The DoorDash Alcohol Delivery Change You Need To Know About

A new step is being added to DoorDash's alcohol delivery policy. In the past, users only needed to upload a picture of their photo ID to the DoorDash app in order to get alcohol delivered. Then, the Dasher would compare the customer's ID in person to the one uploaded to the app. Under the new rules, there will be an "enhanced dual ID verification" (per DoorDash), requiring the person delivering alcohol to scan a customer's ID before they can drop off the delivery. The company has been testing this new policy in several cities, including Dallas, Miami, Portland, and Seattle, and is ready to launch the program nationwide. 

According to TechCrunch, the scan will include taking a clear photo of the customer's ID within the DoorDash app. The delivery person will need a photo of the customer's ID to complete the order, making it harder for them to deliver booze without checking identification. Though the delivery process may take longer to complete, the company says its primary aim is to prevent alcohol from ending up in the wrong hands.

DoorDash's rule change surrounding alcohol delivery is due to the risk of facilitating underage drinking. "With today's announcement of two-step or dual ID verification, we're setting a new industry standard for responsible alcohol delivery," says Erik Ragotte, DoorDash's general manager of alcohol (per DoorDash). The company hopes this move, in addition to other safeguards, helps prevent alcohol from ending up in the hands of minors.DoorDash also offers its workers alcohol delivery guidelines to make the process smooth and stress-free. If someone is visibly intoxicated when receiving an alcohol delivery, the Dasher is told to either dispose of the alcohol or return it to the store, per TechCrunch. 

The company launched alcohol delivery nationwide in 2021, though it held a pilot program in 2016 in California, according to The Verge. DoorDash estimates that since alcohol delivery was introduced, customers' average grocery store and restaurant delivery orders have gone up by 30%, per DoorDash. It's also helping out Dashers. Their tips have also risen 30% with deliveries that include alcohol. Clearly, it pays to have a safe delivery policy.