DoorDash just had its best quarter in Q3 since its IPO in 2020. Ongoing CivicScience tracking provides a glimpse into current usage against its biggest competitor, Uber Eats, as well as how consumers might respond to a new initiative to encourage tipping on orders.

Examining DoorDash and Uber Eats head to head from the latest CivicScience polling data, 3-in-10 U.S. adults say they have experience using DoorDash, three percentage points higher than those with experience using Uber Eats. Uber also enjoyed a positive earnings report, though its food delivery growth was not as high as DoorDash’s. Although Uber Eats holds a slight advantage in intent, more consumers say they’re not interested in trying it when compared to DoorDash. 

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Positive earnings aren’t the only thing that’s recently brought attention to DoorDash, however.  Last week, the company announced it is testing a new warning when users try to place an order without a tip, stating that orders with no tip may result in longer delivery times.

As drivers are allowed to choose what they deliver, orders without a tip can sometimes be paired with orders that do have a tip, often extending the delivery time for both. With this in consideration, it may not be a surprise to see more than half of overall food delivery app users say they’re still likely to order from DoorDash even with this new initiative. Uber Eats users are particularly interested – 77% say they’re at least somewhat likely to use DoorDash. 

A deeper dive into the data show it’s not an anomaly to see a large percentage of Uber Eats users showing interest in DoorDash. The majority (60%) of food delivery app users report they’re using multiple delivery apps, and the percentage of people who use four or more different apps has increased by five points since January to 18% as of early November.

But that’s not all that’s going up – paid subscriptions to services like DashPass or GrubHub+ are also climbing. One-quarter of food delivery app users say they now pay for at least one of these subscriptions, marking a similar five percentage point jump from 2021. More than 2-in-5 DoorDash users say they’re paying for at least one of these subscriptions, with 24% paying for more than one. 

With DoorDash continuing to lead the field on the back of multi-app-users and subscriptions, can they continue their streak into the new year, even with the new tipping initiative amid a market full of tip-fatigued consumers?

More DoorDash Intender Insights:

  • DoorDash intenders are roughly 20 points more likely than non-users to be interested in value menu items at restaurants.
  • They’re far more likely to report they plan to spend more this holiday season than those uninterested in the delivery service. 
  • Health and fitness activities hold at least some level of importance for 85% of those interested in trying DoorDash, five points higher than users and eight points higher than non-users.

Join the Discussion: What do you think is an appropriate tip for a DoorDash order?

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