Understanding why drivers and delivery people can lose access to their accounts
On this page, you’ll find information about the most common reasons why drivers and delivery people may lose access to their accounts, how to avoid it, and what to do if it happens to you.
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.
- 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 commitment to drivers and delivery people
We’re strongly motivated to keep access to the Uber platform open and to help drivers and delivery people get online when they want to work. Losing account access doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we know it can be frustrating.
It’s our responsibility to ensure that our processes are fair, accurate, and transparent—and that drivers and delivery people trust that we’re doing the right thing. That’s why we’ve developed the following principles to guide us:
Drivers and delivery people should be aware of the behaviours that can put their access at risk.
Drivers and delivery people who have been using the platform for years have built trust with their customers and Uber. Uber may consider time on the platform and number of trips in decisions around access, except for serious incidents.
If any loss of access occurs, Uber will make every effort to be clear, empathetic, and consistent in our communications and specific and transparent about the reasons behind our decision, except where doing so poses a risk to other users.
Outside of the most serious cases, drivers and delivery people should have the ability to request a review of any decision that removes access for more than 7 days and can’t be resolved by the driver or delivery person on their own.
Uber should take a consistent approach to creating, reviewing, and changing account deactivation and review standards.
Our account review process
Human involvement
While data and technology are useful tools for improving the safety and security of the Uber platform, manual reviews will always play a role in helping to make sure drivers and delivery people are treated fairly and that their accounts aren’t affected by fraudulent reports.
Advance notice
Whenever possible, we’ll inform a driver or delivery person 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 for legal or safety reasons.
Opportunity to provide additional information
Drivers and delivery people should have the ability to request a review of an account deactivation and provide additional information to support their case, like audio or video recordings. That’s why we built an in-app Review Center and are continuing to expand it around the world.
Protection from false allegations
We’ve established processes to identify riders and Uber Eats users who abuse our ratings or customer support systems, often with the aim of getting a refund. We work to help ensure that allegations made by these customers aren’t considered in account deactivation decisions.
Why losing access happens
The most common reasons why a driver or delivery person might lose access to their account are an expired document or an issue with their background check.
In the case of an expired document, the driver or delivery person can reinstate their access to their account by uploading a valid document. In other cases, drivers and delivery people should have the ability to request that an account deactivation be reviewed and to provide evidence to support their case. That’s why we built an in-app Review Center and are continuing to expand it around the world.
Losing access, even temporarily, can be disruptive, so we review each report fairly and promptly. If there are steps to take to regain account access, we’ll include them in the message we send to the driver or delivery person.
Learn more below about the reasons why drivers and delivery people may lose account access.
Who not to contact
We understand that you will look at all options when dealing with an account deactivation, but some people simply cannot help you, and you should not contact them.
Do not contact
- ADRIC: Section 15 of your agreement with Uber has an arbitration provision that references the arbitration rules of ADRIC (Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Canada). This is only for lawsuits against Uber. Do not reach out to ADRIC with questions about account access; they cannot help you.
- Reactivation services: Several scams promise to get your Uber account reactivated if you pay a fee. Do not fall for these scams. These individuals often pretend to offer legal advice, but they are not actually registered as lawyers or paralegals. If you do hire a lawyer, always check the provincial law society directory to make sure they’re legitimate. UFCW can help you for free.
- Police stations: Unless Uber, Triton, or ISB tells you that a paper background check is needed to restore access, please do not contact police departments with questions about your Uber account.
- City staff: For rideshare drivers in Canada, only a few cities—Calgary, Niagara Region, Red Deer, and Regina—issue licences to every driver. In all other cities, city staff usually cannot assist rideshare drivers. For delivery people on Uber Eats, local city staff can never help you.
- Background checks
All drivers and delivery people must agree to regular background screenings, which include evaluating their motor vehicle records and criminal history. The exact eligibility criteria depend on where they take trips and are largely based on the laws that apply in their city or province. Here are some general reasons for losing access based on background checks:
- Criminal convictions for serious offences
- 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 30 kmh over the limit or failure to remain at the scene of an accident)
Depending on local applicable regulations, laws, and practices, background checks may include a driver or delivery person’s entire adult history, beginning at the age of 18.
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. Additionally, if you fail to pass your background check through a third-party provider, you may have an opportunity to obtain a detailed criminal background and judicial matters check from your local police station, and upload it through Uber Support for a review.
- Expired documents
Drivers and delivery people must upload all required documents and make sure they’re current and unexpired.
- Safety issues
Failing a Real-Time ID Check
Uber uses Real-Time ID Check to ensure that the person driving or delivering matches the identity of the person who has passed our screening checks. The real-time photo must match their profile photo. In Canada, for compliance and safety reasons, rideshare drivers are not permitted to share their account with or delegate it to anyone else. Delivery people on Uber Eats may opt in to account delegation through a process explained here but may lose account access if they share their account without using the delegation process.
