Technology

Grubhub adds more perks to Grubhub+ membership program

Members will now get 5% back on pickup orders and lower service fees. And more features are coming.
Grubhub is relaunching Grubhub+ with more savings. | Photo: Shutterstock

Grubhub is relaunching its Grubhub+ membership program with more perks, including savings on pickup, lower services fees and more recognition of customer milestones.

That’s in addition to the existing offers of free delivery on orders over $12, exclusive offers from restaurants, and Grubhub donation-matching on Grubhub+ orders. The program, which launched in 2020, costs $9.99 a month. 

Under the new version, members will now get:

  • A 5% credit on pickup orders that can be applied to future orders.
  • Lower service fees. These fees are in addition to the delivery fee and vary depending on the market. Grubhub+ members will see “significantly” lower fees, said Launika Raykar, VP of loyalty, customer engagement and partnerships for Grubhub, though she would not reveal the exact savings.

And more new features are coming. These include:

  • Rewards for passing certain ordering milestones.
  • Monthlong savings events for members.
  • A partnership with Shell that gives members of its Fuels Rewards program 5 cents off per gallon.

Grubhub would not say how many Grubhub+ members there are but said they tend to order more frequently than non-members. When Raykar joined Grubhub last year, she looked at Grubhub+ and felt it could be offering those regular users more.

“We felt like our customers are leaning in hard with us and they’re expecting reciprocity from their loyalty programs, and there was area to give more,” she said in an interview. 

Raykar joined Grubhub after nearly 10 years at Hilton hotels, where she was senior director of its Hilton Honors loyalty program. Hilton invests disproportionately in its loyalty members, she said, and she wanted to take the same approach at Grubhub.

That will mean more savings, even for customers who choose to pick up their food. The company said it has seen more of its customers picking up and is embracing that behavior. Pickup via Grubhub is already free, and now those customers will get 5% of the total back as a credit. 

But the updates also mean more recognition for members. That will include celebrating a user’s ordering milestones, offering exclusive access and creating a more personalized experience. Eventually, Raykar said, it will include additional rewards.

“Reward and recognition within the loyalty space is an area I don’t think any company can overinvest in,” she said. “Reward and recognition has been such a big pillar of the program.”

The changes also bring Grubhub+ more in line with competing programs from DoorDash and Uber Eats. In addition to offering free delivery, DoorDash’s DashPass gives members lower service fees, 5% back on pickup orders and exclusive offers. Members of Uber Eats’ Uber One get free delivery, up to 10% off eligible orders and special offers and promotions. Both cost $9.99 a month.

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