The Power of Mobile Apps like DoorDash and Cash App When it Comes to Spending, Saving, and Shopping
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DoorDash and Cash App Join Forces to Power Next-Gen Desires to Spend, Save, and Shop
Mobile commerce is shaping up to be one of the most powerful channels consumers are leaning on as they look for more efficient ways to shop and pay.
During the 2024 holiday season, U.S. consumers conducted more than 54% of their holiday shopping via mobile devices, contributing a record $131.5 billion to the $241.4 billion in online sales made between November 1 and December 31. That represents a 15.8% increase over the previous year’s holiday sales made via mobile devices, according to Adobe Analytics.¹
Mobile’s domination of online holiday shopping underscores a broader shift to mobile commerce for consumer needs all year round. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 85% of all remote payments are completed via mobile devices.²
Next-gen consumers lead the shift to mobile
Growing up in the age of technology, next-gen consumers have fueled the growth of a mobile-first mindset to manage and run their lives on one interface. This has led to the increasing popularity of payment apps like Cash App and local commerce apps like DoorDash — both of which have become favorites for younger consumers, particularly Gen Zers.
These apps are not only accessible, simple, and convenient, but also offer these consumers a better way to spend and pay, as they tend to have negative attitudes toward the modern-day credit system. Research shows that Gen Z and Millennials:
- Are most likely to abandon shopping carts if there’s friction in the shopping journey or if their preferred payment method is not available.³
- Believe that cash is “cringe,” with 25% of Gen Zers expressing negative emotions when they have to pay in cash and 22% carrying very little or no cash.⁴
- Want to pay for things they want and need using their own money instead of using expensive credit cards. More than half of consumers who hold both credit and debit cards prefer debit because it helps them spend only what they have (64%) and avoid going into debt (59%).⁵
Brands that offer choice and flexibility at checkout can boost customer engagement, spending, and loyalty.
Use Case: Complementary brands helping next-gen consumers spend and save their way
Recognizing that next-gen consumers want more payment options from their delivery apps, and that they overwhelmingly shop and pay on mobile, DoorDash partnered with Cash App when it launched Cash App Pay. This digital wallet payment method allows customers to pay with their Cash App balance or linked debit card, making it easier for avid mobile users to pay in their preferred way.
"As we've expanded beyond restaurants to groceries, convenience, beauty, and a wide array of other categories on DoorDash, our customers have adopted online delivery as part of their routine," says Anand Subbarayan, Head of Money Products for DoorDash. "The convenience, quality, and variety of payment options we offer are crucial to serving our diverse, growing customer base."
For younger consumers, mobile isn’t just a channel, it’s their primary shopping and spending environment. Apps like Cash App, designed for mobile-native money management, are already deeply embedded in their financial routines. By integrating Cash App Pay, DoorDash is furthering their mission to offer consumers a seamless mobile checkout experience with the tools they want.
On-demand delivery platform apps have indeed become a staple in consumers’ everyday lives — even amid economic uncertainty. DoorDash users placed 732 million orders in Q1 2025, a 18% year-over-year increase, according to their latest earnings report. The National Restaurant Association dubbed Millennials the “food delivery generation,” and with good reason. A majority of respondents to one of its surveys (52%) – including 67% of Millennials and 63% of Gen Z adults – reported ordering takeout from a restaurant is an essential part of their lifestyle.⁶
Together, DoorDash and Cash App are servicing this unique intersection of next-gen consumers, particularly Gen Zers, who expect fast, seamless mobile checkout, and want more choice and flexibility at checkout when it comes to paying for their delivery service. Since integrating Cash App Pay, a Gen Z customer has checked out for the first time with DoorDash every 24 seconds.⁷ That kind of engagement speaks to the complementarity of what the partnership delivers to its mobile-first users. Cash App’s full-service money management features, intuitive mobile design, and user-friendliness make it a top financial technology platform preferred by Gen Z and Millennials.⁸
"Our goal is to make every interaction within our platform as seamless and easy as possible, and adding the right payment options is essential to doing so. Since integrating Cash App Pay, we’ve seen strong adoption of this new payment method driven by user affinity to both of our brands," says Subbarayan.
What’s next for the future of payments?
As general inflation remains high, young consumers will continue to be credit-averse and seek more financial solutions where they can use their own money to manage their budgets. These younger consumers will likely embrace mobile-first financial technology (FinTech) solutions at a more accelerated pace. FinTech users tend to value fast transfer speeds (42%), user-friendliness (36%), accessibility (33%), and the fact that their network uses them (35%).⁹
"We need to meet our customers where they are and prioritize what matters most to them. For Gen Z and Millennials, essential purchases like food, groceries, retail and convenience essentials are top priorities."
"Offering the widest and most seamless range of payment options is crucial to staying relevant and serving their needs. And at DoorDash, that's what drives us to focus on integrating cutting-edge payment solutions like Cash App Pay to serve more customers and expand what’s possible on our platform," says Subbarayan.
For questions on how to partner with Cash App, reach out to press@cash.app
- Adobe Forecasts Record $240.8 Billion U.S. Holiday Season Online with Black Friday Growth to Outpace Cyber Monday, BusinessWire, September 2024.
- Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, June 2024.
- Lack of Payments Choice Risks Higher Cart Abandonment on Online Brand Sites, PYMTS.com, Feb. 2024.
- Gen Z’s Money Manners Report conducted by DKC Analytics, Cash App, June 2024.
- Morning Consult and Cash App Afterpay, Future of Money Survey, September 2024
- National Restaurant Association, February 2024
- Cash App Pay data analyzing DoorDash transactions in the past twelve months
- US consumer bank rankings 2024, YouGov, September 2024
- The Future of Money Report, Morning Consult, November 2024.