Examples of common missteps with Real-Time ID Check
- Letting someone other than the account owner take the real-time photo 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
Unsafe driving
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.
Impaired or drowsy driving
This includes reports of driving while drowsy or while under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, or over-the-counter or prescription drugs that should not be used while operating a motor vehicle. It also includes reports of having drugs and/or open containers of alcohol in the car.
Altercations and harassment
Exhibiting aggressive, confrontational, or harassing behaviour. This includes:
- Using language, making gestures, or taking actions that could be disrespectful, threatening, or inappropriate
- Sharing graphic images that are sexually explicit or depict physical violence with others in the Uber community, including unsolicited sharing of such images through Uber’s online support systems or in connection with an Uber platform experience
Sexual misconduct or assault
Any kind of sexual harassment, which includes sexual assault and sexual misconduct by anyone—including drivers, delivery people, riders, Uber Eats users, merchants, and third parties—is not allowed while using Uber, and may also be illegal. Sexual assault is physical or attempted physical conduct that is sexual and done without consent, such as 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. Uber’s no-sex rule prohibits sexual contact regardless of whether the driver or delivery person knows the other person or receives their consent.
Use of unapproved vehicles
Only vehicles or other modes of transportation associated with a driver or delivery person’s profile, and that meet their city’s minimum requirements, are acceptable.
Examples of common missteps related to unapproved vehicles
- Not providing updated vehicle information to Uber
- Using a vehicle to complete delivery trips if signed up to deliver while biking or walking
Unsafe vehicles
This includes 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. In certain circumstances, we may temporarily suspend your vehicle from the platform until you can provide proof that your vehicle is in safe, roadworthy condition.
- Fraudulent activities
In order for our platform to operate as properly and safely as possible, we rely on everyone who uses the Uber platform to comply with our terms and refrain from fraudulent activities. We’re always working to prevent and detect fraud that affects everyone who uses Uber.
Uber relies on automated and manual systems, including reviews by fraud specialists, to detect fraudulent activity that violates our terms and conditions. In some cases, such activity may result in deactivation of a user’s account.
Fraudulent activities that may result in account deactivation include but are not limited to:
- Deliberately increasing the time or distance of a trip or delivery
- Accepting trip or delivery requests without the intention to complete them, including causing users to cancel
- Creating duplicate accounts or multiple accounts for yourself
- Creating fake, duplicate, or otherwise improper accounts
- Claiming unwarranted fees or charges, like false cleaning fees
- Intentionally requesting, accepting, or completing fraudulent or falsified trips or deliveries
- Claiming to complete a delivery without ever picking up the delivery item
- Picking up a delivery item but retaining all or a portion of the item, and not delivering the entire order
- Disrupting or manipulating the normal functioning of the Uber platform, including the use of unauthorized or manipulated devices, apps, or programs to prevent or circumvent the proper functioning of the platform and the GPS system
- Abusing any program, such as promotions or referrals, or not using them for their intended purpose
- Disputing charges for fraudulent or illegitimate reasons Falsifying documentation
Document standards
Altered or false documents are not allowed. Also, to be able to review the documents, we need a clear, readable, and complete image.
Examples of common missteps related to document standards
- Submitting photocopies, scanned documents, or photos of photos, rather than original documents
- Physically or digitally altering documents (such as cross-outs/white-outs, unnecessary handwriting, and other alterations)
- Submitting phone screenshots of documents
- Submitting a document that is not entirely visible and clear
Identity fraud
This includes a driver or delivery person falsifying information, assuming someone else’s identity, sharing an account with someone else, submitting personal documents that don’t belong to them, or attempting to bypass identity verification checks.
Examples of common missteps related to identity fraud
- Not ensuring that full legal name, date of birth, identification number, 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
- Sharing their account with someone else (unless they have successfully opted in to the Uber Eats Canada delegation option)
- Uploading a profile picture that does not match the driver or delivery person
Duplicate accounts
Creating duplicate accounts for the same person is not allowed and will trigger Uber’s fraud-monitoring processes. If a driver or delivery person has an issue signing into their account or using the platform, they should contact Support rather than create a duplicate account. If duplicate accounts are created, Uber’s fraud-monitoring processes may block all the accounts, including the original one.
Financial fraud
Fraudulent financial activity includes, but is not limited to, improperly increasing 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 missteps related to financial fraud
- Not providing clear photos, the receipt from a cleaning, or accurate trip details when submitting a cleaning fee claim
- Causing riders to cancel a trip
- Increasing the time or distance of a trip
- Submitting false claims for fees or refunds, or abusing offers and promotions
- Cooperating 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 or refusing service
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 trips for riders because of their service animals, wheelchairs, or other assistive devices
Examples of common missteps related to discrimination
- Canadian laws prohibit drivers using Uber’s Driver app from discriminating against riders with service animals, including by denying them service. For this reason, and because it’s the right thing to do, Uber’s policy also prohibits drivers who use Uber’s Driver app from denying service to a rider because of the rider’s service animal. More information can be found in the Service Animal and Assistive Devices Policy (Canada).
