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Understanding why drivers and delivery people lose account access

On this page, you’ll find information about the most common reasons why drivers and couriers in Canada lose access to their accounts and can’t receive requests, how to avoid it, and what to do if it happens.

Often when drivers and delivery people lose account access, it’s temporary and related to account eligibility or investigating a report.

The most common reasons why a driver or delivery person might lose account access are an expired document or an issue with their background check. Others are due to safety issues, fraud, discrimination by the account holder, or persistently low ratings from other users of the app.

If you lose account access

If you have lost access to your Uber account, you can:

  • Check your inbox for messages from Uber about the reason. It might be only temporary and you just have to update your account information to get online again.
  • Contact Uber’s Support team here if you are not sure about the reason, or the account deactivation is permanent.
  • Request an appeal if your account has been permanently deactivated and you receive an email and in-app message from Uber that you have access to an appeal.
  • Read the rest of this web page to identify if any of the scenarios mentioned could apply to you.
  • Reach out to UFCW Canada for support. Representation services are available at no cost to you.

Our case review processes

We want every experience on the Uber platform to feel safe, respectful, and positive, and we developed our policies with this in mind. Losing trip access to your Uber account doesn’t happen often. When it does, we know it can be very stressful and disruptive, so we’re dedicated to reviewing each report fairly and promptly.

Human involvement

We aim to always have a person in the loop, either before someone loses account access or through a human-led review process. Where possible, we rely on human review before taking any action against a user’s account for safety reasons. While we do rely on data and technology to flag safety issues—as described in our Privacy Notice —users are given the opportunity to request human review before a decision is made final. This helps to ensure that drivers and delivery people are treated fairly and their accounts aren’t affected by fraudulent safety reports.

Advance notice

When possible, we’ll let a driver or delivery person know if they’re at risk of losing access to their account. However, there are times when we may need to remove access without warning, such as when:

  • We receive reports or information that require immediate review for legal or safety reasons
  • We conclude that a driver or delivery person has engaged in unlawful or fraudulent behaviour

Background check issues

All drivers and delivery people must agree to regular screenings, which include evaluating their motor vehicle records and criminal history. The exact eligibility criteria differs depending on what city they’re signing up in, largely based on the regulations that apply in their city or province. In general, the following may be reasons for losing account access:

  • Criminal convictions
  • Criminal charges that are still pending
  • Multiple minor driving violations (such as failure to wear a seat belt and unsafe lane change)
  • A major driving violation (such as speeding more than 50 kmh over the limit and failure to remain at the scene of an accident)

An account may be kept on hold while the background check is being run, depending on when the driver or delivery person last completed one.

    • Not completing your background check
    • Not uploading relevant criminal or driving history check information to the driver account
    • Not disputing incorrect information through appropriate support channels

Expired documents

To use the Driver app or keep an account active, the driver or delivery person must upload required documents and make sure they’re always current and unexpired.

Learn more about required documents

Safety issues

  • The real-time photo that drivers and delivery people take before going online must match their profile photo.

    Examples of common issues

    • Letting someone other than the driver or delivery person take a selfie using their driver account
    • Submitting a photo of a photo
    • Not taking a clear, well-lit photo that aligns face and neck in the in-app frame provided
    • Not updating the profile photo if the driver or delivery person’s appearance has changed
    Learn more about photo verification

  • This includes reports that the driver or delivery person has had a crash or traffic citation during a trip or delivery, or repeated reports of poor, unsafe, or distracted driving while using the Driver app.

  • This includes reports that a driver or delivery person is suspected of driving while drowsy or while under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, or medications that should not be used while operating a motor vehicle. It also includes reports of having drugs or open containers of alcohol in the car.

  • Exhibiting aggressive, confrontational, or harassing behaviour. This includes:

    • Using language, making gestures, or taking actions that could be disrespectful, threatening, or inappropriate
    • Yelling at or arguing with a rider, delivery recipient, merchant, or other user of Uber apps
    • Sharing with others in the Uber community graphic images that are sexually explicit or depict physical violence, including unsolicited sharing of such images through Uber’s online support systems

  • Any kind of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct by anyone—including drivers, delivery people, riders, Uber Eats customers, and third parties—is not allowed while using the Uber apps. In many cases, sexual misconduct or assault is also illegal. Uber’s no-sex rule prohibits sexual contact regardless of whether the driver or delivery person knows the other person or receives their consent. Sexual assault is physical or attempted physical conduct that is sexual and done without consent. Examples include touching, kissing, or sex. Sexual misconduct includes nonphysical behaviour that is sexual or romantic and done without consent, or has the effect of threatening or intimidating someone. Examples include commenting on a rider’s appearance, asking about their dating history, or asking them out on a date.

  • Only vehicles or other modes of transportation associated with a driver or delivery person’s profile that meet their city’s minimum requirements are acceptable.

