Dubai has issued new guidelines for online food delivery companies to minimize hidden fees, promote transparency, safeguard customers, and raise industry standards.
The Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT) released new guidelines on Tuesday requiring online meal delivery providers to explicitly disclose all delivery and service prices, as well as prohibiting "hidden" surcharges.
The DCCPFT, which is part of Dubai Economy and Tourism, issued the framework to ensure that online food delivery companies maintain good business standards, be transparent and fair on their platforms, and attract additional investment in the online meal delivery sector.
The general transparency standards are as follows:
- Food delivery platforms must utilize simple, easy-to-understand language.
- Platforms must prominently display any disclosures that are easily visible.
- Disclosures must be provided consistently across all platform versions (web, mobile apps, tablets) and operating systems (iOS, Android).
- Information cannot be hidden or left out, as this can influence the customer's decisions.
The DET guidelines require delivery platforms to clearly disclose all fees and commissions to customers, ensuring no ambiguity. Before checkout, apps must show a detailed cost breakdown, including food price, delivery fee (with location-based variation if applicable), service/convenience fees, and taxes. Hidden charges after payment are prohibited, and any undisclosed surcharges or price changes may violate the rules. The term “exclusive” must be factual, clear, and not misleading, with platform-only deals clearly labeled. Subscription models must not shift costs to restaurants through indirect methods like inflated commissions or hidden delivery fees.
