Guide to Australia’s Minimum Standards Order (MSO)
Overview
In the near future (Date to be confirmed), Dashers completing deliveries through DoorDash in Australia will be covered by the Minimum Standards Order (MSO) — a set of nationwide minimum standards for app-based delivery workers. The MSO was applied for by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and is being set by the Fair Work Commission (FWC), Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal. Under the MSO, you will earn at least a minimum “earnings floor” for the time you spend actively working on deliveries, before tips. This is a minimum, so you can still earn more — and you’ll continue to receive 100% of your tips on top.
In plain terms: think of the MSO like a minimum-earnings safety net for app-based delivery. It does not change how you receive or accept offers. It simply guarantees that, across each pay period, your earnings for the time you’re actively working a delivery won’t fall below a set floor — and if they do, DoorDash tops up the difference.
Earnings Floor & Pay Adjustments (Top-Ups): A Deeper Look
How does it work?
You’ll continue to dash and earn per offer. Each week, your earnings are reviewed to ensure your total DoorDash pay meets or exceeds the amount you’re guaranteed under the MSO.
If, at the end of the week, your DoorDash pay is less than the required guaranteed earnings for the Earnings Period, we'll automatically add a DoorDash pay adjustment for the difference. No action is required from you.
If the amount of DoorDash delivery pay you earned is equal to or greater than your guaranteed earnings, your pay will stay the same.
Keep in mind:
You will only receive a pay adjustment if you’re eligible for additional earnings. Your earnings will never be reduced.
Minimum hourly rates by vehicle class
The minimum hourly rate used in the earnings floor depends on the type of vehicle you use to deliver.
START DATE TO BE CONFIRMED – 31 December 2026 (all amounts in AUD):
No vehicle or bicycle (pedal powered) — $31.30 per hour
Electric bicycle or scooter — $31.30 per hour
Combustion motorcycle or scooter — $31.50 per hour
Motor vehicle, up to 1 tonne carrying capacity — $32.00 per hour
1 January 2027 – 31 December 2027 (all amounts in AUD):
No vehicle or bicycle (pedal powered) — $31.80 per hour
Electric bicycle or scooter — $31.80 per hour
Combustion motorcycle or scooter — $32.00 per hour
Motor vehicle, up to 1 tonne carrying capacity — $32.50 per hour
What this looks like
Example 1: a Dasher who earned less than the earnings floor
For example, let’s say you dashed in Australia using an electric bike (rate $31.30 per hour from once the MSO is in effect in the near future - date to be confirmed) and, over an Earnings Period, the following were true:
Your Engaged Time was 40 hours
Your DoorDash pay for the period was $1,180
Plus, you earned $150 in tips
Your earnings floor for the period would be: 40 hours × $31.30 = $1,252.00. Because your DoorDash pay ($1,180) was less than your earnings floor ($1,252.00), you would receive a top-up of $72.00 for the difference — bringing your total earnings to $1,402.00 ($1,180 DoorDash pay + $72.00 top-up + $150 tips).
Example 2: a Dasher who earned more than the earnings floor
Now let’s say that, over the same 40 hours of Engaged Time, your DoorDash pay was higher:
Your Engaged Time was 40 hours
Your DoorDash pay for the period was $1,300
Plus, you earned $160 in tips
Your earnings floor would still be 40 hours × $31.30 = $1,252.00. Because your DoorDash pay ($1,300) was higher than your earnings floor ($1,252.00), you would not receive a top-up. Your total earnings for the period would be $1,460 ($1,300 DoorDash pay + $160 tips).
Keeping you informed
You’ll be able to see details about your earnings, including any top-up, in the Earnings tab in the Dasher app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the MSO in effect now?
A: The MSO will take effect in the near future (Date to be confirmed).
Q: Which deliveries are eligible for minimum earnings?
A: The MSO applies to all delivery work you perform through DoorDash in Australia.
Q: What is the definition of Engaged Time?
A: Engaged Time is the time you spend actively working an offer. It starts the moment you accept an offer and ends when the offer is completed, and it includes any time DoorDash requires for post-cancellation duties (for example, returning an order containing alcohol). Engaged Time is what we use to calculate your earnings floor.
The following does not count as Engaged Time:
Cancelled jobs — time after a customer cancels an order (unless DoorDash directs extra duties, like returning the item to the merchant)
Abandoned work — if you accept and pick up an offer but then abandon it, the time before you abandoned it is not paid
Breakdowns, accidents or events outside DoorDash’s control — time lost to vehicle failure, accidents or similar
Q: How do you calculate Engaged Time for batched orders?
A: Engaged Time includes all the time you are on any delivery, starting from when you accept it. For batched orders, this starts when you accept the first order and ends when you make the last drop-off.
Q: Is there a payment per kilometre?
A: No. The earnings floor is based on hourly rates only — there is no separate per-kilometre component under the MSO.
Q: What are the minimum pay rates?
A: The minimum hourly rate depends on vehicle class, used during engaged time. Please refer to the rates mentioned above in the FAQ's under 'Minimum hourly rates by vehicle class'.
Q: How is my minimum hourly rate decided?
A: Your minimum hourly rate depends on the type of vehicle you use to deliver (see “Minimum hourly rates by vehicle class” above). DoorDash may confirm your vehicle Type or vehicle registration details so the correct rate is applied.
Q: If I’m eligible for a top-up, when will I receive it?
A: You will receive your 1st top-up for the MSO, if eligible, in future weeks after the MSO takes affect. Top-ups are on a weekly basis, following the end of a pay period.
Please note: The MSO Start date will be in the near future, Date to be confirmed.
Q: How will I get paid?
A: You will continue to receive your earnings the same way you do today, whether that’s your regular pay or instantly with Fast Pay (available in Australia). Any top-up is paid on the cadence described above.
Q: Am I still going to receive tips?
A: Yes. As always, you receive 100% of your tips on top of your DoorDash pay. Tips do not count toward your earnings floor.
Q: Do I have to join the Transport Workers Union (TWU)?
A: No. Joining the TWU is entirely your choice. If you do choose to join, you sign up through the union’s own page and can consent to DoorDash deducting union dues of $5.00 per week from your pay and passing them to the union. Dues are only deducted if you opt in - you can also opt to manage your dues separate from your DoorDash pay. To Join the TWU please complete this form here. For more information about the TWU please visit the website here.
Q: What is the Gig Workers’ Information Statement (GWIS)?
A: The GWIS is an official summary of your rights as an app-based delivery worker under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the MSO — including your right to be paid at least the earnings floor for your Engaged Time, your right to challenge an “unfair deactivation” at the FWC (if you’ve worked regularly for at least 6 months and earn below the contractor high-income threshold), and your right to join a union. DoorDash will send it by email and in-app — new Dashers within 7 days of their first offer, and existing Dashers within 7 days of the standards taking effect.
Q: What happens if I am injured while dashing?
A: DoorDash maintains, at its own expense, a personal accident insurance policy that covers Dashers for bodily injury, disability or death resulting from an accident during Engaged Time.
If you are injured and need immediate medical attention, call 000 and, if it is safe to do so, move to a safe place. You can also contact DoorDash’s Trust & Safety team in the Dasher app. For details of what is covered and how to make a claim, see the “DoorDash Australia Group Personal Accident Insurance FAQs” in the Help Centre.
Q: What if I disagree with a decision?
A: Raise it with DoorDash support first - most issues are resolved directly. If a dispute about the MSO is not resolved through DoorDash’s internal dispute or appeal process, either side can take it to the Fair Work Commission (FWC). Deactivation disputes are handled separately under DoorDash’s existing Australian deactivation and appeals process.
