DoorDash Announces AI Text Ordering, Drone Delivery and Retail Returns

The text-ordering feature lets customers use Apple's Messages app to place DoorDash orders without opening the DoorDash app. DoorDash said the feature builds on the Ask DoorDash AI chatbot it introduced to the app in June. Customers can text a specific dish, ask for a local recommendation based on mood, or send a request such as ordering a usual protein bowl to the office, according to the company. DoorDash said the system searches local restaurants, suggests a cart and handles checkout inside the text thread. It also learns customer preferences and remembers them for future orders, the company said. DoorDash said ordering is now as easy as sending a text.

The Verge reported that text ordering is not yet available and that iOS users in the United States can join a waitlist to try the experience in beta. 9to5Mac described the feature as launched in Apple's Messages app, with access limited at first to the United States and subject to a waitlist. 9to5Mac said waitlist access might be granted right away or take some time depending on demand. The Verge said it had asked DoorDash for the rollout timeline and Android availability.

9to5Mac reported that the text service is powered by an AI agent and can handle a range of requests. According to that report, users can ask for a dish, request a recommendation based on mood, or reorder a usual Friday night meal for a family. The service searches local spots, scans menus and suggests a cart, and can text photos of recommended food from a restaurant's DoorDash store page. It can also process a usual order, including preferences such as skipping cilantro, adding extra sauce or including dessert. For group orders, 9to5Mac said, the system can handle mixed dietary preferences and different quantities in one order. Checkout is confirmed inside the text thread.

DoorDash also revealed the first location for DoorDash Air, its drone delivery service. The service will be piloted in an unspecified part of northern California with local food services including Chipotle and Popeyes. DoorDash said about 80 percent of typical restaurant orders are light and small enough for the aircraft to carry safely, and that based on initial testing food arrives at customers' doors within five minutes. The company has not announced when drone deliveries will be available to consumers.

The retail returns feature will expand nationwide in November, DoorDash said. Customers can pay DoorDash couriers to send items back to local retailers. The service is currently available in select cities and costs $7.99 to schedule an eligible return. No box or shipping label is required. The item is collected from the customer's door, taken back to the store, and the return is processed for the customer. DoorDash said the idea is to prevent customers from missing the return window for unwanted products purchased on DoorDash when other commitments keep them from shipping or taking the item back themselves. The Verge reported that TikTok announced its own version of this feature through UPS a day earlier. DoorDash also said Dasher retail returns will expand nationwide in November.