DoorDash for Nightcap Merchants

8 min read

Overview

The DoorDash integration for Nightcap connects your Nightcap Delivery platform directly to DoorDash Marketplace, so local customers can discover your store and order alcohol and other eligible items for same-day delivery. Nightcap automatically syncs your store's inventory and pricing with DoorDash, keeping your online menu up to date — and merchants receive and manage DoorDash orders directly within Nightcap, from the Nightcap POS, Delivery Platform, or Mobile App.

Before You Begin

Prerequisites

Before connecting DoorDash, make sure the following are in place:

Location Configured — your Nightcap location is fully configured.
Product Catalog Built — your product catalog has been built in Nightcap. Activation begins once your catalog meets the onboarding requirements.
Permissions — your Nightcap role includes the Manage Delivery Orders permission (Store Owners and Administrators have this access by default).
DoorDash Business Admin Email — you're signed in with your DoorDash Business Admin emailwhen starting the integration.

Note
Activation begins once your catalog meets the onboarding requirements outlined above.

Connect Your Nightcap Store to DoorDash

Follow this step-by-step guide to enable the integration in Nightcap Delivery, then complete setup in the DoorDash Merchant Portal.

Open Nightcap Settings

Sign in to Nightcap Delivery using your DoorDash Business Admin email, then navigate to Settings →
Delivery Apps → DoorDash.

Start Onboarding

Click the Integrate with DoorDash button (shown in-product as "Switch to direct DoorDash").

Complete the DoorDash Onboarding Flow

Success Notification

A confirmation window will appear explaining that your current surcharge and pricing settings will carry over during the transition. Select Continue to proceed with the DoorDash onboarding process.

DoorDash Onboarding Page

A DoorDash-hosted onboarding page will open. What you need to do next depends on whether your store is new to DoorDash or already has a DoorDash Marketplace presence. Please follow the appropriate steps applicable to your store (Option 1 or 2 below).

Complete Setup in the DoorDash Merchant Portal

New to DoorDash?

Create a DoorDash Account. If you already have a DoorDash account, please proceed to Already on DoorDash. If your store is new to DoorDash, you'll land on the Sign up for DoorDash for Merchants page. Fill in the following: First & Last Name, Mobile Number (used for verification), Email address (Merchant Portal login), and Password (10+ characters, 1 upper, 1 lower, 1 symbol). Then click Create account. Alternatively, sign up using Google, Facebook, or Apple.

Select Store Category — DoorDash will ask "What type of products do you sell?" Select the category that best describes your business. For most Nightcap Delivery merchants, this will be Alcohol.

Set Your Store Hours — enter hours for each day of the week. Use the open/close dropdowns, toggle "Apply same store hours to all days" for a single schedule, and check Closed for non- operating days.

Note
Orders stop 20 minutes before closing. Ensure hours match your Nightcap Delivery settings.

Choose a DoorDash Plan — click Next and select the plan that best fits your business goals. All plans include a DoorDash Tablet and 24/7 support. You can change or cancel at any time.

Business Info — enter banking and business details to receive payments: Bank Account (Account # — 5+ digits, Routing # — 9 digits), and Company Details (Legal Name & Type, # of Locations, EIN / Tax ID).

Representative Info — enter details for an individual authorized to represent your organization: Legal Name (exactly as recorded), Personal Address & Email, DOB & SSN (last 4 digits), and business owner status.

Finish Setup — once complete, you'll be directed to the Merchant Portal. Review & check acknowledgments, then click Finish setup.

Already on DoorDash?

Note
Do not complete this step unless you are already selling on DoorDash. Confirm Your Store.

1. Identify Your Store — sign in to DoorDash to see the Store Matching screen. Determine which DoorDash store matches your Nightcap location.

2. Link & Access Portal — click Select store. Once linked, you'll be redirected to your DoorDash Merchant portal.

Step 4 — Monitor Your Onboarding Status

Return to Nightcap Delivery and navigate back to your settings to track progress. Path: Settings →
Delivery Apps → DoorDash. The Onboarding Status tracker updates as DoorDash processes your
store.

Tip
Refresh the page to receive the latest status updates.

Understanding Your Onboarding Progress

Once you've completed the DoorDash integration setup, your store moves through several onboarding stages before it becomes live on DoorDash. While many activations are completed sooner, the full onboarding and activation process can take approximately 3–5 days, depending on catalog validation, account verification, and any issues that may need to be resolved during onboarding.

The onboarding status helps you understand where your store is in the activation process and whether any action is required. See Section 9 (Onboarding Status & Troubleshooting Reference) at the end of this guide for a description of each onboarding status, common blocked/error statuses, and exclusion codes.

Need Assistance?
If your onboarding remains blocked or you need help interpreting a status or exclusion code,
contact your DoorDash representative or the appropriate support team for guidance.

Managing DoorDash Orders

Reviewing Orders

Nightcap offers two views for tracking DoorDash orders:

List View — a sequential list of all active & incoming orders, with full order detail at a glance.

Kanban View — a board-style view for tracking orders across fulfillment stages in real time. When a DoorDash order is received, Nightcap sends a notification to the delivery screen, which updates with live order information in real time.

