Food and grocery delivery apps in Spain: Glovo, Uber Eats and supermarkets

Key rules

• Coverage: Enter your address or postcode in each app before choosing one, because coverage varies by area.
• Mercadona: Its online shop covers only some areas, so check your postcode first.
• Phone and card: A Spanish mobile number works best, and foreign Visa or Mastercard cards are generally accepted.
• Fees: Delivery, service and small-order fees are shown before checkout and change by app, place and time.

Coverage, fees, subscriptions and sign-up rules change often, so confirm current details in each app or supermarket site for your address.

Which apps can you use?

For restaurant food, the main apps are Glovo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. Glovo also delivers groceries and other items. Some chains, such as McDonald's, Telepizza and Domino's, have their own apps too.

For groceries, many supermarket chains deliver: Mercadona, Carrefour, Dia, Alcampo, El Corte Inglés (Supermercado), Eroski, Consum, Lidl (limited online) and Condis.

How do you check coverage at your address?

Install the app or open its website, then enter your delivery address or share your location. The app lists the restaurants that deliver there. Coverage is strongest in cities. In small towns and rural areas it varies a lot, so test each app.

Supermarkets work the same way, but you enter your postcode before you order. Mercadona's online shop covers only some cities and areas, so check your postcode first. Delivery slots and options also differ by area.

What do you need to sign up?

• Phone number: The apps usually send an SMS code to verify your mobile. Foreign numbers are often accepted, but a Spanish number works best because couriers may need to call you.
• Payment: Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are generally accepted, subject to your card issuer's checks. Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal also work. Some apps offer cash on delivery.
• Address: Supermarket sites usually accept foreign cards, but may ask for a Spanish delivery address. Some also require phone verification.

Rules differ by app, so if one refuses your number or card, try another.

What does it cost?

Prices vary by app, city, restaurant, distance and time of day. You see them before you pay.

• Glovo, Uber Eats and Just Eat charge a delivery fee and a service fee. Some add a small-order fee if your basket is under a minimum.
• Subscriptions such as Glovo Prime and Uber One give free or cheaper delivery above a minimum basket, for a monthly fee. They only pay off if you order often.
• Supermarkets set a minimum order and a delivery fee by time slot. Some have paid plans or free delivery above a set amount.

Read the full total on the checkout screen before confirming. The checklist and questions below cover the practical steps.

Checklist

• Install Glovo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, or open their websites, and enter your address to see which restaurants deliver there.

• Check the apps of restaurants or chains you like, such as McDonald's, Telepizza and Domino's, which have their own.

• Enter your postcode on the website or app of supermarkets such as Mercadona, Carrefour, Dia, Alcampo, El Corte Inglés, Eroski, Consum, Lidl or Condis to see if they deliver to you.

• Look at the delivery slots offered for your postcode before you pick a supermarket.

• Sign up with a mobile number you can receive an SMS code on, preferably a Spanish one so the courier can reach you.

• Add a payment method the app accepts, such as a foreign Visa or Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal.

• Give a Spanish delivery address when ordering from supermarkets, since some require it.

• Read the delivery fee, service fee and any small-order fee shown before checkout.

• Compare a subscription such as Glovo Prime or Uber One with the fees you would pay without it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sign up for a delivery app with a foreign phone number?

Often yes, since Glovo, Uber Eats and Just Eat usually accept a foreign mobile number verified by an SMS code, but a Spanish number works best. A Spanish number helps the courier contact you at delivery. Rules differ by app.

Is a delivery subscription worth it?

It can be, if you order often, because plans such as Glovo Prime and Uber One give free or reduced delivery above a minimum basket for a monthly fee. Compare the monthly fee with the delivery and service fees you pay now. Prices vary by city, so check them in the app.

Why does Mercadona not deliver to my address?

Mercadona's online shop covers only selected cities and areas, so your postcode may be outside it. Enter your postcode on its website first. If it is not covered, try Carrefour, Dia or another chain that delivers to you.