    Examples of common issues

    • Not providing updated vehicle information to Uber
    • Using a vehicle to complete delivery trips if signed up to deliver while biking or walking
    Learn more about vehicle requirements

  • This includes vehicle damage from a crash, and not maintaining a vehicle according to industry safety and maintenance standards. For example, not keeping brakes, seat belts, and tires in good operating condition; disregarding recalls; and ignoring dashboard warning lights.

Fraud

  • Altered or false documents are not allowed. Also, in order to be able to review the documents, we need a clear, readable, and complete image.

    Examples of common issues

    • Physically or digitally altering documents (such as cross-outs/white-outs, unnecessary handwriting, photoshopped documents)
    • Submitting phone screenshots of documents
    • Submitting a document that is not entirely visible and clear (such as missing part of a page)
    • Submitting photocopies, scanned documents, or photos of photos, rather than original documents

  • This includes a driver or delivery person falsifying information, assuming someone else’s identity, submitting personal documents that don’t belong to them, or attempting to bypass identity verification checks.

    Examples of common issues

    • Not ensuring that full legal name, date of birth, and other account information submitted to Uber is accurate
    • A driver or delivery person representing themself as someone they are not
    • Submitting documents that don’t belong to them and that they are not permitted to use

  • Creating improper duplicate accounts is not allowed. If a driver or delivery person has an issue with signing in to or going online to their account, they should contact Support rather than creating a duplicate account.

  • Fraudulent activity includes inflating the time or distance of a trip on purpose, abusing fees and promotions, and requesting a cleaning reimbursement for a mess that didn’t happen.

    Examples of common issues

    • Not providing clear photos, the receipt from the cleaning, and accurate trip details when submitting a cleaning fee claim
    • Encouraging riders to cancel a trip for fraudulent purposes
    • Inflating the time or distance of a trip on purpose
    • Submitting false claims for fees or refunds, or abusing offers and promotions
    • Going along with riders or Uber Eats users who call before a trip or delivery and ask the driver or delivery person to do things that are against Uber’s Community Guidelines

Discrimination and service denial

A driver or delivery person can lose access to their account for:

  • Discriminating or making offensive remarks on the basis of race, colour, disability, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected under relevant law
  • Refusing or cancelling a trip or delivery on the basis of a rider’s destination or a customer’s delivery location
  • Refusing or cancelling trips for riders because of their service animals, wheelchairs, or other assistive devices
Learn more
    • Denying service animals. Canadian laws prohibit discriminating against riders with service animals, including by denying them service. Read the Service Animal and Assistive Devices Policy.
    • Refusing to help fit wheelchairs or other assistive devices like walkers in the car. These devices can often be folded or disassembled to fit in the trunk.
    • Making negative or insensitive comments about someone’s personal characteristics, such as race, colour, disability, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, age, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

Rating quality

A driver or delivery person can lose access to part or all of the Uber platform for ratings that are below a minimum average rating in their city. If their rating is approaching the minimum limit, we will let them know and may share information that may help them improve their rating from users, customers, and merchants.

Resources for delivery people

How delivery people can avoid low ratings

Delivery-related reasons for loss of account access

A few reasons apply only to delivery people, including those listed below.

  • A delivery person has the right to decline any delivery opportunity offered to them. However, accepting delivery requests without intending to complete a delivery and cancelling an unusually high number of deliveries may be considered fraud.

    Examples of common issues

    • Not completing a delivery after picking up the order and before arriving at dropoff, without cancelling. If a delivery person is unable to cancel or complete the delivery due to issues that arise (such as a flat tire), they can contact Support for help.
    • Not checking for delivery details that the customer may have left in the app, such as directions, or not trying to contact the customer using the app if needed.

  • If a delivery person repeatedly marks trips complete without having made a delivery, this is considered to be suspected food theft.

    Examples of common issues

    • Marking a trip as “Delivered” without reaching the customer’s location and delivering the order.
    • Repeatedly cancelling a trip after picking up an item but before starting the delivery to the dropoff location. You can avoid this by leaving the order at the restaurant for the next delivery person to pick up.

  • This includes a pattern of frequent delayed trips (taking much longer than expected according to GPS estimates and the duration of other deliveries in the delivery person’s city), suggesting an intent to mislead or defraud Uber or other users of Uber’s apps. Delays in marking an order as “Delivered” after dropoff for illegitimate reasons may also be considered fraud.

    Examples of common issues

    • Accepting delivery requests long before being ready to leave to travel to the merchant may appear like fraud if it is an ongoing pattern.
    • Marking the order as “Delivered” in the Driver app well after the delivery person has delivered the food. If they encounter connectivity or app issues, they can call Support to end the delivery for them.

Community Guidelines, terms, and policies for all Uber users

This page outlines the common reasons drivers and delivery people may lose access to their account in Canada, but if a driver or delivery person violates any terms of their contractual agreement(s) with Uber, or any applicable terms or policies—including the Community Guidelines—they can lose access to all or part of the Uber platform. All users of the platform (including riders, customers, and merchants) can lose access for similar reasons.