Proof of delivery photo — what to include
A drop-off photo has to answer one question: was this order left at this address? That means the package and the door or house number in the same frame, sharp and lit. DoorDash says so in writing — a photo of "just the food, your red bag, a receipt, or just the building" does not count.
If you're an online seller, the rules are different: marketplaces and card networks decide "item not received" cases on carrier tracking and, above certain values, a signature — not on photos you took yourself.
For delivery drivers: what each platform asks for
| Platform | When a photo is needed | What it must show |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | Required for "Leave it at my door" orders; not submitting photos "may lead to deactivation" | "Both the food and the location you left it in (house number/door)": the door, the house or apartment number if there is one, the food, a clear drop-off spot. Clear and well lit; flash at night is fine. Not acceptable: just the food, the bag, a receipt or the building. |
| Uber Eats | Leave-at-door orders | The order "left in a safe place," with "no people in the photo." Uber tells couriers to keep a copy for 60 days. |
| Instacart | When the customer can't be reached on eligible orders, after a 10-minute wait, the app requires a photo of where the order was left | Where the order was left. The photo, location and delivery time are shared with the customer. |
| Walmart Spark | No-contact deliveries (described as guidance) | The surrounding area, such as the home or apartment number, plus the company logo or order sticker. "No visible customer faces or pets." Never go inside a home. |
| Amazon Flex | Amazon's help pages say it "may take a Photo on Delivery" | Where the package was left. Amazon shows drivers a past photo of the ideal spot and has said it plans to check new photos against earlier deliveries to the same address. |
| Roadie | Take a photo and mark where the items were left; some gigs require a signature | No detailed public standard found. |
Why the photo matters to your account
On DoorDash, a "Never Delivered" report means an order was marked complete but the customer says it never arrived. DoorDash says one violation isn't grounds for deactivation, but multiple or severe violations can be, and it reviews the details of each case. Your photo is the main detail you control. Platforms also check photos against fraud: in early 2026 DoorDash said it banned a driver who appeared to have submitted an AI-generated photo of a customer's door.
A drop-off photo that holds up
- Package and number together. Step back until both the order and the house or unit number are in one frame. If the number is on a mailbox or the curb, take a second photo that shows it.
- Show the label or order sticker when you can — it ties the package to this order.
- Show where it is. Doormat, door, gate, lobby shelf — whatever someone looking for it needs to see.
- Light it. Use flash at night. A dark photo is a useless photo.
- No people, no inside of the home. Uber and Spark say so explicitly.
- Take it in the app, at the door. The app records the time and your location with the photo; that's the record the platform trusts.
- Keep your own copy if the app lets you save it. Uber suggests 60 days. If you ever have to send it to support, send it as a file — screenshots and messaging apps can drop the date and location stored inside the photo (what survives each channel).
For online sellers: "item not received"
Here a photo of the package on your table proves only that you had it. What the platforms and card networks look at:
- eBay: tracking from an eBay-integrated carrier showing the ship date, delivery date and delivery address, uploaded within 3 business days of the request being opened. For orders of $750 or more (items, shipping and tax), signature confirmation is required too.
- Etsy Purchase Protection: the order needs valid tracking or an Etsy label and must ship within your stated processing time. Etsy covers up to $250 of a refund and suggests insurance above that.
- Card chargebacks (Visa 13.1, Mastercard 4855): Stripe recommends tracking details, carrier confirmation or signed delivery receipts, plus customer messages and the delivery policy accepted at checkout. Square asks for tracking showing "Delivered" to the full address and a signature if one was requested; it lists a photo of the package at the delivery location as optional support, with "signed proof of delivery or other documentation proving receipt" as the primary requirement.
- Carrier photos: FedEx Picture Proof of Delivery is free for US and Canadian residential parcels and shows where the package was left. UPS My Choice offers delivery photos in tracking. USPS was only field-testing photo proof of delivery in a few cities as of early 2026.
Where your own photos still help: a photo of the packed item and the sealed box with the label visible, taken before drop-off, supports "I shipped what I sold" in a "not as described" or "empty box" dispute. Put the date on it and keep the original file. For anything valuable, buy the signature — it's the strongest evidence you can have.
For independent couriers
If you deliver for your own clients, you set the standard — so set it the way the platforms do: one photo per stop with the package and the address in frame, time and location recorded, and the set handed to the client as one report rather than a string of texts. When a client disputes a delivery weeks later, a dated, located record of every stop on that run is the clearest answer.