I’m an Uber Eats driver here are my little known tips for bagging free food and they’re all totally legal
NOTHING beats a takeaway, especially on a Saturday night but the high prices are enough to send you back to frozen dinners.
However, one Uber Eats driver has revealed his secret, and perfectly legal, tips for bagging free food.
Tom, 33, reveals the insider tips that platforms don’t shout about — including birthday freebies and sign-up deals
Speaking to Number 1 Plates, Tom, who works full-time as a Uber Eats driver, says: “You don’t need to scam anyone or lie about your order.
“There are just things the apps don’t advertise clearly — but once you know them, you’ll start spotting the patterns.”
Tom, who’s completed over 7,000 deliveries, has seen everything from unclaimed meals handed over for free to birthday rewards customers forget to redeem.
Most food delivery or loyalty platforms offer instant rewards just for joining — but many users forget to claim them. Tom says drivers see the same deal-savvy people cashing in week after week.
Here are some of the best apps with download or sign-up freebies:
- Greggs App – Free hot drink when you join
- McDonald’s App – Free Cheeseburger, McFlurry, or fries (rotating offers)
- Burger King App – Free Whopper or fries with sign-up
- Krispy Kreme Rewards – Free Original Glazed doughnut just for joining
- Toby Carvery App – Free dessert or starter with main course
- Subway Rewards – 250 bonus points = free drink or cookie
- KFC Rewards Arcade – Spin for freebies like wings or fries after purchase
- Starbucks Rewards – Free drink after collecting enough stars, with frequent bonus days
“Honestly, if you’ve got a birthday, you’ve got free food. Some people use this every year like clockwork,” says Tom.
But for those missing out, he reveals the places to bag a birthday freebie.
- Krispy Kreme – Free doughnut (often no purchase required)
- Greggs – Free sweet treat (cookie, doughnut, etc.)
- Costa Coffee – Free cake when you register your birthday
- Hotel Chocolat – Free selector box (requires app and account)
- Barburrito – Free burrito
- TGI Fridays – Free dessert or cocktail
- Chiquito – Free main meal
- Beefeater / Brewers Fayre – Free meal vouchers via their rewards programme
- Subway – Free cookie or side during birthday month
Tom says one of the lesser-known ways people get free food is when orders aren’t collected or delivered — and the platforms just refund or replace it with little hassle.
“Sometimes the restaurant messes up, or the customer isn’t in,” he says.
“If the food’s already been cooked, it’s got to go somewhere. That’s when replacements and refunds get handed out, no questions.”
How to save money on your takeaway
TAKEAWAYS taste great but they can hit you hard on your wallet. Here are some tips on how to save on your delivery:
Cashback websites– TopCashback and Quidco will pay you to order your takeaway through them. They’re paid by retailers for every click that comes to their website from the cashback site, which eventually trickles down to you. So you’ll get cashback on orders placed through them.
Discount codes – Check sites like VoucherCodes for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order.
Buy it from the shops – Okay, it might not taste exactly the same but you’ll save the most money by picking up your favourite dish from your local supermarket.
Student discounts – If you’re in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It’s always worth asking before you place your order.
