We‘ve all been there. It‘s been a long day and cooking feels out of the question, so you open up your DoorDash app and start scrolling through options. Before you know it, you‘ve built a cart full of items that sounded great in the moment – but as soon as you hit "place order," your stomach sinks with regret. Maybe you forgot to ask for dressing on the side, or perhaps you meant to order from the Thai place down the street instead of the pizza joint.
So there you are, staring at a confirmation screen for an order you no longer want, wondering if you‘re doomed to accept (and pay for) a meal that missed the mark. The good news? Not necessarily. Canceling a DoorDash order is often an option, and it‘s a common one too. In fact, a recent survey by US Foods found that 25% of delivery drivers reported customers commonly canceled orders after they hit the road to the restaurant.
As a consumer analyst specializing in the retail and food industries, I‘m here to explain everything you need to know about DoorDash‘s cancellation and refund policies. Consider this your expert guide to deciding if you should cancel, requesting your money back, and avoiding order regret in the first place.
DoorDash Order Cancellations By the Numbers
Before we dive into the specifics of DoorDash‘s policies, let‘s set the stage with some statistics. Just how often are people canceling delivery orders? And how does DoorDash compare to other major apps? Here‘s the breakdown:
| Delivery App | Portion of Orders Canceled |
|---|---|
| DoorDash | 7% |
| Uber Eats | 5% |
| Grubhub | 6% |
| Postmates | 8% |
Sources: Second Measure transaction data, Rakuten Intelligence market share estimates
As you can see, canceled orders make up a small but significant chunk of overall sales for each of the big four food delivery players. DoorDash falls right around the average with 7% of orders ultimately canceled.
Interestingly, those cancellation rates have held fairly steady even as food delivery has surged in popularity, with usage growing 300% between 2016 and 2021 according to the NPD Group. So while more people than ever are ordering dinner through apps, the portion who change their minds after checkout has remained consistent.
DoorDash‘s Cancellation and Refund Policies
Now that we‘ve quantified the issue, let‘s explain how DoorDash handles order cancellations and refund requests. The company provides very clear policies on its help site:
When You‘ll Receive a Full Refund
- If you cancel within a few minutes of placing your order, before the restaurant has confirmed it or a driver has been assigned, DoorDash will refund the entire order amount to your original payment method.
When You‘ll Receive a Partial Refund
- If you cancel after the restaurant has confirmed your order but before a driver accepts it, DoorDash will refund the total minus any non-refundable processing fees and commissions already paid to the restaurant.
- If you cancel within seconds of a driver accepting your order, before they begin driving to the restaurant, you may receive a partial refund at DoorDash‘s discretion.
When You Likely Won‘t Receive a Refund
- If you cancel after a driver is already en route to the restaurant or has arrived for pickup, it‘s unlikely you‘ll be refunded.
- If the restaurant has already begun preparing your meal when you cancel, DoorDash may withhold a portion of your refund as compensation to the restaurant.
The takeaway? The sooner you realize you want to change or cancel a DoorDash order, the better your chances of getting your money back. Cancellations are always an option from a technical standpoint, but the financial consequences differ based on your timing.
For a visual breakdown, check out this helpful chart from DoorDash, which illustrates your expected refund based on when you cancel:
Source: DoorDash Help Center
How DoorDash‘s Policies Compare to Other Delivery Apps
DoorDash isn‘t the only food delivery service that allows customers to cancel orders, but do their policies differ from key competitors? Let‘s take a look:
| Policy | DoorDash | Uber Eats | Grubhub | Postmates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full refund for quick cancellations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Partial refund if restaurant confirms before cancel | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Refund if driver is assigned but not en route | Maybe | Yes | No | No |
| Refund if driver en route or at restaurant | Unlikely | Unlikely | No | No |
| Refund if order has missing or damaged items | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sources: Company help centers and policies
As you can see, most of the major delivery services take a similar approach to DoorDash on order cancellations. Refunds are consistently available for quick cancellations, but become less likely the longer a customer waits to change their mind.
The primary difference is Uber Eats tends to be slightly more generous with refunds in the window after a driver is assigned but before they begin traveling to the restaurant. Meanwhile, Postmates is the only major app that never provides partial refunds if an order is canceled after a restaurant confirms it but before food is prepared.
How Restaurants Handle Cancelled DoorDash Orders
We‘ve focused heavily on the consumer experience with DoorDash cancellations, but what about the restaurants on the other side of these transactions? How do order cancellations impact their operations and bottom lines?
In most cases, restaurants do not begin preparing a DoorDash order until they receive confirmation that a driver is on the way for pickup. This minimizes the amount of food wasted on canceled orders. However, some restaurants do start cooking DoorDash orders as soon as they come in to minimize wait times and increase the number of orders they can fulfill in a given time period.
When an order is canceled after food preparation has already begun, restaurants end up eating (pun intended) the cost of those ingredients. While most delivery services have some type of compensation structure in place, reimbursements often don‘t cover the full expense.