Tip
Switch between List View or Kanban View depending on your preferred workflow.

Managing Order Changes

From an order's detail view, you can add, replace, and remove items, increase or decrease item quantities, mark orders as Out for Delivery, and print pick lists or packing receipts.

Important
Contact the customer before confirming a replacement whenever possible. This helps improve the
customer experience and reduces unexpected substitutions.

Cancel Reasons

When cancelling an order, select the correct removal reason: Busy, Closed, Out of stock, or Other.

Important
Always choose the correct removal reason. Accurate cancellation reasons help improve reporting
and reduce repeat fulfillment issues.

Managing Out-of-Stock Items (AI Assist)

When an item is out of stock during a live DoorDash order, select Replace on the item. Nightcap suggests replacements using AI, with suggestions that consider similar products, customer preferences, historical purchases, and product margins.

Accept Suggestion — AI recommends a replacement based on customer preferences, order history & product margins.
Select Alternative — manually browse and select a different available item to substitute.
Remove the Item — remove the item if no substitute exists. A reason is required, e.g. "Out of Stock."

Select Use This to confirm a suggested replacement — the customer is automatically notified.

Note
Removing an item always requires a reason (it's a required field) — the most common being Out of
Stock.

Managing Inventory & Product Availability

Product Details

Each product record in Nightcap includes: Product information, UPC, Category, Current inventory count, Cost, Margin, and Shelf price.

Enable or Disable Products

Use the Product Enabled toggle to control whether an item appears on DoorDash. You can also view which delivery platforms currently list the item, and enable or disable it from DoorDash directly.

Note
Availability automation may vary depending on your Nightcap configuration.

Automatic Inventory Controls

Automatically remove out-of-stock items.
Automatically re-enable products after inventory is replenished.

Delivery Configuration

Delivery platform settings are managed entirely inside Nightcap, under Settings → Delivery Apps, including:

Delivery hours
Store open/closed status
Platform-specific markups or surcharges
Price rounding
Active delivery integrations

Note
All changes sync to DoorDash automatically — no updates needed in the DoorDash Merchant
Portal.

Taxes & Promotions

Taxes

Taxes are managed by category.
Automatically applied based on business location.
Supports state, county, and local tax requirements.
Applies tax rules across all products within the selected category.

Promotions

Bundle pricing
Buy One Get One (BOGO)
Category discounts
Fixed-price promotions

FAQ & Support

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I view incoming DoorDash orders? Open the Nightcap Delivery screen. New orders appear automatically in real time. Switch between List and Kanban views depending on your workflow.
What happens when an item is out of stock? Select Replace on the order. Nightcap will suggest an AI-based replacement. Select Use This to confirm, or Remove the item if no substitute is available.
Can I manage orders from my phone? Yes. Store staff can view orders, manage replacements, cancel orders, mark orders as Out for Delivery, adjust inventory, and update pricing via the Mobile App.
How do I enable or disable a product? Navigate to Inventory in Nightcap and select the product. Use the Enable or Disable toggle to control whether the item appears on DoorDash.
Where do I configure delivery hours? Go to Settings → Delivery Apps → DoorDash in Nightcap. Set delivery hours, toggle store open/closed, configure markups, and manage price rounding.
How are taxes applied to DoorDash orders? Taxes are managed by product category in Nightcap and automatically applied based on your location, supporting state, county, and local tax requirements.

Nightcap Delivery Support

For Back Office configuration, integration setup, store settings, and order management questions:

General Support & Sales: 866-767-5646
Email Support: info@nightcapos.com

DoorDash Merchant Support

For DoorDash merchant account questions, delivery operations, and DoorDash platform issues, access Help in the DoorDash Merchant Portal.

Note
Inventory, pricing, product availability, and catalog changes should be managed in Nightcap — not
the DoorDash Merchant Portal. Changes automatically sync to DoorDash.

Merchant Readiness Checklist

Use this checklist to confirm everything is in place before going live on DoorDash Marketplace.

Account & Setup

✔️ Nightcap location fully configured

✔️ Product catalog built in Nightcap

✔️ Manage Delivery Orders permission confirmed for your Nightcap role

✔️ Signed in with DoorDash Business Admin email

✔️ DoorDash onboarding flow completed (Option 1: New to DoorDash, or Option 2: Already Live)

Catalog & Inventory

✔️ Product details reviewed (UPC, Category, inventory count, Cost, Margin, Shelf price)

✔️ Products enabled for DoorDash where appropriate

✔️ Automatic inventory controls configured (auto remove / auto re-enable)

Operations

✔️ Delivery hours, store open/closed status, markups & price rounding confirmed under Settings → Delivery Apps

✔️ Tax categories reviewed under Taxes

✔️ Promotions configured, if applicable (Bundle, BOGO, Category discount, Fixed-price)

✔️ Staff trained on List/Kanban order views, item replacement (AI Assist), and cancel reasons

Go Live

✔️ Onboarding Status tracker in Settings → Delivery Apps → DoorDash shows Integration Activated

✔️ First test order placed and fulfilled

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