New California Law Is Forcing Food Delivery Apps To Actually Refund You
A new food delivery law will go into effect in California as we swing into 2026. It’s called AB 578 and will require apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates, and others to provide full refunds to customers if an order is not delivered or if a driver delivers the wrong order. Frequent users of food delivery apps have probably fallen victim to one or both of these on occasion, and know how annoying it can be to deal with customer service via the app, especially after paying an exorbitant delivery fee.
With that in mind, in the event the automated system is unable to resolve the issue, the law also requires food delivery apps to provide actual human customer service. Lastly, platforms must provide an itemized breakdown of how much each delivery driver is paid, tipped, and any bonuses that they are given.
AB 578 is one of several new food-related laws, which includes a plastic bag ban (SB 1053) and one requiring large manufacturers to add folic acid to corn tortillas and other corn masa products (AB 1053)—apparently, to prevent birth defects.
In July, two others will go into effect—SB 68, which will require restaurants with 20 or more locations to disclose major food allergens alongside the ingredients of menu items, and AB 660, a food safety label law that will replace the confusing “Sell by” dates with “Best if Used By” for peak freshness or “Use or freeze by” for foods that might potentially spoil after the printed date.