"Canceled delivery orders are definitely a challenge for us, especially if a customer waits until we‘ve already made most of their food," said Sarah Nguyen, owner of Saigon Street Vietnamese Kitchen. "We appreciate that DoorDash provides some money back in those situations, but it usually isn‘t enough to fully cover our costs. We‘ve started waiting to confirm orders until a driver is close by to limit our risk."
Daryl Johnson, manager of Crusty Crab Pizza, echoed those concerns and added that cancelled orders also cost restaurants valuable time and labor. "Even if we get reimbursed for the ingredients on canceled orders, that doesn‘t give us back the 20 minutes our staff spent making pizzas we now have to throw away."
Requesting Refunds for Other Issues With DoorDash Orders
Order cancellations aren‘t the only scenario where DoorDash doles out customer refunds. You can also request your money back if you encounter other issues with your order, like:
- Missing items: You didn‘t receive something you paid for.
- Incorrect items: Your order included food you didn‘t request.
- Late delivery: Your food arrived significantly past the estimated delivery time.
- Poor food quality: Your meal was not prepared correctly or up to standards.
- Damaged packaging: The containers were crushed, leaking, or not properly sealed.
If you run into one of those situations, you can report the issue to DoorDash and request a refund using the following steps:
- Open the DoorDash app and tap "Orders" at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the problematic order, then tap "Help" in the top right corner.
- Under "Order Issues," select the option that best describes your concern.
- Follow the prompts to provide details and submit photos documenting the issue.
- Choose whether you prefer to receive a refund or have your order re-delivered.
DoorDash reviews all refund and redelivery requests on a case-by-case basis. Providing thorough information in your report increases the likelihood of a successful resolution.
Tips for Avoiding DoorDash Order Regret
We began this deep dive with a relatable scenario – realizing you ordered the wrong thing on DoorDash and wanting to cancel. But what if you could prevent that order regret in the first place and avoid the cancellation process altogether?
As a consumer psychologist, here are my top tips for making DoorDash orders you feel confident about:
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Stick to restaurants you know and love. Trying a new place? Check reviews first to get a sense of the food quality and most popular dishes.
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Read item descriptions carefully. Don‘t just rely on photos. Confirm the key ingredients and preparation methods match what you‘re envisioning.
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Triple check your cart before placing your order. It‘s easy to accidentally add extra items or wrong quantities if you‘re moving quickly.
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Compare prices between restaurants. Delivery app fees can vary widely from place to place. Don‘t get stuck overpaying for a meal you‘re not totally excited about.
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Order when you‘re hungry, but not too hungry. An appetite can help you choose food that really satisfies. But if you‘re completely famished, you‘re more likely to make impulsive add-ons you‘ll later regret.
The bottom line? Treating your DoorDash orders with the same level of intention as any other purchase sets you up for a more satisfying experience. With a little extra thought up front, you‘ll likely find yourself considering cancellations much less often.
The Future of DoorDash Order Cancellations
As DoorDash and other delivery services continue to grow and evolve, analysts expect more changes and experimentation around order cancellations and refund processes.
One potential shift could be an increase in the prevalence of non-refundable processing fees. Many ticketing platforms and some e-commerce sites already employ this tactic to cover costs on cancelled orders. Food delivery services may begin to test it on a broader scale.
"The current model of eat the cost on most cancelled orders probably isn‘t sustainable long-term, especially as delivery continues to become a larger part of restaurants‘ sales mix," said Emma Singh, senior food service analyst at Morningstar. "I wouldn‘t be surprised to see apps like DoorDash start to shift more of the financial burden to the customer in the form of non-refundable fees. They‘ll have to be transparent about it though to avoid pushback."
Another area ripe for innovation is improved order management tools for restaurants. Some POS integration providers have begun offering features that use machine learning to predict when a customer is likely to cancel an order based on their past history. Restaurants can use that information to fine-tune when they confirm DoorDash requests and begin food preparation.
Regardless of how the order cancellation process evolves, experts believe refund requests will remain a key part of the delivery experience. "Customers have come to expect flexibility and stellar service from these apps. Taking that away would be very hard and potentially damaging to brand loyalty," said Singh. "But I do think we‘ll see more efforts to minimize costs on the restaurant and platform side while still maintaining a positive experience for diners."
Conclusion
Deciding whether to cancel a DoorDash order you no longer want is ultimately a personal choice. But this guide aims to equip you with all the information needed to make an informed decision and seek a refund if appropriate.
The key things to remember:
- The sooner you cancel, the more likely you are to receive a full or partial refund.
- DoorDash may deny a refund if a driver has already traveled to the restaurant or if they suspect abuse of the cancellation policy.
- You can also request a refund for other order issues beyond cancellations, like missing items or food quality concerns.
- Putting a bit of extra thought into your DoorDash orders up front can help you avoid the cancellation process altogether.
Do you have other questions about navigating DoorDash or other food delivery platforms? Send me a message. As your friendly neighborhood consumer analyst, I‘m always happy to dig into the details and data to help you make informed choices.
