Report the problem through the delivery app while the order is still fresh. Tie the complaint to the order number, attach photos or screenshots, and ask for a specific fix. For U.S. orders, the platform's support policy usually shapes the first response. A credit-card billing dispute is separate and has its own timing rules.

No federal refund guarantee says that every late, cold, or wrong order must be repaid the same way. The result often turns on the order record, your evidence, the company's terms, and how you paid.

Name the problem accurately

Pick the category that matches what happened. If the food arrived cold, don't claim it never arrived. Accurate routing gives support less reason to pause the case.

Collect evidence before you toss anything

Take photos while the food, bag, and packaging are still in front of you. Useful evidence includes:

• The order number, restaurant name, and receipt
• The promised delivery time and actual arrival time
• Photos of the food, container, labels, spills, or missing contents
• A photo of the full bag and every item that did arrive
• Screenshots of delivery tracking, messages, and the order total
• The driver's name, vehicle details, or messages if conduct is the issue
• The support case number and any refund or credit offer

If you believe the food is unsafe, don't eat it. If an item is missing, photograph the opened bag alongside what did arrive. DoorDash's official instructions for missing or incorrect items ask for clear, original photos and explain what support needs to see.

Keep receipts and screenshots even if the app instantly credits you. An approved refund can still take time to appear on a card statement.

Five steps to file the complaint

1. Start from the affected order

Open order history, select the order, and choose Help, Get help, or Support. Labels vary by app version, location, and order type.

Choose the closest issue. If the app shows an automated form, fill in the relevant fields instead of sending a broad complaint.

2. Keep the description factual

Include the order number, expected and actual delivery times, what went wrong, and what evidence you have. For example:

Order 4821 was scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and arrived at 8:05 p.m. The entree was cold and the container leaked. I attached photos and request a review for a refund or other remedy.

Avoid guesses about who caused the mistake, emotional language, or exaggeration. If only one item was missing, name that item rather than asking for a full-order refund without explaining why the whole order failed.

3. Say what remedy you want

You can ask whether the company can provide:

• A refund to the original payment method
• A partial refund for the affected item or service
• A replacement order
• Account credit

The app may steer you toward account credit instead of returning money to your card. Ask whether a card refund is available, which line items are covered, and whether any credit expires or has conditions. Taxes, delivery fees, service fees, and tips may be handled differently depending on the platform and the error, so ask for an itemized result.

A replacement can solve a missing entree or wrong item. It's less useful if you suspect contamination, spoiled food, or an undeclared allergen.

4. Ask for a human review after a denial

If an automated response rejects the claim, reply in the same case when possible. Ask for manual review and include:

• The case number
• One sentence describing the error
• The evidence already submitted
• The remedy you want
• Any deadline shown in the app or receipt

You can write:

Please escalate case 4821 for manual review. The order contained one item that was not delivered, and I attached a photo of the opened bag and the items received. Please explain the denial and review the charge for the missing item.

Avoid opening several tickets for the same order. If support says a timing rule or evidence requirement applies, ask them to identify it and say whether more documentation would help.

5. Confirm where the refund lands

Save the approval message, refund amount, credit terms, and expected processing period. Check both the app and your payment account. If the company says it refunded your card but the credit does not appear after the stated period, contact the platform with the original case number before opening a separate dispute.

Where to complain in major delivery apps

Menus shift, but the order record is usually the best entry point.

Uber Eats

Open Orders, select the affected order, and choose the help option tied to that order. Select the specific problem, upload photos, and say whether you want a partial or full refund. Keep the case number and any credit offer.

If the order is missing from your history, check the receipt email and confirm you're signed into the account used for payment. Don't create a new account or submit duplicate claims while support is reviewing the order.

DoorDash

Start from the affected order and select Help. DoorDash has separate pages for missing or incorrect items and orders that never arrived.

Its help instructions ask for clear photos of the items received. If you got the wrong order, DoorDash may direct you to report it as “Order never arrived” under Order Issues. Follow the current form wording, but describe the facts accurately in your explanation.

Report the problem immediately. Don't treat an unofficial claim about a universal 24-hour or 72-hour deadline as a rule; follow any deadline shown in your account or in DoorDash's current terms.

Grubhub

Open the order in your history and use Help or Support. Include the receipt, the missing or incorrect items, delivery times, and photos. If the first response offers only credit, ask whether a refund to the original payment method is available and request the terms in writing.

Postmates

Use the support option attached to the order in your Postmates account. Describe the order problem rather than submitting a general driver complaint. Available remedies and labels can vary by order and account, so save the offer or denial before closing the case.

What remedy fits the problem?

