Door Dash Warns Customers That Food Might Arrive Cold If They Don’t Tip

Hold up, wait a minute! Door Dash has issued a need-to-know before moving forward. The delivery service has added a pop-up in its app that warns customers that orders with no added tip could take longer to arrive. The Verge investigated the announcement by testing it out.

In a since-deleted tweet on X, the outlet confirmed that if you enter $0 in the tip amount in the DoorDash app while placing an order, an alert that reads “Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered—are you sure you want to continue,” pops ups.

Apparently, door dashers can choose what orders they want to deliver, so it goes without saying, those that have no tip would likely be chosen last.

Notably, The Verge says the prompt hasn’t been added to all areas, revealing that one employee received the alert in New Jersey but another located in South Carolina did not.

Many people ride the fence on tipping, especially when it comes to pre-tipping. The new warning has prompted a social media debate, with some saying tipping should be voluntary and others saying it’s a must.

With this new warning, DoorDash aims to encourage customers to tip their drivers, emphasizing the importance of tips in keeping food warm during transit. While this may be seen as a means to incentivize tipping, it also adds pressure on consumers to provide extra compensation beyond the delivery fee.

“I did DoorDash for over a year I’ve seen offers to drive 10+ miles for 4 dollars because there’s no tip included I passed over every single one and so did everyone else If you want to wait an extra 1-2 hours to get your food, then don’t add an extra dollar or two Your call,” a former Door Dasher posted on X.

In 2019, the company changed its controversial tip method to a base pay rate, with 100% of the tip going to the driver. But it could be seen as problematic because drivers didn’t want to take the deliveries that did not include tips.

“If you want to wait an extra 1-2 hours to get your food, then don’t add an extra dollar or two,” a former Door Dasher said.

Doordash spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg said in a statement:

“Everyday, Dashers go the extra mile to help connect consumers with the best of their local communities. That’s why we encourage customers to show their appreciation by tipping. As independent contractors, Dashers have full freedom to accept or reject offers based on what they view as valuable and rewarding. While the vast majority of customers do leave a tip, offers that don’t include a tip can be seen as less desirable – this impacts our entire community, leading to longer wait times for customers, orders sitting longer at merchants, and less value for Dashers. This reminder screen is something that we’re currently testing to help create the best possible experience for all members of our community. As with anything we pilot, we look forward to closely analyzing the results and feedback.”