DoorDash, Inc.
Merchant Controls for Preparation Times

Abstract:

Techniques to enable a merchant to control preparation times for items that are offered by the merchant are described herein. In some examples, a merchant may indicate a status of demand in preparing orders. For instance, the merchant may indicate that the merchant is associated with more than a threshold amount of preparation activity. When the merchant indicates an increased demand, a preparation time for items that are offered by the merchant may be extended by an amount of time. This extended preparation time may be used to inform customers of delivery times for orders that are being placed or have been placed with the merchant. Additionally, or alternatively, this extended preparation time may be used to inform couriers of pickup times of the items from the merchant for delivery to customers. The extended preparation time may additionally, or alternatively, be used for other purposes.