DoorDash Versus Seamless

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DoorDash is one of the most recognizable names in food delivery, and it stands out in every possible way. Streamlined, easy to use, attractive and dedicated to customer service and quality, DoorDash is a popular choice for to-your-door food delivery.

How Does DoorDash Work?

Once you download DoorDash, either through the App Store or Google Play, you’ll be asked to set your location. While you can save other locations down the road (home or office, for example), this should be the location you use most commonly. Once you’ve set your location, the app will auto-populate it as your delivery location for your next order.

Based upon your set location, the app will also display a list of available restaurants within a certain radius of you. Each listing will display a rating, estimated delivery time and delivery fee, so you can make a quick selection. If you’d prefer, you can also sort the restaurant displays according to delivery time, top-rated status and fastest delivery.

See a restaurant you like? Click the listing for a full menu. Once you’ve found an item on that menu, click for a full ingredients list and a selection of “add-ons” available with your order. You’ll also see a space to request special care with your order, such as leaving the dressing on the side of your salad.

Once you’ve selected the item you want, it will be added to a cart, where you can review it before you check out fully. The price you’ll see in the cart includes the meal prices, delivery fee, tax and service fee. If you see a service fee, be aware that it’s because the restaurant you’re ordering from isn’t paying DoorDash a commission for the delivery, and that not all orders will include service fees.

Place the order and you’ll see an estimated delivery time, and an option to track your delivery person (known as a “Dasher”) through the app.

Why People Love DoorDash

DoorDash is the ultimate in convenience. Dashers bring the food to your door and the menu options feel limitless. The app also offers convenient menu item breakdowns (ideal for people with food allergies or special preferences) and a convenient re-order feature.

The only downside is that it’s more expensive than other apps, including delivery fees and service fees, which can add as much as $10 to your food price. That doesn’t stop people from using it, though, and the app has quickly become one of the most popular in the food-delivery industry.

About the Author

Alex

Owned by GrubHub, Seamless is a focused app that offers many of the same benefits. Designed to provide streamlined functionality and a simplified ordering process, Seamless is like other food-delivery apps in that it allows you to browse menus according to price, location, cuisine type and restaurant name. It also offers in-app promotions and discounts and to-your-door delivery.

It also makes re-order, pre-order and saving payment methods, addresses and more straightforward, so ordering takes less time, and you can always opt for that fail-proof sub or delicious sushi platter you’re craving. The app offers a selection of payment methods, so you can choose the one that’s right for you, be it a credit card, cash or Apple Pay.

How Does Seamless Work?

When you need some food delivered to you, start by opening the Seamless app. You’ll be greeted by a search bar that lets you browse menus according to a variety of criteria. Once you’ve selected a dish from a local menu (by checking out the photos, prices and descriptions the app offers), you can order it with one click. Input your payment and address information (both of which can be saved for future orders), and the food will be on its way to you.

Unlike UberEats, Seamless doesn’t offer real-time driver tracking, delivery person information or contact details, although it will update you about the status of your order via push notifications if you opt in. While some users prefer being able to pull up their driver’s location on a map, push notifications are more than sufficient to keep you informed about your order and ensure you’re there to receive it when it arrives.

Why do People Like it?

If you order food frequently, Seamless lets you save your order history and gives you Express Reorder features, preorder features (which allow you to plan a food order two days to four hours in advance, so you can always trust that your order will be on its way when you need it) and cashless payment methods, although this app also allows you to pay in cash, which many of its competitors don’t.

A simple and streamlined way to order food at your home or office or on-the-go, Seamless is slightly less limited in its offerings than similar apps (e.g., no grocery delivery, fast food or spirits), but continues to be simple to use. The app is free of many of the bugs and customer-service issues that turn other users off of food delivery and has a stunning amount of satisfied customers.

About the Author

Alex