Why DoorDash Dashers get deactivated and how to get reactivated

Every Dasher’s worst nightmare: You log into the app and notice that your account has been deactivated, or you receive an email letting you know the same.

DoorDash has an extensive deactivation policy that outlines all the contract violations and other actions that may 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 DoorDash allows Dashers to appeal deactivations: You can plead your case and get reactivated.

Read on to learn why Dashers get deactivated and how you can get reactivated.

Article contents

• The DoorDash Deactivation Policy
• DoorDash Contract Violations
• How to Appeal a DoorDash Deactivation and 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 it at DoorDash.com) that outlines all the ways that might cause a Dasher to receive a contract warning 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% – Completion rate is orders completed/orders accepted. Don’t cancel more than 20% of your orders!
• Failure 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
• Marking delivery complete that wasn’t completed – Don’t mark it complete if it isn’t. If you can’t complete a delivery, follow the in-app steps to correctly end the delivery
• 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
• Tampering with deliveries or exhibiting unsafe food handling practices – Do not open, eat, or tamper with a delivery
• Manipulating promotions and referrals – Using promotions in a fraudulent way may cause deactivation
• Red card abuse – Don’t use the red card for anything other than active deliveries
• Scraping, unauthorized app access – Scraping data or 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 any 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
• Unsafe driving behavior
• Violating the law or using the app for criminal activity

DoorDash contract violations: Warnings from DoorDash

A DoorDash contract violation is a notice on your account when DoorDash claims that you violated the deactivation policy.

You can be deactivated if you have too many contract violations, but there is not an exact number of violations that will trigger deactivation.

Examples of contract violations include:

• Lateness: When you arrive at the merchant or customer significantly after the estimated arrival time
• Never Delivered: When you mark a delivery as complete but the customer reports that they never received it

Contract violations appear in the Ratings area of the app.

To get a contract violation removed, contact DoorDash and let them know your side of the story. It’s helpful if you have photo evidence to support you.

Tap on a contract violation to see general information about the violation and how to avoid a similar offense in the future.

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 to respond to a contract violation

You can respond to a contract violation to 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.

How many contract violations can you have before you get deactivated?

DoorDash does not state how many contract violations will lead to deactivation. There isn’t a maximum number of allowable contract violations, and the decision to deactivate is handled on a case-by-case basis.

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.

How do you know if you’ve been deactivated?

DoorDash sends an in-app notification and an email when you have 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.

Other warnings from DoorDash

DoorDash sometimes sends a warning if you are at risk of deactivation.

For example, if your completion rate is getting close to 80%, DoorDash might send you an email informing you that you will be deactivated if your completion rate is below 80% after a certain date.

You can’t be deactivated for having a low acceptance rate

Many new dashers don’t know that you can’t be deactivated for having 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 deactivate 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%. In other words, you can’t cancel more than 20% of the orders that you accept.

You can also be deactivated with a completion rate higher than 80% if DoorDash believes a cancellations was fraudulent or inappropriate.

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.

How to appeal a DoorDash deactivation and get reactivated

Following a deactivation, DoorDash will send you an email with instructions on how to appeal. The deactivation email also includes a link to an appeal form, or a button to request a review.

The appeal form will ask 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.

Tips to successfully appeal a deactivation

Complete the appeals form quickly – Don’t drag out the process by waiting.

Only include relevant 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 edit your story down to only 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, don’t be rude – Don’t use your appeal as an opportunity to vent. Your goal is to get reactivated, not to get one over on the customer or DoorDash. 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 make a formal appeal if your deactivation is due to low ratings and completion rates.

You can try pleading your case to DoorDash through other contact methods, but there is very 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 – 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.

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 sort of confrontation, and that 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 lie, and Dashers have bad days. If you’re only signed up for one service, you’re vulnerable to losing your ability to earn money.

There are many other services similar to DoorDash that you can apply to for free. Most apps don’t have a minimum work requirement to keep your account active, so there’s no harm in keeping them around as a backup. And you might find that other apps work better for you.

• Uber Eats
• Postmates
• Instacart
• Amazon Flex