New York City has expanded its minimum pay protections for app-based delivery workers, raising the required base compensation for couriers across both restaurant and grocery platforms.
Under the updated rules, delivery apps must pay workers at least $21.44 per hour for time spent preparing and completing orders, excluding tips. The policy applies to services including Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, Hungry Panda, Fantuan, Instacart, and Shipt, and includes annual increases.
City officials also confirmed the hourly floor will rise again in April, when the minimum pay rate is scheduled to increase to $22.13 for both food and grocery delivery workers.
What the new rules require
The changes formally bring grocery delivery couriers under the same pay framework as restaurant workers. Apps are required to calculate earnings based on engaged time and follow additional compensation rules tied to the city’s delivery worker laws.
Platforms must also provide itemized pay statements and issue wages no later than seven days after the end of a pay period.
New tipping requirements are now in force, as well. Delivery apps must present customers with a clear tipping option before or at checkout, including a suggested amount or the ability to enter a custom figure.
The rollout follows recent federal court decisions that rejected legal challenges from several companies and allowed the regulations to take effect.
City officials said the minimum pay rate will continue to be adjusted each year for inflation, with the next scheduled increase set for April 1.
