SkipTheDishes introduces B.C. fee after province caps food delivery commissions

WINNIPEG — SkipTheDishes is charging customers in B.C. a new fee as the food delivery company pushes back against a provincial order capping its commissions.

The Winnipeg-based company says users of its app in B.C. will be charged 99 cents per order because the company wants to ensure service isn’t impacted while a temporary policy capping commissions on food delivery at 15 per cent is in effect.

The cap is meant to help restaurants cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and food delivery commissions they pay that can be as high as 30 per cent.

The cap and the SkipTheDishes fee will both stick around for three months after B.C.’s ongoing state of emergency is eventually lifted.

SkipTheDishes says this is the first time it has ever implemented a service fee for food orders placed on its app. 

It says the fee will keep its service consistent across the province and ensure Canadians can keep conveniently accessing food they love.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb 4, 2020.

The Canadian Press