🍕 Weekly Roundup: DoorDash Introduces New Benefits

October 20, 2024

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DoorDash is introducing new benefits to enhance the Dasher experience. Uber explores a potential acquisition of Expedia. More patients are using rideshare for medical care. California rideshare drivers may receive back pay. We break it all down for you.

DoorDash Introduces New Benefits to Enhance Dasher Experience

SOURCE – DoorDash Newsroom

DoorDash has introduced a suite of new benefits aimed at improving the flexibility, rewards, and support for its Dashers, reflecting ongoing feedback from the delivery drivers.

  • The latest update includes the “Dash Preferences” tool, which allows Dashers to customize their delivery options, allowing them to skip certain delivery types they may not want to do.

  • DoorDash has also revamped its Rewards Program, unveiling new Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers, which are very similar to Uber and Lyft’s tiered rewards programs.

  • DoorDash is also releasing a Crimson Debit Card, which offers zero fees to drivers, discounts and instant earnings access.

  • The company is also introducing the Dasher Relief Fund, which provides up to $1,000 in emergency grants to help Dashers manage unforeseen challenges.

Your take: Are these improvements enough to make you consider investing more time on the DoorDash platform versus rideshare? Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email. We may feature your comments in a future edition of this newsletter!

Uber Explores Potential Acquisition of Expedia

SOURCE – CNBC

Will Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi once again be the head of Expedia? Uber has engaged in discussions about potentially acquiring the travel booking company, according to a report from CNBC.

This potential move could enable Uber to expand into new areas beyond its current car travel and food delivery services. The talks are reportedly at an early stage, with Uber and Expedia offering no additional comment on the potential transaction.

  • Expedia holds a particular significance for Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who was the CEO of Expedia from 2005 to 2017. Khosrowshahi continues to serve as a non-executive member of Expedia’s board.

  • Uber currently has a market valuation of around $168 billion, while Expedia itself is valued at approximately $20 billion. However, Expedia faces intense competition from firms such as Booking, Airbnb, and Google Travel.

  • An acquisition would enhance Uber’s service offerings, aligning with insights from Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, who described the potential deal as a “major strategic home run” for Uber. This strategic move suggests Uber’s intent to diversify its monetization avenues, possibly paving the way for developing a comprehensive “super app.”

More Patients Are Using Uber, Lyft for Long-Distance Medical Travel

SOURCE – KFF Health News

Uber and Lyft have become essential for patients needing long-distance medical transport, especially in rural areas with limited healthcare access due to hospital closures and inadequate public transit.

  • Rideshare helps patients reach vital medical appointments like dialysis and cancer treatments, particularly in areas far from metro centers.

  • Some insurance plans cover rideshare services to reduce missed appointments, highlighting their value in the healthcare landscape.

  • While rideshares offer a cheaper alternative to traditional transportation, driver availability and compensation issues remain.

  • Experts suggest Medicaid expansion and subsidizing rides for low-income patients as broader solutions to improve rural healthcare access.

California Ride-Hailing Drivers May Receive Back Pay

SOURCE – CalMatters

Following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, lawsuits against Uber and Lyft initiated by California state and city officials can now proceed, potentially leading to back pay for thousands of ride-hailing drivers.

  • These lawsuits allege that the companies misclassified drivers as independent contractors and failed to honor wage and labor laws, including minimum wage, breaks, overtime, and sick leave, prior to the enactment of Proposition 22.

  • Proposition 22, a ballot measure passed in November 2020, exempts gig economy companies from certain labor laws, allowing them to classify workers as independent contractors.

  • Uber and Lyft had argued that arbitration agreements signed by drivers invalidated these lawsuits, but the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear their appeal has allowed these legal actions to advance in California Superior Court.

DoorDash is Adding 7 New Benefits for Couriers in 2024

Source – YouTube Shorts

DoorDash has introduced seven new features aimed at enhancing flexibility, rewards, and support for Dashers. DoorDash says these new features were developed in response to feedback from the Dasher community and are intended to assist workers in achieving their financial goals more efficiently.

Want to see the full breakdown of these seven new benefits? Check out our new YouTube Short to find out more!

QUICK HITS

  • New York City Comptroller Brad Lander urged changes to city regulations to eliminate app lockouts, a tactic employed by Uber and Lyft to manipulate the city’s rideshare minimum wage law. – Bloomberg

  • The National Federation of the Blind rallied at Uber and Lyft’s San Francisco headquarters to protest ongoing discrimination against individuals with disabilities, highlighted by a survey showing 83% of respondents experienced rideshare denials. – Slate

  • A San Francisco ballot initiative, Proposition L, aims to tax companies like Uber, Lyft, and Waymo up to 4.5% on gross receipts to directly fund the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. – Politico

Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content

Here are this week’s featured podcast episode and YouTube videos:

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