Ways to Grow

How You Can Deliver Directly to Your Customer with Drive On-Demand

Maximize your profits by offering delivery without managing your own fleet of drivers.

2023-06-01
6 min read
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According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2023 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, 55% of customers want to order delivery directly from you. With DoorDash Drive On-Demand, you can tap into a network of over 7 million DoorDash Dashers to provide fast and easy delivery to customers. In fact, three out of four Drive On-Demand orders are delivered within 30 minutes with a 4.5 average customer rating.

Brian Morris

The neat thing about DoorDash [Drive On-Demand] is you get to be in our ecosystem – Hattie B’s start to finish – and still get the DoorDash experience. We love our Hattie’ B’s website and app, and we want you to be able to stay there and have the Hattie B’s experience. [Drive On-Demand] lets us bring this right to you from the comfort of our website or app.

Brian Morris, Executive Chef, Hattie B's Hot Chicken

What is DoorDash Drive On-Demand?

Drive On-Demand allows you to offer customers delivery through your own app, website, or other ordering channel. You pay a flat fee per order, and a Dasher will deliver directly to your customers. You can either automate deliveries through your Middleware Provider or request Dashers when you need them.

What are the benefits of DoorDash Drive On-Demand?

DoorDash Drive On-Demand offers several benefits that can simplify your delivery operations. Some of the benefits include:

  • Unmatched delivery quality: Drive On-Demand leverages the scale of DoorDash to ensure delivery speed and consistency. DoorDash uses a single network of Dashers for all platforms (the DoorDash App and Drive), which leads to faster operations and more dependability.

  • Easy integration: With over 1,000 integrations, you can seamlessly join Drive On-Demand and operate without managing the back-end tech.

  • Multiple delivery types supported: Deliver to more customers and fulfill deliveries for small orders, large catering-sized orders, or cash orders (dependent on Middleware Provider).

  • Lower costs: You only pay a flat fee per delivery – no signup, subscription, or hidden fees. There’s also no need to worry about costs associated with in-house delivery like labor, insurance, or gas. 

  • Unique marketing levers to drive order volume: Drive On-Demand offers a self-service tool that allows you to create a branded widget on your website. Adding highly visible ways for customers to order, like a pop-up modal or Smart “Order Now” Button, can help increase sales by 15-30%.

As put by Brian Morris, Executive Chef, of Hattie B's Hot Chicken in Nashville: “[DoorDash Drive On-Demand] really helps us keep our lines a little bit shorter. No matter what experience you want — in-store, pickup, or delivery — it’s still the same incredible Nashville hot chicken, sides, and desserts, and everything you've come to expect. Not only is it better for the guest experience, but it demonstrates meaningful, measurable financial results. Best of all worlds. Better for our guests, better for us.”

How to sign up for DoorDash Drive On-Demand

If you're interested in using DoorDash Drive On-Demand for your business, there are a few different ways to get started:

  1. Contact your DoorDash Account Manager: If you already have a DoorDash Account Manager, simply contact them, and they'll guide you through onboarding.

  2. Work with Your Online Ordering Provider: If you're using an online ordering provider like Olo, Toast, or Square, get in touch with them first. They'll help you get started.

  3. Use DoorDash Online Ordering: If you don’t have an online ordering partner, consider signing up for Online Ordering, a brandable online ordering solution that makes it easy to grow sales across your own channels (website, native apps, social media, Google page), which can also seamlessly connect with Drive On-Demand. 

  4. Fill Out the DoorDash Drive On-Demand Sign-Up Form: If you don't have an online ordering provider and want to use DoorDash Drive On-Demand to request Dashers for deliveries, just fill out this sign-up form. Someone from the DoorDash team will contact you with more information.

"By using DoorDash [Drive On-Demand], we were able to increase our delivery capacity significantly without adding extra overhead costs. DoorDash has been a great partner for us; their customer support is always available when we need something and the integration with DoorDash [Drive On-Demand] was seamless. This allowed us to focus more on our restaurant operations rather than logistics."

