Food delivery platforms: customer service.

Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan's food delivery platform legislation addresses compensation practices and customer service protocols across California's digital food delivery sector, establishing new requirements for payment transparency and order fulfillment.

The bill prohibits delivery platforms from using customer tips to offset base pay for delivery workers and mandates detailed pay breakdowns showing base compensation, gratuities, and promotional bonuses. Platforms must maintain customer service systems that connect users with human representatives when automated solutions cannot resolve issues. The legislation also requires platforms to provide itemized cost breakdowns to customers and restaurants for each transaction, including purchase prices, fees, and gratuities.

New refund provisions require platforms to fully reimburse customers, including all fees and gratuities, when orders are undelivered or incorrect. For partial deliveries, platforms must prorate charges and associated costs based on items actually received. The bill establishes mechanisms for customers to adjust pre-delivery gratuities and specify refund payment methods. These requirements aim to standardize how platforms handle delivery discrepancies and customer reimbursement.

The measure builds upon existing regulations governing price transparency and tip distribution in California's food delivery sector. Current law already prevents platforms from charging prices higher than those posted on restaurant websites and requires full payment of designated tips to delivery workers or restaurants.