The platform decides what it will offer, but your request should match the harm:

• Never delivered: Ask for review of the full order charge and explain that no food arrived.
• Missing or wrong item: Ask for an adjustment to the affected item. If the whole order became unusable, explain why you want a broader refund.
• Cold or very late food: Request a partial or full refund based on how late the order was and whether the food was usable.
• Spilled or damaged order: Attach photos and ask about replacement or refund.
• Driver misconduct: File a separate conduct or safety report. A conduct report does not automatically determine the food refund.

Credit is not the same as money back. A refund goes to the payment method used for the order, while credit stays inside the platform account. You can ask for the original payment method, but the company's policy and your payment method may affect what it offers.

When to bring in the credit-card issuer

If you paid with a U.S. credit card and the order never arrived, the charge was wrong, or the service was not provided as agreed, ask the card issuer whether the transaction qualifies as a billing error. A food-quality argument may be treated differently from complete non-delivery.

The Federal Trade Commission's billing-error guidance says that, under the federal billing-error process, your written dispute generally must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent. Send it to the issuer's billing-dispute address, keep a copy, and retain proof of delivery.

Under the process described by the FTC:

• The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue.
• It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the dispute.
• During the investigation, you generally do not have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges.
• Continue paying the undisputed portion of the account.

The FTC's credit-card dispute guide includes further instructions and a sample letter.

Contact the delivery app first when possible, but don't let a slow support conversation make you miss the card issuer's deadline. Give the issuer the receipt, tracking record, photos, support transcript, and any denial or refund details. Dispute only the amount that is genuinely incorrect.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, digital wallets, and bank transfers can follow different procedures. Don't assume the credit-card protections or 60-day timeline apply. Contact the relevant provider promptly and ask which error or fraud process covers that payment.

If the charge is unauthorized, use the payment provider's fraud route instead of framing it as a missing-food complaint. Change your account password and review saved payment methods.

Illness, allergens, and food-safety concerns

A refund request doesn't handle a medical risk. If you have severe symptoms or a serious allergic reaction, seek medical care immediately. For a less urgent concern, preserve the receipt, packaging, labels, and photos, and record:

• What you ate and how much
• When the food arrived and when symptoms began
• The restaurant and delivery platform
• Symptoms, medical treatment, and related expenses
• Whether anyone else who ate the food became ill

Report the concern to the delivery platform and, when appropriate, your local or state health department. Use a secure channel for medical information and send only what the recipient requests.

An app credit does not decide whether you may have another claim for medical expenses. Potential compensation depends on the facts and applicable state law, so consider speaking with a qualified local professional rather than treating a refund response as a legal conclusion.

Wording you can adapt

Missing or wrong item

Order 4821 arrived at 7:40 p.m. The [item] was missing, and the attached photos show the bag and all items received. Please review the order and refund the missing item to the original payment method.

Late or cold food

Order 4821 was scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and arrived at 8:05 p.m. The food was cold when delivered. I attached the receipt, delivery times, and photos. Please review the order for an appropriate refund.

Order never received

I did not receive order 4821. The app shows it as delivered at 7:40 p.m., but nothing was delivered to my address. Please investigate the delivery record and review the full charge.

Escalation

Please escalate case 4821 for manual review. I reported the problem promptly and provided the requested evidence. Please explain the reason for the denial and confirm what refund or other resolution is available.

Common questions

Do food delivery apps have to refund cold food?

There isn't one U.S. refund rule guaranteeing a full refund for every cold or late order. Report the facts promptly, provide evidence, and ask for a partial or full refund based on whether the food was usable.

Can I insist on money instead of app credit?

You can ask for a refund to the original payment method and request an explanation if the app offers only credit. The company's policy and your payment method may affect the available remedy.

Should I file a chargeback immediately?

Usually, give the platform a prompt chance to correct the order while preserving your evidence. If you paid by credit card, protect the applicable billing-error deadline and contact the issuer if the platform refuses to resolve a genuine billing problem.

What if the app says the order was delivered?

Report it immediately through the order's non-delivery route, explain exactly where delivery failed, and save tracking screenshots. DoorDash's official help page says it investigates reports of orders that were never delivered.

Does this apply to Deliveroo or Just Eat?

The U.S. steps above do not automatically apply outside the United States. Deliveroo and Just Eat orders in other countries may follow different platform terms and local consumer rules. Use the support route for the country where the order was placed.

Before you close the app, screenshot the receipt, tracking, and any photos of the food. Submit one accurate complaint through the affected order's help page, and if you paid by credit card, note the statement date so you can protect the 60-day billing-error deadline while waiting for the platform's response.