Veronica de Campos, Director of Digital Marketing, Jack's

How Drive On-Demand fulfills customer orders

Here is what happens when a customer places an order that is fulfilled by DoorDash Drive On-Demand:

  1. Order placed: A customer places an order on your website or app.

  2. Order confirmed: Order information is pinged to the DoorDash Drive On-Demand API.

  3. Drive On-Demand dispatch: Drive On-Demand Dispatch assigns a Dasher to the order and routes them to your store.

  4. Pickup updates: DoorDash will send Dasher arrival updates via the API, allowing you to prepare the order for pickup accordingly.

  5. Order handoff: The Dasher picks up the order from your store and delivers it to the customer.

  6. Order updates: Customers can opt to receive delivery status updates via text.

  7. Delivery confirmation: DoorDash confirms delivery completion, and the customer can rate food and delivery.

  8. Billing: DoorDash provides you with a monthly invoice for all completed deliveries.

Drive On-Demand FAQ

How am I billed?

If you're using DoorDash Drive On-Demand through an online ordering partner, you'll either get an invoice from DoorDash at the end of the month or one from your online ordering provider. This depends on which online ordering provider you use. The invoice will have all the details about your DoorDash deliveries. If you get an invoice from DoorDash, you can pay it by ACH, wire, or check.

If you're using DoorDash Drive On-Demand without an online ordering partner, there are two ways to pay for your deliveries. You can either add a credit card to your account or get a monthly invoice. If you choose to get an invoice, keep in mind that it will only show the charges for deliveries made through DoorDash Drive On-Demand. It won't include any fees from orders placed through the DoorDash app.

How can I view or update my invoicing information?

The DoorDash invoicing portal allows you to view and manage your invoices. With this portal, you can:

  • See all your past invoices in one place

  • Choose from more ways to pay

  • Update your information whenever you need to

Mx learning - Drive On-Demand

To get started, onboard to HighRadius. If you have any questions, check out our FAQ page for step-by-step instructions on the onboarding process.

How do I contact Drive On-Demand Support? 

If you require an immediate resolution for live orders, contact DoorDash Support. You may need immediate resolution for the following reasons:

  • Dasher 15+ min late to the store

  • Dasher took the wrong food

  • Customer calls the store & cancels

  • Customer never received their order

  • Change to delivery address

If you require a non-immediate resolution, please contact DoorDash support via email on drive-support@doordash.com. Non-immediate resolutions could be:

  • If the guest has a complaint and wants a refund

  • If a Dasher was rude to your staff or a customer

  • Billing/refund processing

How do I set my default delivery settings to contactless or ‘Hand to me’?

You can set your default delivery settings by changing the "is_contactless_delivery=" line in your Drive On-Demand API requests. If you set it to 'true,' contactless deliveries will be enabled. If you set it to 'false,' hand-to-me deliveries will be required. These settings tell the Dasher what to do when a customer doesn't give specific instructions.

The Drive On-Demand API is a short way to say Application Interface Programming. It's the code that your Middleware Provider uses to connect your website with DoorDash. This code helps you request deliveries and share important delivery information.

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If you or your Middleware Provider want to know more about the Drive On-Demand API, you can:

How can I access my performance metrics and quality statistics?

You'll see your dashboard when you log into your DoorDash Merchant Portal. This page provides an overview of your store's performance, including daily sales figures, the number of delivery orders, the average value of each order, and a breakdown of new and returning customers. The dashboard also displays key operational metrics, such as your cancellation rate and count, order accuracy rate, error count and associated charges, and customer ratings. These insights help you track your store's performance and identify areas for improvement.

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DoorDash Drive On-Demand is a great way for businesses to make delivery easier and reach more customers. With DoorDash's large network of Dashers, simple pricing, and easy integration, you can provide a smooth delivery experience while focusing on running your business.


Want another way to sell directly from your website? Check out Online Ordering. Drive On-Demand integrates with Online Ordering, enabling our Dasher network to service these delivery