DoorDash vs Grubhub Refund Process

DoorDash

• Missing items from order
• Incorrect order (wrong items delivered)
• Order arrived late or never arrived
• Food quality issues (cold food, spilled, contaminated)
• Must report within 48 hours of delivery — generally no refund available after that

Grubhub

• Grubhub may offer credits or refunds on a case-by-case basis for errors with order or charged amounts
• Grubhub may issue a refund when issues are within the restaurant's control
• Customer reports an issue that Grubhub support teams evaluate
• Payments are final and non-refundable unless otherwise determined by Grubhub

DoorDash

• Open the DoorDash app and go to 'Orders'
• Select the problematic order
• Tap 'Help' in the top-right corner
• Select the relevant issue (Missing Items, Order Never Arrived, Wrong Order, Poor Food Quality)
• Choose the specific items affected
• Add a description and upload photos if prompted
• Submit the request — DoorDash's automated system evaluates and responds

Grubhub

• Check order confirmation email for restaurant phone number
• Call the restaurant to check order status
• If order not received, reach out to Grubhub’s Customer Care team on the Contact Us Page
• If something is wrong with food, reach out to Grubhub’s Customer Care team on the Contact Us Page

DoorDash

• DoorDash Credits: applied instantly to your account
• Original payment method (card): 3-7 business days
• DoorDash historically prefers issuing credits over card refunds
• California AB 578 (Jan 1, 2026): full cash refund to original payment method required for missing, incorrect, or undelivered orders

Grubhub

• Credit
• Original payment method (implied)
• Alternative method (for campus stored-value cards)

DoorDash

• Pre-acceptance cancellation (before a Dasher accepts): full refund via cancel button in app
• Post-pickup cancellation: requires contacting support; partial or no refund unless extreme delay
• Auto-cancellations (out-of-stock, restaurant closure, payment failure, excessive prep time >30 min): full refund

Grubhub

Not available

DoorDash

• Phone: 855-431-0459 (24/7; approximately 87% success rate reaching a human)
• In-app chat: Help > Chat Support (average ~30 second connection time)
• Under CA AB 578, must provide access to a human representative
• Merchants can dispute error charges through the Merchant Portal within 14 days

Grubhub

• Grubhub reviews customer refund requests by evaluating various factors when an issue is reported.
• Disputes are generally denied if the merchant did not confirm or fulfill the order, involve non-Grubhub orders, or a prior refund/credit was issued.

DoorDash

• DashPass members receive priority customer support and may see more favorable resolutions
• DashPass cancellation: if on free trial, canceling within first 48 hours qualifies for full refund
• DoorDash does not publish a fixed refund limit but tracks patterns — high-rate requesters get warnings
• Flagged accounts require more detailed evidence (photos, descriptions) for claims
• Persistent abuse can lead to account ban and even IP-level blocking
• Photos are strongly recommended for all claims and required from flagged accounts
• Restaurant-caused errors: merchant charged an error fee; delivery-caused issues: DoorDash absorbs cost

Grubhub

• Grubhub offers credits or refunds in its sole discretion
• Payments are final and non-refundable unless determined by Grubhub
• Grubhub handles customer transactions; restaurants receive order total minus Grubhub's percentage