Author
Block
Tags
DoorDash and Cash App Join Forces to Power Next-Gen Desires to Spend, Save, and Shop
Mobile commerce is shaping up to be one of the most powerful channels consumers are leaning on as they look for more efficient ways to shop and pay.
During the 2024 holiday season, U.S. consumers conducted more than 54% of their holiday shopping via mobile devices, contributing a record $131.5 billion to the $241.4 billion in online sales made between November 1 and December 31. That represents a 15.8% increase over the previous year’s holiday sales made via mobile devices, according to Adobe Analytics.¹
Mobile’s domination of online holiday shopping underscores a broader shift to mobile commerce for consumer needs all year round. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 85% of all remote payments are completed via mobile devices.²
Next-gen consumers lead the shift to mobile
Growing up in the age of technology, next-gen consumers have fueled the growth of a mobile-first mindset to manage and run their lives on one interface. This has led to the increasing popularity of payment apps like Cash App and local commerce apps like DoorDash — both of which have become favorites for younger consumers, particularly Gen Zers.
These apps are not only accessible, simple, and convenient, but also offer these consumers a better way to spend and pay, as they tend to have negative attitudes toward the modern-day credit system. Research shows that Gen Z and Millennials:
- Are most likely to abandon shopping carts if there’s friction in the shopping journey or if their preferred payment method is not available.³
- Believe that cash is “cringe,” with 25% of Gen Zers expressing negative emotions when they have to pay in cash and 22% carrying very little or no cash.⁴
- Want to pay for things they want and need using their own money instead of using expensive credit cards. More than half of consumers who hold both credit and debit cards prefer debit because it helps them spend only what they have (64%) and avoid going into debt (59%).⁵
Brands that offer choice and flexibility at checkout can boost customer engagement, spending, and loyalty.
Use Case: Complementary brands helping next-gen consumers spend and save their way
Recognizing that next-gen consumers want more payment options from their delivery apps, and that they overwhelmingly shop and pay on mobile, DoorDash partnered with Cash App when it launched Cash App Pay. This digital wallet payment method allows customers to pay with their Cash App balance or linked debit card, making it easier for avid mobile users to pay in their preferred way.
"As we've expanded beyond restaurants to groceries, convenience, beauty, and a wide array of other categories on DoorDash, our customers have adopted online delivery as part of their routine," says Anand Subbarayan, Head of Money Products for DoorDash. "The convenience, quality, and variety of payment options we offer are crucial to serving our diverse, growing customer base."
For younger consumers, mobile isn’t just a channel, it’s their primary shopping and spending environment. Apps like Cash App, designed for mobile-native money management, are already deeply embedded in their financial routines. By integrating Cash App Pay, DoorDash is furthering their mission to offer consumers a seamless mobile checkout experience with the tools they want.
On-demand delivery platform apps have indeed become a staple in consumers’ everyday lives — even amid economic uncertainty. DoorDash users placed 732 million orders in Q1 2025, a 18% year-over-year increase, according to their latest earnings report. The National Restaurant Association dubbed Millennials the “food delivery generation,” and with good reason. A majority of respondents to one of its surveys (52%) – including 67% of Millennials and 63% of Gen Z adults – reported ordering takeout from a restaurant is an essential part of their lifestyle.⁶
Together, DoorDash and Cash App are servicing this unique intersection of next-gen consumers, particularly Gen Zers, who expect fast, seamless mobile checkout, and want more choice and flexibility at checkout when it comes to paying for their delivery service. Since integrating Cash App Pay, a Gen Z customer has checked out for the first time with DoorDash every 24 seconds.⁷ That kind of engagement speaks to the complementarity of what the partnership delivers to its mobile-first users. Cash App’s full-service money management features, intuitive mobile design, and user-friendliness make it a top financial technology platform preferred by Gen Z and Millennials.⁸
"Our goal is to make every interaction within our platform as seamless and easy as possible, and adding the right payment options is essential to doing so. Since integrating Cash App Pay, we’ve seen strong adoption of this new payment method driven by user affinity to both of our brands," says Subbarayan.
What’s next for the future of payments?
As general inflation remains high, young consumers will continue to be credit-averse and seek more financial solutions where they can use their own money to manage their budgets. These younger consumers will likely embrace mobile-first financial technology (FinTech) solutions at a more accelerated pace. FinTech users tend to value fast transfer speeds (42%), user-friendliness (36%), accessibility (33%), and the fact that their network uses them (35%).⁹
"We need to meet our customers where they are and prioritize what matters most to them. For Gen Z and Millennials, essential purchases like food, groceries, retail and convenience essentials are top priorities."
"Offering the widest and most seamless range of payment options is crucial to staying relevant and serving their needs. And at DoorDash, that's what drives us to focus on integrating cutting-edge payment solutions like Cash App Pay to serve more customers and expand what’s possible on our platform," says Subbarayan.
For questions on how to partner with Cash App, reach out to press@cash.app
- Adobe Forecasts Record $240.8 Billion U.S. Holiday Season Online with Black Friday Growth to Outpace Cyber Monday, BusinessWire, September 2024.
- Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, June 2024.
- Lack of Payments Choice Risks Higher Cart Abandonment on Online Brand Sites, PYMTS.com, Feb. 2024.
- Gen Z’s Money Manners Report conducted by DKC Analytics, Cash App, June 2024.
- Morning Consult and Cash App Afterpay, Future of Money Survey, September 2024
- National Restaurant Association, February 2024
- Cash App Pay data analyzing DoorDash transactions in the past twelve months
- US consumer bank rankings 2024, YouGov, September 2024
- The Future of Money Report, Morning Consult, November 2024.