We were appalled, like many others, by a recent viral post. It hit a raw nerve, not just because of the extreme allegations and dehumanizing language used, but because it raises real concerns about how workers are treated, specifically those who deliver for their neighbors and communities.
To be clear: the viral post and the horrible claims within it are not about DoorDash.
As our CEO and Co-Founder, Tony Xu, has made explicitly clear, we do things differently at DoorDash, and have zero tolerance for the kind of culture and behaviors described in the post.
We’re not perfect. We make mistakes and we get things wrong. But, we believe deeply in working each day to make our platform better for those who come to it. More than 8 million people chose to dash in 2024 alone, and we think we have a responsibility to make the dashing experience better and more rewarding.
Given how different the culture and behaviors described in the post are from how DoorDash operates, we wanted to take a moment to articulate our approach:
Claim #1: The app uses a “Desperation Score” which is a hidden metric that tracks how desperate drivers are for cash.
We do not—and would never—use something like a "Desperation Score.” Period.
This is a horrific term, and an even more horrific of a concept. We are not tracking how much cash Dashers have and determining pay based on that. This is not what we do, or even how we think about how Dashers earn.
In fact, Dashers who accept more offers typically earn more over the course of their dash than those who don’t. We’ve even built an entire Dasher Rewards program that gives Dashers who provide the best service priority access to higher paying orders – meaning that we give every single Dasher the opportunity to maximize their earnings, every single time they dash.
Claim #2: Drivers are referred to as “human assets”.
We don’t call people “drivers” or “human assets”. We call them Dashers.
We are proud that more than 8 million people — moms and dads, seniors, students, veterans, people building their own businesses — chose to dash last year alone, and earned more than $16 billion doing it.
And through our WeDash program, all corporate employees are Dashers, too, because a core part of our culture is being obsessed with how to make the experience better for every single member of our audience.
Claim #3: The app charges a “Driver Benefit Fee” to fund a “Policy Defense Center”
DoorDash does not charge a “Driver Benefit Fee”. We do not have a “Policy Defense Center”.
In some places where the cost of complying with specific local regulations is high, we may charge a Regulatory Response Fee. This fee funds the cost of compliance and helps keep our platform operating sustainably in those places.
These are fees we reluctantly have to impose, and happily remove when we’re able. To date, we have removed more than 80 of these fees across the United States as specific regulations change or are removed. And like all our fees, any Regulatory Response Fee is clearly displayed to the consumer before they ever check out.
Claim #4: Priority delivery is a scam.
We do not charge a “Priority Delivery” fee. At DoorDash, we offer Express Delivery which means exactly that. Consumers have the option to pay more for faster service if they want.
The truth behind the scenes isn’t that exciting: If you pay for Express Delivery, our assignment system prioritizes your order and doesn’t combine it with other orders. You get your food faster, and the Dasher who delivered it earns a bit extra, too.
Claim #5: If a customer is typically a high-tipper, their driver earns less in base pay.
Dasher base pay is determined by three factors and three factors alone: time, distance, and desirability of a given offer. That’s it.
Base pay is always calculated without taking into account what a customer tipped on their order. Customer tips are always on top of base pay, and 100% of that tip goes directly to the Dasher completing their delivery.
