I saved $20 on food delivery fees with Seamless+ — it's worth it if you order at least once a week

• If you frequently order food delivery from apps like GrubHub and Seamless, you should consider their $10 monthly delivery subscription, which saves you money on expensive delivery fees.
• Through GrubHub+ and Seamless+ (they're both owned by GrubHub and offer identical experiences), you get free delivery on eligible restaurants and also earn $10 for every $100 you spend.
• I signed up for Seamless+ since I use Seamless regularly and saved $20 on delivery fees during my free 2-week trial.
• I plan on continuing my subscription because I order enough food delivery to make it worth the cost.

Author's note: Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery only. Experts say it's safe to order food from restaurants as long as you take necessary precautions, like washing your hands immediately after removing any packaging.

GrubHub also owns Seamless and the two services are virtually identical. All sign-up links below direct to GrubHub+, but you can find Seamless+ sign-up information in the app or desktop site.

Make no mistake, I generally love going out to eat and appreciate all its benefits — the service, the atmosphere, the slow ritual of a sit-down meal. Some days, however, I simply can't be bothered to put on clothes, leave my apartment, and wait outside a busy restaurant.

The beautiful, wonderful invention of food delivery has saved many a lazy night for me and countless others, but like most luxuries in life, food delivery comes with a cost.

After delivery fees, tips, and other service fees, it's not uncommon for your final bill to be double take-worthy. It may even be expensive enough to turn you off the delivery order completely. I've sadly abandoned countless orders for this reason.

That's why some food delivery services like GrubHub and Seamless have introduced affordable monthly subscriptions. With GrubHub+ and Seamless+, you pay $9.99 a month and they'll waive delivery fees for many (but not all) restaurants on its platform. They also offer cashback rewards for every $100 you spend on food delivery.

Whether you've never used Grubhub and Seamless or you're a seasoned pro with a long list of restaurants you frequently order from, the savings potential could easily be worth the $10 monthly fee.

I signed up for Seamless+ myself to see how it works and how much I would really save on food delivery fees. Below, learn how to sign up and see what it's like to use Grubhub+ and Seamless+.

How to sign up for free food delivery on Grubhub+ and Seamless+

• New customers: Sign up here and pay $9.99 a month.
• Existing GrubHub or Seamless customers: Log in to your account on a desktop or in the app and look for banners directing you to sign up for GrubHub+ or Seamless+.

How GrubHub+ and Seamless+ work

Once you've signed up, look for the "Refine" button on the app or desktop site. Since I use Seamless, all the following screenshots will contain references to Seamless+. The processes and features are exactly the same on GrubHub.

Make sure to look for a golden yellow badge to filter by eligible restaurants. Free delivery will only apply to restaurants with this badge.

I found that many restaurants in New York and back at home in southern California are part of the program, and I had no trouble finding places to order from for dinner. In fact, there were almost too many choices as I scrolled through the options. Other than making sure my chosen restaurant had Seamless+ benefits, I didn't have to do any extra work while ordering from the app and I was able to take full advantage of the Seamless+ program.

I try to cut costs where I can, so I almost never order from restaurants that have delivery fees. Though I'd save $2 to $6 per order (it adds up!), I'd also miss out on some popular and delicious food as a result. I was excited to finally order from the places that I previously wrote off because of expensive delivery fees.

Cashback perks

Free delivery isn't the only benefit of signing up for GrubHub+ or Seamless+. For every $100 you spend through the app, you get $10 back to use on your next order. I reached that milestone in no time since I'd always order for both myself and my boyfriend. You'll quickly rack up cashback rewards if you order for more than one person or regularly place large orders.

You can keep track of your cashback progress on the app, and the $10 reward is automatically applied to your next order once you reach the $100 mark.

Are GrubHub+ and Seamless+ worth it?

Yes, absolutely.

On average, I probably order from Seamless four times a month, but because of current stay-at-home orders, I've relied on delivery more often than usual. The GrubHub+ and Seamless+ subscriptions are great to take advantage of when you can't or don't want to go out to eat for an extended period of time.

Here's how the numbers broke down in my two weeks of using Seamless+:

• Number of times ordered: 6
• Total saved on delivery costs: $19.47
• Cashback rewards claimed: $10

After the free two-week trial, GrubHub+ and Seamless+ cost $9.99 a month. The math is easy to crunch: if you spend more than $10 on food delivery fees every month, GrubHub+ and Seamless+ are worth signing up for.

Should you get GrubHub+ or Seamless+?

This depends on your food delivery habits.

Due to stay-at-home orders from the novel coronavirus, most people cannot dine out at restaurants. You may find yourself using food delivery more often than usual in order to break up the daily monotony of cooking yourself, support a local business, or simply treat yourself. GrubHub+ and Seamless+ help you save money when you order often.

If you look at your previous orders and see that you've spent more than $10 a month on delivery fees, you should sign up for GrubHub+ and Seamless+. The $10 monthly fee also gets you cashback rewards ($10 for every $100 spent), saving you even more money in the long run. Even if you decide it's ultimately not for you, you can cancel your subscription easily at any time.

However, there are some considerations.

Not all restaurants are eligible. If your favorite restaurants aren't part of the program, GrubHub+ and Seamless+ may not be worth signing up for because you'll have to pay extra delivery fees anyways.

Not all restaurants are on GrubHub or Seamless. While you can find hundreds of thousands of restaurants on these platforms, some spots may only be available on another service (Postmates, UberEats, etc.) or use their own delivery systems to fulfill orders. We recommend browsing the restaurant offerings on GrubHub and Seamless first to make sure they have what you want.

If you only use food delivery services once in a while, these subscriptions aren't worth it. GrubHub+ and Seamless+ are best for people who order from restaurants with delivery fees at least once a week.

Personally, I'll be continuing my Seamless+ subscription because I love ordering from local restaurants around me and hate spending extra money on delivery. The Seamless and GrubHub apps are also easy to use and make food delivery very convenient.