We do our best to be fair and transparent to all partners — merchants, customers, and Dashers. This article explains why you may see error charges and best practices to avoid them, how DoorDash protects you against fraud, and how you can get a resolution if you believe you were charged unfairly.
While we’re confident that our policies and principles for order errors are robust, we’re always willing to review cases where you feel there may have been mistakes. You can create a DoorDash dispute on the Merchant Portal.
What are error charges?
When a customer reports an item from their order as missing, incorrect, or of substandard quality, DoorDash issues a refund and/or credit to customers on your behalf. Depending on the situation, you may be charged a partial or full fee to cover the cost of reimbursement. For situations outside your control, e.g., late deliveries, no-shows and temperature issues, DoorDash refunds the customer, and we typically do not issue error charges.
What is the process to resolve an error charge?
Our fraud and support teams evaluate customer claims based on photo evidence, error type, potential customer or Dasher fraud, and other specific criteria. While we do our best to correctly assign responsibility for errors, we’re always willing to review cases where you feel there may have been mistakes. In such cases, you can submit a dispute on the Merchant Portal. Here’s the process we use to resolve issues:
Error Reported: A customer reports a missing, incorrect, or food quality-related issue with their order.
Error Evaluated: DoorDash reviews the issue based on error type, potential customer or Dasher fraud, claim details, and other criteria.
Error charge issued if applicable: An error charge is issued to the merchant if the error occurred due to merchant fault. If not, you will not be charged.
Opportunity to dispute: If you disagree with an error charge, you can dispute it on the Merchant Portal.
Dispute evaluated: Your dispute will be reviewed based on its individual merits, and a resolution will be provided on the Merchant Portal within a few hours.
How are error charges calculated?
Error charges are deducted directly from merchant payouts, and depending on the severity of the issue, the restaurant may be charged between 25% to 100% of the applicable item price + tax. If a wrong order was handed to the Dasher, the restaurant would be charged 100% of the order subtotal + tax, net of commissions. The below example covers the error charge calculation for a $10 menu item reported as ‘missing’ from the order by the customer (100% of the item price + tax refunded to the customer).
Where can I view my error charges?
There are three ways you can view error charges:
Transactions on Merchant Portal
In the Merchant Portal, go to the Financials tab, and click Transactions
Select the time period and filter for transaction type “Error charge”
This will show all orders with an error charge for the selected time period
Click on the Order ID to view the details of a particular order
Insights Hub
Head to the Insights tab of the Merchant Portal, and click on Operations Quality.
In the Order Accuracy tab, select View Missing or Incorrect Error Charges.
On the following screen, you can view your Missing & Incorrect error charges and click through to review details of the affected orders.
For added transparency, you can also see information on the customer for every order, such as how long they’ve been a DoorDash customer and how frequently they order from you.
Reports tab
In case you want to download a CSV report of your error charges, you can do so using the Reports tab
Tap on the Reports tab.
Click on Create a Report.
Select Financial report, and on the following screen, make sure that Error Charges and adjustments is checked.
Choose if you want an immediate or recurring report, select your timeframe, and click Create Report.
How am I protected against fraud and bad-faith actions?
We regularly update our processes to protect merchants from bad-faith customer actions and dasher mistakes. For example:
We ask all customers to submit photos and comments for evidence and require it from customers flagged by our internal systems for certain error types
If errors are reported by customers 72 hours or more after delivery, we absorb the cost and do not issue error charges to merchants
Customers with a high rate of refund requests are issued preemptive warnings; their refund requests are subject to manual review and are denied if suspicious patterns are detected
We nudge Dashers for commonly missed items at pick-up, such as drinks and condiments.
We closely monitor defect rates for Dashers, provide them with actionable insights to improve their performance, and take action if necessary
How do I dispute an error charge?
If you want to dispute an error charge, it's important to act quickly to get a refund. If you believe an error is not your fault, and you should not have been charged, you may dispute the error charge in the Merchant Portal. If there are missing, incorrect or wrong order reports that are identified as fraudulent, you will not be charged.
