DoorDash is launching new ways to use the local delivery platform, including text ordering, drone deliveries and retail returns. The new message sorting feature builds on capabilities that the Ask DoorDash AI chatbot introduced to the DoorDash app in June, allowing you to get recommendations and download your navigation while skipping the app entirely.
“Placing an order is now as easy as sending a text message,” DoorDash said in its press release. “Whether you’re requesting a specific dish, asking for a local recommendation based on your mood, or telling DoorDash to ‘order my usual protein dish for the office,’ it finds local spots, suggests a cart, and handles the checkout process right within the text thread. It learns your preferences and remembers them for future orders.”
This is all just a preview for now because text ordering isn’t available yet: iOS users in the US can join a waitlist starting today to try out the experience in beta. We’ve asked DoorDash for information about Android’s rollout schedule and availability.
The first location for DoorDash Air, the company’s drone delivery service, has also been revealed. It will be piloted in an unspecified part of Northern California with local food services including Chipotle and Popeyes. DoorDash says about 80 percent of typical restaurant orders are “light and small enough to be safely transported by airplane” and that food arrives at customers’ doors within five minutes, based on initial testing. DoorDash has not announced when drone deliveries will actually be available to consumers.
Finally, a drop-off feature will expand across the United States in November that will allow customers to pay DoorDash couriers to ship items to local retailers. It’s currently only available in select cities and costs $7.99 to schedule an eligible return. No box or shipping label required – the item is simply picked up at your door, taken back to the store, and then your return is processed for you.
The idea is to prevent you from missing the return window for unwanted products purchased on DoorDash due to other commitments that prevent you from shipping or picking them up yourself. TikTok announced its own version of this feature yesterday via UPS.
