Doordash is a popular and trusted online food platform. A majority of people in the U.S. do order food not only on normal days but also during the holidays like Christmas. Given that 9 out of 10 people celebrate Christmas with parties and extra family time, there’s potential for Doordash use. So it’s therefore important that you be well acquainted with Doordash Christmas availability.
DoorDash Christmas availability is certainly dependent on location but in general is tight. Many gig workers are off on the holidays, but others choose to work limited shifts or even extra to make up for time off. Demand for Doordash at Christmas is often high, too, affecting availability.
This post discusses Doordash’s Christmas availability including the day they deliver and time they are extra busy. I’ll also share with you whether you can decline an order and how to get a refund. Keep in mind dashers can also decline/not accept to delivery certain orders.
Let’s jump right into it!
Contents
Why Use Doordash on Christmas?
It may seem counter to Christmas ‘family time’ but many people still use Doordash at Christmas.
People use Doordash at Christmas for convenience if you haven’t had time to shop ingredients or put together recipes. Doordash is easier, too, because it reduces clean up time, so you can be with family instead of dishes. And dashers often work for Doordash at Christmas to make extra holiday money.
Customers use Doordash even on Christmas Day, though it may seem odd for the ‘family-focused holiday.’ Some customers use it because they are alone on the holiday and prefer not to cook a special meal for just one.
Others are either inexperienced cooks or just don’t want to spend the holidays in the kitchen rather than relaxing and enjoying time with family and friends. This is especially true for those who stress about cooking, or don’t enjoy it at all.
Dashers are what gig workers for Doordash are called. So when you hear ‘dasher’ at Christmas, it’s not always about Santa’s reindeer. It most likely is referring to your Doordash delivery person.
And as for ‘dashers’, well many actually work Christmas Day on purpose. Since others want the time off, there’s less competition for the orders placed and it’s a way to make extra money that can offset holiday expenses or just to catch up bills.
Does Doordash Deliver on Christmas Day?
Doordash delivers whenever there is need. So basically, 365 days a year, it’s possible to use Doordash.
Doordash delivers on Christmas, though it may take longer. This is because Doordash demand can outweigh supply during the holidays. Desire for Doordash can often be high with many at home and preferring not to cook, but availability is limited for drivers and some restaurants alter hours, too.
Lots of people are at home at the holidays. This means there’s generally an uptick in Doordash orders, with people opting to order dinner or snacks rather than shop and cook.
This is true even on Christmas Day.
Then there are the regular Doordash customers who use the service regardless of holiday, who will continue to use it on Christmas.
Thus, this increases the demand for Doordash orders, which affects delivery time.
Likewise, there are less drivers and restaurants open on Christmas Day, again impacting delivery time. So if you are using Doordash at Christmas, keep this in mind, and order ahead of time if possible. And of course, be patient with your dasher!
TIP: Consider being on the lookout when it comes to promotions. They may give thematic menu items, do-it-yourself cooking kits, and others that are not always available on applications for a whole year.
For more reading on Doordash, Uber at the holidays, I think you’ll like these articles:
- Is DoorDash Busy on Easter? (Answered)
- What About Uber Christmas Eve Availability And Rates?
- Can You Order Uber Eats Christmas Eve? (The Scoop)
Is DoorDash Busy On Christmas Eve And Day?
Doordash is generally always busy on Christmas Eve and Day as soon as it opens on these days, with few exceptions. With limited dashers for delivery and scaled down restaurant options, the negative supply and demand relationship impacts availability and wait-time.
And many people order meals so they can share with their loved ones as they celebrate, the demand is high. For this reason, you might consider ordering anything you would like early enough to avoid getting your food delivered very late and to reserve a preferred time-slot.
It also helps to check for restaurant options.
I remember one year planning to order a traditional Christmas dinner but when I checked the options, I found out in our area the only thing open on Christmas Day was Chinese restaurants. It caused a minor dilemma at the time, but we eventually warmed to the ‘A Christmas Story’ tradition and purposefully ate Chinese food on Christmas Day for many Christmases to come!
So key is planning in advance if you want to use Doordash on Christmas Day, that is, in order to limit your wait time, get your preferred delivery time, and to know what restaurants are actually open.
Is It Bad to Decline Orders on Doordash?
