You can turn third-party delivery on in just one click. Your customer pays the delivery fee, there's no cost to you. On the day of drop-off, a driver from a third-party network is assigned to pickup and deliver the order.
Setup
Check if third-party delivery is available on your account by going to Settings → Delivery. Click Check my eligibility and enter your pickup address to confirm your location qualifies.
If you don't have access to Settings → Delivery but want to try third-party delivery, email us at [email protected] or text 888-243-3468.
Enable delivery on a drop
Once delivery is live on your account, you can enable it on any individual drop:
Open your drop and go to the Schedule tab
Under Options, Fulfillment type, select Delivery
⚠️ Duplicating a drop duplicates the fulfillment settings of the original drop. Remember to add delivery before publishing a pickup-only drop.
Using self-delivery? If your account was previously set up with manual delivery zones and ZIP codes, do not duplicate a past drop with the yellow Self-delivery tag to start using third-party delivery. Create a fresh drop and enable delivery from the Schedule tab instead.
How it works on delivery day
A driver arrives during your pickup window, collects each delivery order, and takes it directly to your customer's door.
You pack the order → Driver picks it up → Delivered to your customer
Your delivery tickets
Delivery orders show as orange tickets in your portal.
Leading up to delivery day, you will see "Driver not assigned" alongside the customer's drop-off window.
A driver will be assigned on delivery day. Once on their way, the pickup window on the ticket will be replaced with their ETA. Click into the ticket to see details.
Arrival times are estimates and may shift. Keep an eye on the ticket as the driver approaches your pickup location.
Packing and handoff
Have each order ready before the driver arrives. A few things make handoffs go smoothly:
Pack and seal securely. Close containers, keep items upright, and make sure nothing will shift in transit. Seal every order -- stickering, stapling, and tying all work depending on your bags and packaging. Whatever you use, make sure it's secure.
Label clearly. Print the ticket or write the customer's name and order number on each bag.
At handoff: Ask the driver for the customer's name or order number. If you have multiple orders with the same name, ask for the order number too. We strongly recommend handing the order directly to the driver to minimize any mix-ups.
If you plan to leave orders out for pickup, keep deliveries in a clearly labeled area, separate from regular pickup orders, so drivers and pickup customers stay organized.
If something goes wrong with delivery
Direct your customer to their order confirmation page. They can tap Report an issue to submit a claim directly to the delivery provider. They can add details about what happened and include a photo.
Customers can report:
Delivered to wrong address
Never delivered
Missing or incorrect items
Poor delivery experience
If a customer tries to leave a 1, 2, or 3-star review on a delivery order, we'll automatically ask them if they want to Report an issue instead, so that delivery problems get routed to the right place rather than in your reviews.
Response times from providers vary but are typically within 14 days. The report status will be visible on your customer's confirmation page and in their order ticket in your portal. If the claim is approved, the delivery provider will issue a refund to your customer.
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How does delivery checkout work for customers?
When a customer selects delivery at checkout, they will
Enter their address and choose their preferred handoff: Hand me the order or Leave the order at my door. They can free write instructions as well.
Choose a delivery time. The earliest time they can choose is 30 minutes after the start of your pickup window, allowing the driver time to pick up the order from you and drop it off to your customer.
(optional) Leave a tip for the delivery driver.
Confirm details and Pay. The delivery fee is calculated by the driver network and varies based on distance and driver availability, similar to how pricing works on delivery apps. It is displayed in the breakdown below the Pay button.
Customer enters their delivery address and selects their preferred delivery handoff. | 
Customer selects a delivery time.
The delivery times shown to your customer are automatically offset from your pickup windows by at least 30 minutes, allowing the driver time to collect the order and drop it off. |  Tips on delivery orders are passed onto the delivery driver.
The delivery fee (calculated by the driver network) is displayed beneath the order subtotal. |  Delivery status displayed on customer's order confirmation |
What notifications does my customer get after they place a delivery order?
After ordering, your customer receives:
Their Hotplate order confirmation text
A text when the driver has picked up their order, with an expected ETA
A text when their order has been delivered
Who pays for third-party delivery?
You pay nothing. There's no cost to enable or use third-party delivery on your account.
Your customer pays the delivery fee, which is set by the driver network based on delivery distance and predicted driver availability.
To see the exact fee charged, open the order ticket and click the (i) next to Revenue.
Tips your customer leaves on third-party delivery orders go to the driver, not to you.
Why should I use third-party delivery?
Third-party delivery gives you the most freedom and flexibility with your time. There's no set up required and no extra cost to you.