DoorDash
Flagged · AvoidUnderpaid hundreds of thousands of New York couriers, disguised its fees as taxes, and sold customers' addresses and order histories without an opt-out.
Last updated September 23, 2026
Reasons to avoid
Issues span:LaborConsumer
Underpaid 264,000 New York delivery workers
DoorDash agreed to pay $131.5 million to settle a New York City investigation that found it underpaid or failed to pay more than 264,000 delivery workers, violating a 2023 city law requiring minimum pay for delivery workers. The settlement, the largest food delivery labor settlement in U.S. municipal history, includes $115 million in worker back pay and a three-year monitoring program requiring DoorDash to submit pay data for audit.Hid fees and diverted customer tips
DoorDash agreed in November 2025 to pay $18 million to settle a City of Chicago lawsuit alleging it hid fees by grouping them with taxes to imply they were government charges, marked up restaurant menu prices on its app without disclosure, and diverted customer tips to subsidize driver base pay rather than passing them directly to workers.Drivers outside California netted $0.40 hourly
A UC Berkeley Labor Center study published in May 2024 found that DoorDash delivery drivers averaged just $14 per hour in gross earnings before expenses, the lowest of any major gig platform studied. Outside California, the typical DoorDash delivery driver earned 40 cents per hour net after accounting for expenses like gas and vehicle wear, below the minimum wage in all five metro areas studied.Sold customers' personal data without opt-out
California Attorney General Rob Bonta fined DoorDash $375,000 in February 2024 after finding the company had sold customers' personal information, including names, home addresses, and transaction histories, to marketing co-ops without notice or the right to opt out, starting in 2018. Even after being notified of the violation in 2020, DoorDash could not locate or recover all of the data it had distributed to third parties.
Ethical alternatives
DIY
Cook at Home
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Visit Cook at Home →Common questions
- Is DoorDash ethical?
- DoorDash agreed to pay $131.5 million in 2026 to settle a New York City investigation that found it underpaid or failed to pay more than 264,000 delivery workers. A UC Berkeley study found DoorDash drivers averaged just $14 per hour gross before expenses, the lowest of any major gig platform, with typical net earnings of 40 cents per hour after costs in most cities studied. It also paid $18 million in 2025 to settle a Chicago lawsuit over hidden fees and diverted tips.
- Why are people boycotting DoorDash?
- Driver pay and tip manipulation are the most common drivers. DoorDash was fined $375,000 by California in 2024 for selling customers' personal information including home addresses and transaction histories to marketing co-ops without notice or opt-out rights. Many independent restaurants also report that DoorDash commission rates threaten their viability.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to DoorDash?
- Ordering directly from restaurants by phone or through their own website avoids platform fees entirely and puts more money in the restaurant's hands. Cooking at home is the most affordable and sustainable option for everyday meals.
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