- 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 comments about someone’s personal characteristics, such as race, colour, disability, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, age, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
- Ratings
Resources for delivery people
Canadian delivery person ratings are calculated based on the last 100 ratings received from people placing orders on Uber Eats and from merchants. A driver or delivery person can lose access to part or all of the Uber platform for ratings that are below the minimum average rating in their city, starting after the first 15 ratings received for delivery trips. If their rating is approaching the minimum limit, we’ll let them know and may share information that may help them improve their rating from users, customers, or merchants.
How delivery people can avoid low ratings from merchants and customers
Resources for rideshare drivers Canadian driver ratings are an average of the last 500 ratings from riders. We understand that there are things out of a driver's control that may affect their rating. We’ve put in place a system to exclude ratings provided by overly negative or biased riders, and ratings with feedback that are beyond a driver’s control.
How drivers can avoid low ratings from riders
How drivers may be able to regain access to giving rides by taking a course
- Time-on-trip delays or inefficient routing
A driver or delivery person can lose account access if their account displays an unusual pattern of taking significantly longer than expected to complete a trip. Uber understands that unpredictable circumstances arise. But intentionally taking a very long time to complete a delivery or rideshare trip causes unreasonable disruption to the Uber marketplace platform, indicates a lack of intention to actually perform the work accepted on the platform, and can indicate fraud.
Delivery time-on-trip delays
This includes a pattern of frequent delayed trips with the goal of boosting earnings, and taking much longer than expected according to GPS estimates and the duration of other similar deliveries. Delays in marking an order as “Delivered” after dropoff for illegitimate reasons may also be considered fraud.
Rideshare inefficient routing
This includes taking an unreasonably inefficient or indirect route with the goal of boosting earnings by extending the time and distance to complete the trip. Drivers are not required to use the Uber app navigation, and may use their own preferred navigation app or rely on their own city knowledge. But when a driver agrees to transport a rider, the rider expects the route to be reasonably efficient. Riders can provide feedback that the chosen route was unnecessarily long.
This can also include accepting a trip request, then taking steps to get the rider to cancel the request, for example by deliberately not moving towards the pickup location, with the goal of getting a cancellation fee or other benefit.
Minimum earnings gaming
In some cities, legislation requires a minimum wage to be paid for on-trip time. If a driver or delivery person regularly takes an unexpectedly long time to complete trips, this can indicate intent to artificially boost their time-based earnings. This can result in a loss of account access.
- Additional information for delivery people
A few reasons for deactivation apply only to delivery people, including those listed below.
Cancellation abuse
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 after acceptance is considered fraud.
Examples of common missteps related to cancellation abuse
- Failing to complete a delivery after picking up the order, and not returning the item. If a delivery person is unable to complete the delivery due to issues that arise (such as a flat tire), they can contact Support for help.
Food theft
If a delivery person marks trips complete without having made a delivery or cancels trips after picking up the food and before completing the trip to the dropoff location, this is considered to be suspected food theft.
Examples of common missteps related to food theft
- Marking a trip as “Delivered” without reaching the customer’s location and delivering the order
- Cancelling a trip before starting the delivery to the dropoff location without leaving the order at the restaurant for the next delivery person to pick up
Time-on-trip fraud
This includes a pattern of frequent delayed trips with the goal of boosting earnings, where trips take much longer than expected according to GPS estimates and the duration of other deliveries in the delivery person's city. Delays in marking an order as “Delivered” after dropoff for illegitimate reasons may also be considered fraud.
Examples of common missteps related to time-on-trip fraud
- Accepting delivery requests before being ready to leave for the restaurant.
- Marking the order as “Delivered” in the Driver app well after the delivery person has delivered the food. If they encounter app issues, they can call Support to end the delivery for them.
- Community Guidelines for other Uber users
This page outlines the common reasons why drivers and delivery people may lose access to their account. All users of the platform (including riders, Uber Eats users, and merchants) can lose access for similar reasons. Please go to our Community Guidelines for more information on account access loss for all users.
Policy violations: This page outlines common reasons for losing account access, but if a driver or delivery person violates any terms of their contractual agreement with Uber, or any applicable terms or policies, including the Community Guidelines, they can lose access to all or part of the Uber platform. We reserve the right to deduct, compensate, or recover damages related to misuse of the platform from any amount that the driver or delivery person may have to receive, besides taking the appropriate legal actions. Examples of amounts that may be deducted, compensated, or charged, if improper behaviour is suspected, include, but are not limited to, fees, promotions, referral values, promotional codes, trip prices, trip adjustment prices, cancellation fees, promotional trip prices, and miscellaneous payments.
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