If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, there’s a deceptively valuable perk hiding in your wallet, and it’s not a travel credit, not a transfer partner, not even a status situation.
It’s DoorDash.
Between the complimentary DashPass membership and a $10 monthly credit on non-restaurant orders, you can gain back a big chunk of your annual fee without touching a single travel portal. And with DoorDash’s new in-app restaurant reservations, this partnership is getting sweeter by the second.
⚠️ Heads Up: To get these benefits, you’ll need to activate DashPass with a DoorDash account that was created in the U.S.
Here’s the quick rundown of how to turn this delivery app into real value.
How the Sapphire Preferred DoorDash Perk Works
DashPass: $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees
Activate your account by December 31, 2027, and you’ll get at least 12 months of complimentary DashPass.
DashPass typically runs about $10 per month, so that’s an easy $120+ value just for turning it on.
$10 monthly credit (non-restaurant orders only)
Most people miss this, but you also get a $10 monthly promo specifically for non-restaurant DoorDash orders. Such as:
Grocery delivery
Convenience stores
Retail partners
Drugstores
Pet supplies
Local markets
This credit resets each month and does not roll over, soooo use it or lose it.
Paired with DashPass, which reduces service fees on many of these orders, your small errands could honestly be a little cheaper.
Here’s some quick math for you:
If you activate DashPass and use the $10 monthly credit every month:
DashPass value: $120/year
DoorDash credit: $120/year
Total: up to $240 in annual value
The Sapphire Preferred annual fee? $95.
You can already see where this is going. 🙂
How to Activate Your DashPass
This takes like… 60 seconds.
Open the DoorDash app
Go to Account and then “Credits and Gift Cards” (I’ve also found it’s easier to do this on desktop than on mobile)
Select Activate DashPass with Chase
Sign in and verify your Sapphire Preferred
Make it your default payment method
Here’s what the set-up will look like ☝️
👀 Pro Tip: If you’re already paying for DashPass, this should automatically shift you to the complimentary Chase-linked membership.
How to Maximize the $10 Monthly Credit
Lots of people activate DashPass and then… forget about the monthly $10 promo. Here are a few practical ways to not be one of those people.
Build a monthly “essentials” routine: It sounds boring, but use it for things like paper towels, toothpaste, coffee, pantry fillers, and pet food. Most of these run $12 to $20, which makes the $10 credit weirdly perfect.
Use it for grocery top-offs: Not full shops, just things you’d usually run out for anyway.
Stack with DoorDash promos: DoorDash regularly offers store-specific discounts or reduced service fees. Pairing those with your $10 credit could knock $12 to $15 off a single order.
Add a reminder: This perk only works if you remember to use it, so a calendar ping once a month is your friend.
New: DoorDash Now Offers In-App Restaurant Reservations
DoorDash quietly stepped into Resy/OpenTable territory this fall with a brand-new in-app reservations feature, rolling out first in a few bigger cities.
Photo courtesy of DoorDash
What’s cool about it:
You can book restaurants directly in DoorDash
Some bookings come with exclusive experiences (chef tastings, VIP menus, preferred seating)
You earn rewards for every reservation
Chase cardholders can still stack DashPass benefits when they order takeout from the same restaurants
In New York, DoorDash even partnered with some well-known spots to offer unique perks for early bookers.
It's not replacing Resy or OpenTable yet, but it's a notable upgrade, and it tells us that DoorDash is becoming more valuable for Sapphire cardholders overall.
As a foodie (who also happens to live in New York), I’m pretty excited about this.
The Sapphire Reserve’s DoorDash perks are much heavier: $300 in DoorDash value, given that you’ll get a membership and up to $25 in monthly promos for 12 months.
But for most people (especially anyone who rarely uses food delivery), these Reserve perks are nice-to-haves, not must-haves.
And in regard to the Sapphire Preferred, it’s already enough to offset the annual fee.
If you activate DashPass and use your $10 credit every month, you’re getting about $240 in value, which is more than double the cost of the annual fee. And unlike some benefits that require strategy or travel planning, this one is about as low-effort as it gets.
Bottom Line
The Sapphire Preferred comes with plenty of well-known travel perks, but its DoorDash benefits are one of its easiest, most reliable ways to offset the annual fee.
Activate DashPass, use your $10 monthly credit on something simple and predictable, and consider the job done.
And with DoorDash starting to expand into restaurant reservations and exclusive dining experiences, it’s a good time to take another look at this partnership and what it can save you in the long run.
