Coronavirus: DoorDash Moves To No-Contact Deliveries, Cuts Fees

SEATTLE, WA — With restaurants in the Seattle area forced to become delivery-only to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, the delivery company DoorDash said Tuesday it is adding new safety measures and cutting fees for restaurants who sign up during the crisis.

All deliveries through DoorDash and its subsidiary Caviar will now be "no-contact" — left at a customer's door — unless a customer requests otherwise, the company said. The company said it will also give up to two weeks of financial assistance to workers diagnosed with COVID-19, and send hand sanitizer and gloves to its drivers.

Other companies that depend on delivery workers have announced similar policies in recent days, including Amazon, which is creating a $25 million relief fund for its independent delivery drivers and seasonal employees.

Seattle-area gig workers, including workers in the delivery industry, have complained of low pay and said their employers failed to disclose how they set wages. Earlier this month, the advocacy group Working Washington started a campaign to to make Seattle the first U.S. city to require a minimum wage for its gig workers

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Meanwhile, restaurants who sign up for DoorDash or Caviar before the end of April will pay no commissions for 30 days, and restaurants already using the service will pay no commission fees on pickup orders. Several thousand restaurants will also be added to DoorDash's free delivery program, which sees higher sales, the company said.

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