways to get your next meal free or heavily discounted.

Try one or two methods today - perhaps share your referral code with a friend or sign up for a rewards app. A little effort upfront can lead to delicious rewards later.

While "hacks" exist, the most sustainable approach is taking advantage of legitimate promotions. 

DoorDash and its partners want to give out credits to attract and keep customers - so make the most of it!

Saving money on food delivery makes it taste even better. With these tips, you can become the friend who always knows how to get free DoorDash. Enjoy your free meals!

FAQ: Common Questions About DoorDash Credits

Do DoorDash credits expire? 

Yes, most promotional credits have expiration dates. Check your account to see when each credit expires, typically within 30-90 days of receiving them.

Can I use DoorDash credits and a promo code together? 

Absolutely! Credits in your account automatically apply at checkout, and you can still add a promo code on top of that for additional savings.

Why isn't my promo code working? 

Promo codes might not work if they've expired, are for new customers only (and you're an existing user), require a minimum order amount you haven't met, or are limited to specific regions or restaurants.

Can I transfer my DoorDash credits to someone else? 

No, DoorDash credits are non-transferable and tied to your specific account.

Do I earn DashPass benefits on orders paid with credits? 

Yes, DashPass benefits like free delivery apply regardless of whether you're paying with credits, gift cards, or a credit card.