It’s not bad to decline orders on Doordash. You may need to cancel or decline an order after it’s placed or even when your dasher delivers. If it’s not your dasher’s fault, you should still tip. Dashers also decline orders from time to time. Don’t abuse the option, but decline when necessary.
The delivery time may also be extremely long or you have any other reason for the cancellation. However, if you need your money back, you will have to cancel the order soon. The type of refund you should expect and the duration you take to cancel an order will determine the refund you will get.
There are instances when you can expect to pay a partial fee, though. This might be after the restaurant started preparing food or after the dasher picked up the order. Often Doordash must pay the restaurant and/or dasher, so they pass on the fee to the customer.
However, I’ve experienced times where I canceled an order, made by mistake or an emergency occurred. Doordash (and other delivery companies like Grubhub and Uber) did not charge at all. Usually this is because I canceled quickly after placing the order.
Of course, if you show a track record of ordering and canceling, that’s likely to affect your refund possibility.
And if for some reason you order and it can’t be canceled, it’s not the end of the world. Either save the food for later or give it to a neighbor.
What’s the Best Time to Doordash?
Many say the best time to Doordash is from half-past four to eight in the evening and from eleven in the morning to two pm. This is the peak time to operate at Doordash and similar companies. Of course, this also means wait time can be impacted since more people are using the service.
In case you’ll be available for some days, consider booking your location for delivery at lunchtime or dinner time.
You can do this by scheduling a Dash in advance, it can be five days. Remember, Doordash needs to keep the best Dashers. That said, it needs the delivery drivers to maximize their payouts so they do not resign after some weeks.
Is It Worth Doing DoorDash in the Morning?
It is usually not worth doing Doordash in the morning as a dasher. There is little demand so most dashers won’t find themselves busy. However, for users, you can generally get your morning order quickly because demand is low. And of course, there are always exceptions.
Many make a lot of cash at this time. And if you want to get more cash, then you can try going for Doordash at night. Besides, from nine in the morning to one in the afternoon, it can also be quite busy. This is for those who stay in places with numerous people and restaurants.
Basically, get to know your area before jumping to conclusions. What works in one place isn’t always the case somewhere else. This is for both dashers and customers.
What Is the Busiest Day at Doordash?
The busiest days at Doordash is Saturday and Sunday. This implies that it is best to Doordash during the weekend, in the evening and late in the night. The peak time falls between five to nine in the evening but can go to two or three in the morning. Holidays can be an exception, and busy all day.
Though this depends on the restaurants that operate at this time, and of course, location, location, location.
So, in case you reside in places where people sleep very early every day, these late-night prices will not work for you. Provided there are some restaurants in your place plus those who need delivery, you’ll make some cash, as a dasher driving on weekends.
For consumers, it’s necessary to realize that Doordash peak days like Saturday and Sunday will negatively impact your delivery wait and delivery time options. That being said, Doordash tries to prepare for the weekend rush by having many dashers available.
Be keen on those restaurants that do not offer delivery, and if they do, you may not be in the position to Dash.
Is Doordash Busy on Friday Nights?
Doordash is usually busy on Friday nights. This is similar to weekends. Still, a majority of drivers say a perfect time for Doordash fluctuates in different areas. You, thus need to track orders to realize a reasonable time for Dashing into your locale.
Those utilizing Doordash services for food delivery need to consider this too in order to make their Doordash experience more pleasant.
Is It Worth Dashing When It’s Not Busy?
It is worth dashing when it’s not busy, since you can do it anytime. This allows you to work on your own schedule. It’s especially a good option for college students or those with odd situations that impact your ability to work a regular shift job.
The application will allow you to dash from any zone whenever you want to use it. Although you’ll be able to dash at your comfort, it doesn’t imply it will often be busy.
It’s also advisable that you dash in the red zones on the map. Also, schedule the dashes anytime you need to hurry and avoid coming across lots of dashers on your way.
Wrapping Up Doordash Christmas Availability
To wrap it up, Doordash Christmas availability depends on your location. Some places have typical higher demand for Doordash than others; as well, some places are more limited on their dashers.
Christmas impacts Doordash, too. Many people are home and this often means a higher demand for food deliveries. However, there are also generally-speaking less drivers and less options from restaurants on Christmas Day. All of this influences availability for Doordash.
As long as you think ahead, or be patient with options, you can enjoy Doordash at Christmas, if you’d like, too.
For further reading on Doordash, Uber at the holidays, try these articles:
