Card linking lets DoorDash match a customer's in-store purchase to their DoorDash account automatically — no new hardware, redemption code, or change to how the merchant runs checkout. The flow:

1. Consumer links a card. A customer adds a debit or credit card to their DoorDash account once, in-app.

2. Merchant's store is registered. DoorDash registers the merchant's store MID (merchant ID) with the major card networks so their in-store transactions can be recognized — this is one-time setup on our side, nothing the merchant has to build.

3. Customer claims the offer and dines in. They claim the In-Store Reward in the app, then pay with the linked card like they normally would — no code to show, no app to open at checkout.

4. The card network confirms the match. The card network flags that a purchase happened at that merchant's registered MID on the customer's linked card.

5. DoorDash verifies and pays out the reward. Once the subtotal minimum is confirmed, DoorDash credits land in the customer's account automatically

Today, offers are broad-reach rather than targeted. This is a great opportunity to learn who is converting, and use reporting to understand which customer segments are responding before targeting. More granular Reward Targeting capabilities are planned for Q4 which will allow merchants to set a budget and target specific customer segments rather than relying on a single broad-reach offer.

Right now, it does not. In-Store Rewards runs as its own layer on top of DoorDash's card-linking network, separate from whatever loyalty program a merchant already runs.

However, merchants can run both at the same time with no conflict. It helps to position In-Store Rewards as the acquisition lever that can feed the merchant's 1P loyalty program if the customer has a good experience in store.

Two things to note:

1. For top strategic merchants (think top 20 Mxs on DD) — we could consider a loyalty integration (ping @Whitney Long).

2. If the merchant adopts our Omni-Channel Loyalty program by joining the Boost or Pro DCP package, we're working to sync these programs by EOY so In-Store Rewards is the acquisition channel fueling the loyalty enrollment!

Customers receive generic DoorDash credits that can be used on any pickup or delivery order placed through the DoorDash Marketplace.

What is tied to the funding merchant is the earn side: a customer has to spend at the store physically and hit the subtotal minimum to trigger the reward.

NOTE: we tested a lot of things, and generic DoorDash credits are the most effective way to get customers off the couch and into physical stores. If you offered merchant-specific credits, it's not as compelling — "I don't even know if I like this store yet!"