What to photograph at hand-off: a 30-second habit for disputes
Most error charges come down to the customer's word against yours. One photo, taken before the bag leaves, is often the only proof you'll have that it left complete. Here's what to get in the shot, and where it counts.
The 30-second habit
- Check the bag against the ticket and initial the ticket.
- Seal the bag, with a sticker or staple if you use one.
- Take one photo with the sealed bag and the ticket both in it, and the order number readable.
- For catering, take one more of the setup once it's laid out, before you leave.
Frame the order number, not the customer: you don't need their name or address in the picture.
Where the photo counts
- Uber Eats says a photo or video is the best way to get a dispute resolved smoothly. Two of the three examples it gives are this habit: a photo of the sealed bag showing the order ID, and a photo of the signed-off ticket showing the order ID. The third is camera footage of the order being made or bagged.
- ezCater's dispute form asks for photos of the order or the setup, along with timestamps from your systems and notes on building access or what the customer said.
- DoorDash decides charges partly on photo evidence, but the photos it means come from the customer. Its dispute form has nowhere to attach yours. Keep it for when you take a charge further.
- Grubhub's policy page doesn't mention sending photos with a dispute. It does take disputes by email, so a photo can go with one there.
How long to keep them
45 days covers every app's window, ezCater's being the longest. An album per week on the store's phone is enough; delete the oldest week as you go.
A camera over the pass works too: Uber Eats accepts footage of the order being made or bagged. Note the order time so you can find the clip.
Sources
Each app's own pages, checked Nov 2026. If a page now says something different, the app's page wins; tell us at hello@getuncomped.com and we'll fix the guide.
Not a law firm · not a substitute for the advice of an attorney · not affiliated with DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub or ezCater
Checked against each app's own pages in Nov 2026. Apps change their rules; if something here no longer matches, email hello@getuncomped.com.