It’s a common dilemma: You have a $10 gift card, but your pizza order is $25. Can you use the gift card and pay the remaining $15 in cash when the driver arrives?
The answer depends entirely on who you are ordering from.
The “Yes” List: Domino’s & Pizza Hut
The big pizza chains have the most flexible systems for this.
- Domino’s Policy: You can apply a digital voucher or gift card to your order online. If there is a remaining balance, the website will often allow you to select “Cash” for the remainder.
- Why: Their drivers carry cash banks and are employees, so they are equipped to handle “Split Payments.”
The “No” List: DoorDash, Uber Eats & Grubhub
Third-party apps generally do not allow split payments involving cash.
- The Restriction: If you apply a $10 gift card to a $25 order on DoorDash, the app requires you to pay the remaining $15 with a credit card, PayPal, or Venmo. You cannot select “Cash on Delivery” for the difference.
- Why: These apps treat “Cash on Delivery” as a specific, high-risk mode. Their systems are not built to reconcile a digital partial payment with a physical cash collection.
Workaround for App Users
If you are stuck with a partial gift card on DoorDash and have cash in hand:
- Use the cash to buy a second gift card at a physical store (7-Eleven, CVS).
- Load both gift cards onto your app.
- Pay the full total digitally.
Global Travelers: In countries like India or Brazil, split payments are more common due to the high volume of cash orders. See how this works internationally in our guide to Ordering Food in Mexico & Brazil.
