Do you get penalized for ending a dash early?

Ending a Dash delivery early is an option available to Dashers, but it does come with some potential downsides. As an independent contractor, you have flexibility in when and where you work, but you also have a responsibility to complete deliveries you’ve accepted. So while you can choose to unassign an order, doing it too often can lead to account deactivation. Let’s take a closer look at how ending dashes early works and what the risks are.

What does “ending a dash early” mean?

When you end a dash early, you are essentially cancelling out of your remaining delivery schedule for that dash. For example, if you signed up for a 10 AM – 2 PM dash and decide at noon that you want to stop delivering, ending the dash early would cancel any orders you had left between 12 PM – 2 PM. It’s a way to cut your dash short instead of completing the full time you originally committed to.

Why might a dasher want to end early?

There are a few common reasons dashers may want or need to end their scheduled dash early:

  • Unexpected personal obligations – Family emergency, sudden illness, etc.
  • Lack of orders – Sitting idle without any delivery requests
  • Poor service/low tips – Frustration over long wait times, poor merchant service, low tip amounts on orders
  • Fatigue – Physical or mental exhaustion from dashing

Ending the dash is a way for dashers to take control over their schedule when they need to stop for any of these reasons. It provides flexibility compared to a standard work shift where you’d have to complete the full time no matter what.

Is there a penalty for ending a dash early?

Technically, no – there are no explicit penalties or fees for ending a dash early. However, it can count against you in terms of dash eligibility if you make a habit of it. Here are some potential downsides:

  • Acceptance rate – Declining or unassigning orders negatively impacts acceptance rate, which must be maintained above a certain level.
  • Completion rate – Completion rate is based on the percentage of accepted orders that are fulfilled. Ending dashes early means orders go uncompleted, hurting this metric.
  • Early access scheduling – High ratings are required to get early access for scheduling dashes. Ending dashes early can bring down your ratings.
  • Deactivation – Repeatedly ending dashes early may get you deactivated for failure to complete contracts.

So in summary – while not an explicit violation, ending dashes early too frequently can hurt your dasher account standing in various ways. It’s generally better to fulfill dashes you commit to whenever possible.

How many dashes can you end early before deactivation?

There is no set number of early dash endings that leads to automatic deactivation. However, DoorDash does track unreliable completion behavior that could result in account termination. According to DoorDash, factors that contribute to deactivation for contract violations include:

  • Ending dashes early frequently
  • Canceling or unassigning orders excessively
  • Very low completion rate
  • Customer complaints about late orders or no delivery

DoorDash does not share the exact thresholds or limits on these metrics before an account review is triggered. In general, dashers recommend keeping completion rate above 85-90% and avoiding ending dashes early whenever possible. Only do so occasionally for true emergencies or dead zones.

How to end a dash early properly

If you do need to end your dash early, there are steps you can take to do it in the best way possible:

  1. Wait until after you’ve completed any currently accepted order. Never unassign an order you already accepted.
  2. Tap the red “End Dash” button in the app – do not just close the app or stop accepting orders.
  3. Select the reason you are ending the dash – like “Something came up” or “No more orders.”
  4. Double check that you want to end – confirm you don’t want to resume dashing.

Properly completing the process within the app is important. Never just abandon an accepted order – unassigning hurts your stats. And formally ending the dash is better than letting it time out.

Best practices for ending dashes early

To avoid negative impacts when ending a dash early, follow these best practices:

  • Limit early ends to true emergencies only.
  • Schedule dashes conservatively to avoid dead time.
  • Give plenty of advance notice when possible – tap “End dash after this order.”
  • Maintain high acceptance and completion rates to offset occasional ends.
  • Only end after completing any accepted orders – never unassign orders.
  • Formally end dash in app – don’t just let it time out.
  • Avoid peak pay periods – ending during these really hurts.

The less often you rely on ending early, the better. But when a rare situation calls for it, following these tips can help prevent negative repercussions.

What happens if you end your dash while on an order?

If you attempt to end your dash while still in the process of completing a delivery, DoorDash will warn you that ending the dash will also unassign or cancel that order. This essentially means bailing on the delivery you agreed to complete. That customer’s order will then have to be re-assigned, delaying their delivery.

Unassigning orders affects your completion rating negatively, and too many unassignments can potentially lead to deactivation. The only way to end a dash while on an order without it counting against you is to first complete the delivery. Tap “End dash after this order” to finish out your commitment without taking on anything new.

Can you resume a dash after ending early?

Yes, in most cases you can resume dashing after ending a dash early. Simply tap “Dash Now” and start a new dash within the same day. However, there are a couple caveats:

  • You may not always be able to instantly resume, depending on availability and demand.
  • Any schedules dash time remaining from your original dash will be forfeited.
  • Resuming dashing the same day doesn’t eliminate the early end Dashes are still tracked individually.

So resuming dashing just initiates a fresh dash – it doesn’t negate the ended one. Too many ended dashes in a short time, even with resumes between, can still jeopardize your account.

Why you should avoid ending dashes early whenever possible

While ending dashes early is an option, it should really be avoided in most cases. Here are some key reasons why following through on your full dash schedule is ideal:

  • Preserves your completion rate and acceptance rate
  • Allows you to maximize your earning potential for the day
  • Keeps the DoorDash platform running smoothly for customers
  • Upholds your commitment as an independent contractor
  • Avoids risk of account reviews or deactivation

Fulfilling the dashes you schedule keeps your account in good standing and shows you’re a reliable dasher. Unless you have an emergency, it’s best to stick out dashes you start.

What to do if you want to stop dashing for the day

If you don’t want to resume dashing after ending early, here are better options than repeatedly ending dashes:

  • Set shorter dash times to avoid dash fatigue.
  • Schedule dashes in areas and times with consistent orders.
  • Take short breaks between dashes rather than ending.
  • Tap “Pause” to temporarily stop new orders if needed.
  • Forfeit remaining dash time instead of unassigning orders.

Planning conservative dash times and using pause judiciously allows you complete dashes fully when you need to stop entirely for the day.

Bottom line on ending DoorDash early

Ending a DoorDash delivery early is an option but should be avoided when possible. While not explicitly penalized, doing it too often can negatively impact acceptance and completion rates. This can potentially lead to account deactivation if DoorDash identifies a pattern of contract violations. Limit early ends to true emergencies only, and take steps to complete all accepted orders.

Planning shorter dashes, using pause when needed, and maximizing completions preserves your Dasher account status. Unless absolutely necessary, follow through on your full delivery commitment for each dash you schedule.

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