DoorDash's $12 Meal Box: ask who covers the gap
DoorDash pitched cheaper meals and bigger orders this week. Both leave out who pays.
DoorDash's Meal Box: a $14 dish, sold for $12
What changed: on Nov 2 DoorDash rolled out Meal Boxes in more than 20 U.S. cities: one meal at a flat $12, with no delivery fee for the customer. Its merchant page says a dish must be worth at least $14 to join, and joining costs nothing.
Who it affects: restaurants in the Meal Box cities. Select restaurants only, by request.
What to do: before you say yes, cost the dish at $12: plate, packaging and commission.
Who pays? DoorDash's pages don't say who covers the gap between a $14 dish and the $12 price, or what commission applies.
Ask your rep: "On a Meal Box order, what do I get paid, and is commission taken on $12 or on my menu price?"
Source: DoorDash: Meal Box for merchants
DoorDash pushes catering, with 50% off the first order
What changed: DoorDash is expanding catering for groups of 10 to 150 or more, booked up to 14 days ahead with no delivery fee. Through Nov 30, new catering customers in eight markets get 50% off a first order of $200 or more at participating restaurants, up to $150. Catering takes the same commission as regular orders and needs a contract.
Who it affects: restaurants that cater, especially in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, the Bay Area, Manhattan, Seattle, Denver-Boulder and Austin.
What to do: before you sign, find who pays for the promo and late-order refunds.
Who pays? Neither the announcement nor DoorDash's promo terms say who funds the 50% off, or the refund on catering orders 20+ minutes late.
Ask your rep: "Is my restaurant in the TRYDDCATER50 promo, and if a customer uses it on my order, is my payout figured on the full subtotal or the discounted one?"
Source: DoorDash: Meal Boxes and catering
You can now order DoorDash from inside a Lyft
What changed: since Nov 5, riders on some Lyft trips can browse nearby DoorDash restaurants and order before the ride ends.
Who it affects: restaurants on DoorDash; the post doesn't say which trips or cities.
What to do: nothing for now. If in-ride orders show up, check they pay on your usual terms.
Source: DoorDash and Lyft
Charge of the week
Late or cold: DoorDash says it usually doesn't charge restaurants for either. Uber Eats says cold food isn't on you, and late is only on you with your own drivers. Either charge is worth a look.
Got an error charge report sitting in your portal? The free check shows which charges may be worth disputing, and the deadline on each.
— Alec