It’s every Dasher’s worst nightmare: You log into the app and notice that your account is deactivated, or you receive an email letting you know the same.
Deactivated! Not the email you want to see
DoorDash has an extensive deactivation policy that outlines contract violations that can lead to deactivation.
The most common reasons for deactivation are policy violations, customer complaints, low order completion ratings, and low customer ratings.
The good news is that not all deactivations are permanent! You can appeal your deactivation and get your account reactivated.
Read on to learn why Dashers get deactivated and how you can get reactivated.
What you need to know
- Common reasons for deactivation are undelivered orders, low ratings, failing a background check, and fraud
- DoorDash gives ‘contract violations’ for rule violations. Multiple violations can lead to deactivation
- There isn’t an exact maximum number of contract violations before deactivation
- You can appeal a deactivation. DoorDash sends appeal instructions and a link in the deactivation email
Deactivated by DoorDash? Sign up for Uber Eats instead!
Article contents
- The DoorDash Deactivation Policy
- Contract Violations
- How to Appeal Your Deactivation: Get Reactivated
- How to Avoid Deactivation
- Always Have a Backup Plan!
The DoorDash deactivation policy: Why Dashers get deactivated
DoorDash has a detailed deactivation policy (see the full policy at DoorDash.com) that outlines all the ways that can cause a Dasher to receive a contract violation or lose access to the platform.
Here is a summary outlining the reasons for deactivation.
- Ratings drop below 4.2 – Too many low ratings from customers may lead to deactivation
- Completion rate below 80% (or 90% in some cities) – Completion rate is orders completed/orders accepted. Don’t cancel more than 20% of your order that you accept!
- Failed to pass a background check – DoorDash occasionally updates its background screening. If there’s a new criminal or driving record issue, you may be deactivated
- Undelivered orders, or marking a delivery complete that wasn’t completed – When orders you marked as delivered were reported as missing or never delivered
- Frequent late deliveries – When your pickups & deliveries are frequently much later than the estimated times
- Cancelling too many orders – Especially cancelling an order after you’ve picked up the food
- Intentionally prolonging deliveries – To manipulate Earn by Time, Prop 22, or NYC laws
- Tampering with deliveries or exhibiting unsafe food handling practices – Do not open, eat, or tamper with a delivery
- Manipulating promotions and referrals – Fraudulently using promotions may cause deactivation
- Red card abuse – Don’t use the red card for anything other than active deliveries
- Scraping data, unauthorized app access – Circumventing security features is not allowed
- Unsafe driving, biking, or scooting – DoorDash may evaluate customer reports or new accidents on your record
- Inappropriate contact with customers or restaurants – Don’t make unwanted personal contact with customers. Don’t disclose the personal information of your customers or restaurants online, and don’t harass customers/restaurant workers
- Disclosing personal information – Do not share the personal information of customers or restaurant workers online
Other self-explanatory causes for deactivation
You won’t be surprised that these violations will lead to deactivation.
- Use of alcohol or drugs while on the platform
- Violence, abusive language to customers, restaurants, or customer support
- Discrimination or customer harassment
- Violating the law or using the app for criminal activity
DoorDash contract violations: Warnings from DoorDash that put you at risk of deactivation
A contract violation is an official warning that DoorDash places on your account after they claim that you violated the deactivation policy.
You can be deactivated if you have too many contract violations, but no exact number of violations will trigger deactivation.
How a contract violation appears in your ratings. Credit JohnnySomsal on Reddit
Examples of contract violations include:
- Order extremely late: When you arrive at the merchant or customer significantly after the estimated arrival time
- Order never arrived: When you mark a delivery as complete but the customer reports that they did not receive it
- Wrong order delivered: When a customer reports that they received the incorrect order
Contract violations appear in the Ratings area of the app. Tap on a contract violation to see general information about the violation and how to avoid a similar offense in the future.
Tap on a contract violation to get more info or dispute the decision
“Wrong order delivered” is a common violation and an easy mistake to make if you have a double or triple stack.
Photo proof of the drop-off can help you with ‘wrong order delivered’
You’ll get a violation for “Order extremely late” if you complete a delivery more than 10 minutes after the estimated drop-off time.
Late deliveries and pickups can lead to contract violations
Contract violations fall off after 100 deliveries
Contract violations are based on your most recent 100 deliveries, so a violation will fall off your account after you do 100 more deliveries.
