DoorDash offers a flexible opportunity to earn income, but sometimes a Dasher cannot complete a delivery they have already accepted. Knowing the correct process for canceling an accepted assignment, often called unassigning, is necessary for managing your account professionally. Following the proper procedures prevents a minor schedule adjustment from becoming a consequence that impacts your ability to earn in the future. The cancellation process depends entirely on whether the issue is internal (like a change in personal availability) or external (like a problem at the merchant’s location). Understanding these specific steps helps you navigate the platform while maintaining good standing.
Step-by-Step Guide to Canceling an Accepted Dash
The most common way to cancel an accepted delivery is through the self-service function within the Dasher app, used only before the food has been picked up. Once an order is accepted, the delivery details screen displays a help or question mark icon, typically located in the top right corner. Tapping this icon opens the help menu, where you will find the option to unassign the delivery.
Selecting the unassign option prompts you to choose a reason for the cancellation from a provided list. Reasons can range from “Something came up” to “Distance too far” or “Order not ready.” Using this self-service feature immediately decreases your Completion Rate (CR), regardless of the reason selected. This procedure is designed for immediate, Dasher-initiated cancellations.
The app issues a confirmation message detailing the change to your CR before finalizing the unassignment. Because this action directly impacts your statistics, reserve it for situations where the potential loss of time or excessive delay outweighs the small drop in your rating. Never mark the order as picked up before canceling, as doing so can lead to more serious account consequences.
How Cancellation Affects Your Dasher Metrics
A Dasher-initiated cancellation directly affects your Completion Rate (CR), which is the percentage of accepted deliveries that you successfully complete. This metric is calculated based on your last 100 accepted offers; every time you unassign an order, your CR decreases by one percentage point. Maintaining this statistic is important because DoorDash has a minimum Completion Rate requirement of 90% in most markets to remain active on the platform.
Falling below the 90% threshold for your Completion Rate can result in receiving a warning text message and potential deactivation of your account. A higher CR is also necessary for accessing certain incentives, such as the Top Dasher program, which generally requires a 95% Completion Rate. To recover a dropped percentage point, you must complete an accepted order, which pushes the oldest accepted order out of your last 100, effectively replacing the unassigned order in the calculation.
The Completion Rate is the primary metric penalized by using the in-app unassign feature. This metric should be contrasted with the Acceptance Rate (AR), which tracks the percentage of offers you choose to accept out of the last 100 offers received. While a high Acceptance Rate is required for incentive programs like Top Dasher, declining an offer does not carry the same consequence as canceling an accepted one.
When to Contact Dasher Support Instead of Using the App
In specific situations involving external factors beyond your control, you must bypass the in-app cancellation feature and contact Dasher Support via phone or chat to protect your Completion Rate. Calling support is necessary when the merchant is unable to fulfill the order, which includes scenarios where the restaurant is closed, has a temporary technical issue preventing them from preparing the food, or refuses to fulfill the order for any reason. If the order was already picked up by another Dasher, or if the merchant says the order was never received, support must be contacted immediately.
Contacting support is also necessary if a major personal issue arises after you have already picked up the food, such as a sudden car problem or an emergency. In these instances, a support agent can cancel the order on their end and, in many cases, note the external reason, which prevents the cancellation from negatively impacting your Completion Rate. This distinction allows a Dasher to address a legitimate issue without penalty.
Support should also be contacted when you encounter a technical glitch, such as the app freezing or failing to allow you to mark the order as picked up or delivered. Furthermore, if you are experiencing an excessively long wait time at the restaurant, generally exceeding 10 minutes, you can contact support to report the delay.
While the agent may offer to unassign the order, this process ensures the platform is aware of the merchant issue. The Dasher may receive partial compensation, known as half pay, for the time spent waiting before the cancellation.
Best Practices for Maintaining Account Standing
Proactive management of your accepted deliveries begins before you even confirm the order, by carefully reviewing all details presented on the acceptance screen. Take a moment to check the estimated mileage, the final destination, and the current time of day, which helps you anticipate potential traffic or restaurant delays. Understanding the full scope of the commitment minimizes the likelihood that you will need to cancel later due to unforeseen logistical issues.
Once an order is accepted, prompt communication with both the restaurant and the customer can prevent issues that lead to cancellation. If you arrive at a restaurant and anticipate a wait, sending a quick message to the customer acknowledging the delay manages their expectations and reduces the chance of them canceling the order. Being transparent about unavoidable delays helps preserve your Customer Rating.
Maintaining a Completion Rate well above the 90% minimum threshold provides a necessary buffer against unforeseen circumstances or occasional technical errors. While the platform allows for a certain number of self-service cancellations, consistently unassigning orders, even if your rate remains above 90%, can draw attention to your account. Using the self-service unassign feature only when absolutely necessary and always contacting support for external issues represents the most professional method for preserving your long-term account standing.