As more merchants are partnering with DoorDash to grow online – including grocers, retailers, and florists – early delivery adopters including pizza restaurants are realizing the supplementary value that DoorDash can provide for their business.
Operators are looking for support in fulfilling off-premise demand as the restaurant industry continues to experience staffing shortages. DoorDash Drive, our white-label fulfillment platform that powers direct delivery for businesses, is one flexible solution that enables restaurants to meet off-premise customer demand without requiring operators to invest in their in-house delivery.
DoorDash Drive has evolved and improved since its debut – largely due to restaurant partner feedback – and we’re continuing to innovate on the foundation. We’re unveiling new features which will enable restaurants to offer flexible payment options, receive clear and accurate communication about their deliveries, and spend more time growing their business.
Enhanced Experience for DoorDash Drive Restaurant Partners, Cash Orders Now Accepted
While DoorDash operates in the online convenience economy, restaurant partners have shared that some of their customers appreciate the flexibility to pay with cash upon delivery as they might have in the past. Some customers might not be comfortable sharing credit card details electronically, whereas some may not have access to online payment options.
This is why we’re unveiling Cash On Delivery – a new feature where customers can pay for their order with cash on eligible first-party orders fulfilled through DoorDash Drive. Restaurants ranging from regional favorite pizza shops to mom-and-pop Chinese restaurants have adopted this feature. However, pizza restaurants are among those seeing the most value, as nearly 20% of pizza orders fulfilled via DoorDash Drive where Cash On Delivery is enabled in the United States are paid for with cash.
“There are countless factors from checkout to delivery that contribute to a seamless at-home pizza experience,” said Ben Smith, Director of Operations Development at Donatos Pizza. “Cash On Delivery through DoorDash Drive is one way we’ve maintained this high-quality service our loyal customers expect, as we can grow our business online, while still enabling customers to pay with cash should they desire.”
Coupled with benefits for restaurant partners and customers, Cash on Delivery creates an innovative new way for Dashers to earn and immediately enjoy their earnings. Dashers are required to opt-in to begin accepting Cash on Delivery orders and have the flexibility to opt-out at any time without affecting their ratings. 75% of active Dashers have opted in to accept cash orders across the United States, with nearly 500K Dashers having successfully completed a cash delivery over the past year.
Dashers will collect the payment and all of the money a Dasher collects is theirs to keep – including 100% of tips received from Cash on Delivery – as the full order amount will be automatically deducted from their weekly earnings. DoorDash remains committed to helping promote the safety of Dashers and Dashers can utilize SafeDash, our 24/7 in-app safety toolkit, anytime.
“Dashing has provided me with a flexible way to earn additional income since I began in 2021” said Lisa Dunivan, a North Carolina-based Dasher. “Having the choice to fulfill Cash On Delivery orders when I’d like is icing on the cake, since this new option allows me to immediately access funds.”
Restaurants and other merchant partners including grocers and convenience store operators in the United States looking to leverage Cash On Delivery via DoorDash Drive can sign up for the service via Merchant Portal or email cash@doordash.com for more information. Cash is only accepted for select DoorDash Drive orders and is not accepted for orders placed via DoorDash Marketplace.
Doubling Down On Quality: Merchant-First Innovations to Improve the Customer Experience
Merchants within our Restaurant Advisory Council have reinforced the importance of maintaining off-premise quality. DoorDash is continuing to invest in this feedback for DoorDash Drive pizza partners by:
Focusing on Delivery Times and Accuracy: Pizza deliveries fulfilled via DoorDash Drive take around 30 minutes on average from customer ordering to preparation to delivery. This short delivery time – which we’re always looking to decrease – is only one factor for a high-quality experience.
Maintaining Optimal Temperatures with Pizza Hot Bags: Restaurants have stressed how important it is for orders to be fulfilled by properly-equipped Dashers in order to provide a high-quality experience for customers. Dashers complete nearly three-quarters of pizza deliveries via DoorDash Drive with pizza-specific Hot Bags.
Creating New Communication Systems: There are many nuances to a perfect pizza delivery, which is why DoorDash Drive has implemented new streamlined communication tools. This includes unifying Merchant Portal access across Marketplace and Drive, providing operators with easy ways to track and communicate with Dashers, and even enabling restaurateurs to contact customers with order updates via text.
These pizza-specific improvements for DoorDash Drive are only one small slice of the pie, as we constantly innovate and iterate to provide a high-quality experience for consumers, merchants, and Dashers. Restaurants can sign up for DoorDash Drive here.