How many contract violations can you have before you get deactivated?
DoorDash does not say how many contract violations will lead to deactivation. There isn’t a maximum number of contract violations, and the decision to deactivate is handled case-by-case.
DoorDash says that “one contract violation does not constitute grounds for deactivation. However, multiple violations could lead to deactivation.”
For example, you may be able to avoid deactivation with several ‘Order was never received contract’ violations, but just one serious violation (abuse, violence, etc.) could lead to immediate deactivation.
5 contract violations and still active!
How to dispute a contract violation
You can respond to a contract violation to dispute it or to give DoorDash more information about the situation.
To respond to a contract violation, Go to the Ratings tab, tap on Contract Violations, tap on the violation, then tap Provide Additional Details.
Write your side of the story and provide photo or video proof to support your case. Try to keep your message brief and professional. DoorDash may remove the violation if the violation was an error.
This Dasher submitted details about their ‘order extremely late’ contract violation
How do you know if your account is deactivated?
DoorDash sends an in-app notification and an email when your account has been deactivated.
The notification will state that you’ve been deactivated, and typically the email will include a reason for the deactivation and instructions for appeal, if an appeal is possible.
Although deactivations can come without warning, DoorDash at least tells you the reason for deactivation.
One of the ways to find out about a deactivation
Other warnings: “Deactivation Policy violation detected”
DoorDash sometimes sends a warning if they detect that you did something that violated the deactivation policy.
Below, a Dasher was warned that they purposefully took more time to pick up and deliver the order than required. The message goes on to say that they may be deactivated in the future if the same behavior is detected again.
Unlike contract violations, this warning doesn’t give an opportunity to deny or dispute the issue.
A deactivation warning
Another example: If your completion rate is getting close to 80%, DoorDash might warn you that you will be deactivated if your completion rate is below 80% after a specific date.
Don’t say DoorDash didn’t warn you!
You can’t be deactivated for having a low acceptance rate
Many new dashers don’t know you can’t be deactivated for a low acceptance rate. You are free to decline as many orders as you want!
DoorDash may pause your dash if you reject too many orders in a row, but your account won’t be at risk of deactivation.
However, you can be deactivated for cancelling or unassigning orders that you have already accepted.
You CAN be deactivated for unassigning/cancelling too many orders
You can be deactivated if you cancel or unassign too many orders before completing the delivery. DoorDash tracks your ‘completion rate, ‘ which is the number of completed orders divided by the number of accepted orders.
You are at risk of deactivation if your completion rate drops below 80% (or 90% in some cities). In other words, you can’t cancel more than 20% of the orders that you accept.
A completion rate below 80% is a common reason for deactivation
You can also be deactivated with a completion rate higher than 80% if DoorDash believes a cancellations was fraudulent or inappropriate.
This Dasher was deactivated for cancelling orders. Keep your completion rate above 80%
It’s a good idea to contact support to cancel orders if you run into a problem with a delivery.
For example, if a customer asks to change the delivery address, contact support to have the order cancelled. If you unassigned the order yourself, you risk deactivation.
Deactivated due to a background check: When DoorDash finds new issues on your record
DoorDash occasionally updates your background check to see if you have any new issues on your criminal record or driving record that don’t meet their standards.
That means you can be deactivated if DoorDash is informed about a new criminal or driving violation.
New issues on your record can trigger deactivation
But DoorDash can also deactivate you for an issue that was already on your record when you initially applied. DoorDash can change their background standards at any time, so a violation that was permissible when you applied can get you deactivated later.
It feels unfair, but many Dashers are frustrated to see that a ticket on their record from years ago caused them to lose access to DoorDash after a periodic background check.
You can try to get reactivated, but appeals aren’t typically successful when the deactivation is due to your background.
How to get reactivated: Appeal your deactivation
There’s hope if you were deactivated: You can appeal the decision and potentially get your account reactivated.
After you are deactivated, DoorDash will email you instructions on how to appeal. The deactivation email also includes a link to an appeal form or a button to request a review.
Request a review to begin the appeals process
The appeal form asks you to provide relevant information about the reason for deactivation.
Closely follow the instructions, fill out the forms, and include any relevant photos or proof. Then wait. You should hear back from DoorDash within a few days.
Contacting support via live chat or phone, tweeting DoorDash, and other forms of contact are not the best way to go about the appeals process. Stick to the appeals form.