In the Merchant Portal, go to the Financials tab and click Transactions.
Filter for transaction type “Error charge.”
Click on the order number you’d like to dispute.
On that order page, click Dispute Charge.
Check items that you want to dispute.
Select the reason you are disputing the charge from the drop-down menu.
Click Dispute Error Charges.
You'll see a yellow tag saying Dispute under review on both the order and the items. This means that you have successfully submitted a dispute.
Within a few hours of your dispute submission, we will update the tag to indicate “Dispute approved” with the amount refunded or “Dispute denied.”
Where can I see that my DoorDash dispute has been paid out?
In the Merchant Portal, go to the Financials tab and click Transactions.
Filter for transaction type “Error charge.”
Approved disputes will show under the Adjustments column of the transactions page
You can also click through to an individual error charge order via the Insights Hub or Transactions page to check the outcome of your dispute
For orders where a dispute was approved, you will see a green “Dispute approved” tag, and the refund amount added to your estimated payout. If a dispute was denied, it will be indicated by a red “Dispute denied” tag.
What are some best practices to avoid error charges?
Here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid error charges:
1. Optimize your menu
Common menu challenges like complex modifiers, inaccurate descriptions, and incorrect photos can cause accuracy errors. A clear, concise menu leaves less room for customer confusion and can reduce accuracy errors by 20% to 50%.
2. Label bags
Whenever possible, bag items together for a single order as errors are reduced when there is one bag that’s clearly with the customer’s name and order number.
3. Check off items on the receipt
Checking off items on the receipt helps ensure that all items have made it into the bag.
4. Create a dedicated space for order prep and bagging
Especially when you’re busy, staying organized can help you fulfill orders quickly and accurately. Some tips include: dedicating space for preparation and bagging of your digital orders, putting items within easy reach.
5. Increase awareness of high-risk items
If there seems to be a consistent issue, you can create signage that alerts your staff of high-risk items needing special attention during assembly and bagging, such as combos, drinks, desserts, and sauces.
DoorDash Dispute FAQ
What are the eligibility criteria to process a DoorDash Dispute?
You will need to have Admin or Store Manager access in the Merchant Portal to dispute a charge. In addition, the delivery must have occurred within the last 14 days, otherwise you’ll need to reach out to DoorDash Support.
Can I use a third party to dispute error charges?
Third-party access to the Merchant Portal goes against DoorDash’s Portal terms of use, and so does using third parties to submit error charge disputes.
Why don’t I see the option to dispute error charges?
You may not be allowed to dispute an error charge if the delivery is more than 14 days old or if you don't have the appropriate level of access on the Merchant Portal. You can only dispute a DoorDash charge if you have Admin or Store Manager Portal access (here’s how to adjust Portal access).
What is the maximum amount of orders I can dispute in the Merchant Portal?
While there isn’t a fixed limit on what you can dispute, stores with a very high volume of dispute attempts in a short time may be temporarily restricted from disputing. If the dispute button is disabled on your Merchant Portal, it means our systems may have flagged you for excessive disputing. The dispute button will usually get re-enabled within 72 hours.
When reviewing an error charge, we recommend checking the customer's credibility and loyalty details provided with each order. These insights are designed to inform your decision on whether to dispute an error charge.
Make sure to regularly check the Merchant Portal as it can provide valuable insights into the ordering experience of your customers. By analyzing this feedback, you can identify anywhere there may be consistent errors and work to improve your processes.
How much will I get paid out from my DoorDash dispute?
If your dispute is accepted, you'll get paid the amount of the error charges you disputed.
At DoorDash, we’re committed to offering a high-quality experience for restaurants, customers, and Dashers. By making it easier to submit a DoorDash dispute if you think an error charge was unfair, we hope we can take some of the stress out of running your business.
Want to dive into even more data? Learn how to utilize DoorDash analytics.
