Can my I use either DoorDash or Uber Eats for Catering Delivery with Toast Delivery Services® (TDS)?
Yes. You can select whichever provider you would like to use, but you must use the same provider for both Toast Online Ordering and Toast Catering Online Ordering.
Can I use TDS for catering only, but not for my online ordering? Do I need Online Ordering to use it?
No, you can't use TDS for catering only. If you use TDS, it must be enabled for both Toast Catering Online Ordering and Toast Online Ordering.
To use TDS with Catering Delivery, you need a Digital Storefront subscription (which includes Online Ordering). You don't have to actively use Online Ordering, but it must be enabled on the account. The only exception is if you're not using Toast Online Ordering in your restaurant at all — even then, it still needs to be enabled on your account.
How is TDS for catering different from TDS for online ordering?
TDS for Catering is the same as TDS for Online Ordering. It uses the same drivers, same fees, and same delivery zones.
Note on dispatch timing: Toast delays dispatching catering deliveries until 4 hours before the due time to prevent cancellations when orders shift. Inside that 4-hour window, the driver is assigned right away.
What is not included for TDS Catering Online Ordering?
White glove service is not included in TDS for catering. White glove service includes set up and breakdown, deliveries requiring a larger vehicle or special handling, and catering buffet orders that require warming.
Can you guarantee that these will be catering delivery drivers who are prepared for large orders and will handle them with care?
As of May 2026, DoorDash and Uber Eats will only dispatch drivers with a car registered to their driver account for orders placed through a Catering source (the Catering module or Catering Online Ordering) — so all TDS catering orders will be assigned a driver with a car. Neither platform can guarantee the driver has catering-specific gear (carts, insulated bags, etc.) or catering delivery experience.
Can I use TDS for smaller catering orders, but handle larger or more complex ones myself or through another partner?
Yes. TDS Dispatch gives you control over your catering deliveries. You can choose which orders are dispatched to TDS, then manually assign the remaining orders for self-delivery or through a third-party service. This works for manual orders placed within Catering and Events, and also applies to Catering Online Orders provided Catering Online Ordering is configured for self-management rather than defaulting all orders to TDS.
Can I dispatch TDS catering deliveries from the POS?
No. Catering deliveries should always be dispatched from the Catering module, not from the POS.
Within the Catering module, navigate to the order, then Order details, and select Dispatch TDS Driver. The following must be in place to dispatch a driver:
The Toast Delivery Services® dining option is live and configured
The catering order date is in the future
The order is paid
The order has an address within 10 miles of the location.
When dispatched from Catering, Toast automatically adjusts the due time based on travel. For example, if a guest requests a 5:30pm delivery and travel time is 13 minutes, Toast sets the due time to 5:17pm. If you update or dispatch from the POS, these adjustments won't happen — you may see errors like "time of your order changed after dispatch," and it may be unclear when the driver will arrive.
Does Toast email the restaurant when a TDS delivery has a problem?
Only for catering TDS orders. When a scheduled dispatch hits an actual error, permanent failure, or validation cancellation, Toast emails the recipients configured on the catering order type. The Online Ordering / Kitchen TDS path never emails — it only shows a Dispatch Failure status on the Orders/Delivery screen.
Where do I configure who gets the TDS alert emails?
On the catering order type — not globally and not per-order-form. Go to Order Types > select the relevant order type > notification settings, and enable the toggle described as Catering online order is placed or TDS order needs attention or TDS order needs attention. Only the recipients listed there will receive TDS alert emails. If no recipients are configured, the alert has nowhere to go and no one is notified.
When does the dispatch actually run?
Once Dispatch Driver is enabled and TDS terms are accepted, Toast schedules dispatch to run roughly 4 hours before the delivery/pickup time. Email decisions happen at that moment — not when the order is created. On failure, Toast retries about every five minutes until it succeeds or it's too late to get a driver.
What are the possible TDS emails and when does each fire?
There are four, all sharing the subject "TDS Alert for Catering Order #___" so they chain into one thread:
Dispatch failed — will retry (first failed attempt)
Dispatch failed permanently — too late (retries ran out of time; terminal)
Dispatch canceled — validation failure (bad or missing order/event data blocks dispatch)
Dispatch succeeded (only sent if a retry succeeds after a prior failure).
The guest is never notified — only the restaurant.
Why didn't we get any notification when a driver never showed up?
Emails only fire on an actual dispatch error detected by the scheduler. If dispatch was never attempted, there's no error and no email.
Common causes: the order was manually closed on the POS before dispatch, dispatch was never intended or was canceled by a user, TDS was disabled, the event date changed, the order was already processed, or no recipients were configured. A clean first-try success also sends nothing.
Does a successful dispatch always send an email?
No. A clean first-try dispatch sends nothing. The "Dispatch succeeded" email only goes out to close the loop after a prior failure alert.