DoorDash claims that the appeals process does not apply if the deactivation was due to ‘objective’ measures like customer rating or completion rate. The logic is that a calculation such as a customer rating is less disputable than an incident with a customer.
Here’s proof that reactivation is possible. The Dasher below went through the appeals process and had their account reactivated.
Follow the appeals process and you might be reactivated
Another success story. This driver says their account was finally reactivated after a 3 month wait.
Reactivation is possible!
Tips to successfully appeal a deactivation
Complete the appeal form quickly — Don’t extend the process by waiting.
Only include the necessary details. Be concise — It might be tempting to tell a long, detailed story, but DoorDash is more likely to understand your point of view if you only include the essential details.
Use screencaps and photos as proof — Have a photo proving you completed a delivery? Don’t forget to include it.
Don’t lash out or be rude — Don’t use your appeal as an opportunity to vent. Support agents are more likely to be on your side if you stay polite.
Can you appeal deactivations for low ratings and a low completion rate?
As stated in the deactivation policy, DoorDash doesn’t allow you to formally appeal if your deactivation is due to low ratings and completion rates.
You can plead your case to DoorDash through other contact methods, but there is little evidence of Dashers successfully overturning these deactivations. Try another delivery app.
Reactivation is possible! Here’s an example
This Dasher on Reddit shared a reactivation story that shows what it’s like when DoorDash accepts your appeal and reactivates your account.
We’ve received and reviewed your appeal request, and we’d like to let you know that your Dasher account has been reactivated.
After taking a look at your appeal and the reason why your Dasher account was deactivated, we were able to confirm that you did not violate your Independent Contractor Agreement and the Deactivation Policy.
Please allow 24 hours for the reactivation to be processed and we look forward to seeing you on the road soon!
Sincerely, The DoorDash Operations Team
More Reading for DoorDash Drivers
- DoorDash Driver Requirements
- Need More DoorDash Hours? Scheduling Hints
- Dashers: How to Get More from Peak Pay and Challenges
How to avoid deactivation
You can do a lot to keep your account in good standing and avoid deactivation.
Be selective about orders you accept — A low completion rate is a common reason for deactivation, so try not to accept orders you can’t complete.
Have you noticed that you regularly unassign orders from a particular restaurant that takes forever to complete orders, like these 3 restaurants that Dashers hate? Don’t accept orders from those restaurants. A low acceptance rate won’t lead to deactivation, so feel free to decline orders that won’t work out for you.
Avoid false reports by taking pictures of deliveries — Unfortunately, dishonest customers try to save money by claiming that orders never arrived even when they did. Protect yourself by taking a photo of the order with the house number in the frame. This is especially easy now that no-contact delivery is the norm.
Mark orders that aren’t ready to avoid lateness violations — If you arrive at a restaurant and an order isn’t ready, make sure to mark it in the app. That way, you’re less likely to get warnings and violations if you miss the estimated delivery time.
Do your best to provide great customer service — The DoorDash rating system may feel unfair, but you must do all you can to keep your ratings above 4.2. Follow all order notes. Communicate with the customer and update them if there is a delay. Don’t get angry or frustrated with a customer if you can avoid it.
Contact support when things go wrong — DoorDash can solve many technical and logistical issues. By contacting support, you’re leaving a paper trail and making a strong case that you were proactive and did everything possible to make a problematic delivery work.
Don’t multi app, or multi app carefully — It’s tempting to try to maximize earnings by driving for more than one app simultaneously, but extra apps add extra complications that may lead to low completion rate, late deliveries, and low customer ratings. If you do decide to multi app, only accept orders that perfectly fit in with your current DoorDash order.
Try not to let rude customers and restaurants get to you — Dashers run into so many frustrating situations that are often caused by customers and restaurant workers. Keep your cool. People are quick to report any confrontation, and those reports can quickly lead to deactivation.
Always have a backup plan: Sign up for other apps
Deactivation can happen to anyone at any time. Companies make mistakes, customers can lie, and you can make mistakes. If you’re only signed up for one service, you’re vulnerable to losing your ability to earn money at any time.
There are many other apps similar to DoorDash that you can apply to for free. Most delivery apps have easy requirements, so there’s no harm in keeping them around as a backup. And you might even find that other apps work better for you!
- Uber Eats
- Instacart
- Amazon Flex
