Chongqing - “We can now block or report abusive customers,” a rider said after picking up a milk tea order at CHAGEE in SKLP, Chongqing, on October 21. “But only two at a time.” He paused briefly before hurrying off to his next delivery.
A Meituan delivery rider heads out after picking up a milk tea order. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
Major Chinese delivery platforms are piloting a new rider evaluation and customer blocking feature across multiple cities, allowing riders to block users who insult or intimidate them. Once blocked, a customer’s orders will not be assigned to that rider for 365 days.
The feature quickly drew attention online. Many users praised the “two-way rating” model as fair, while others expressed concern about possible misuse.
According to QuestMobile, China now has more than 14 million delivery riders. The industry’s rapid growth has long centered on customer satisfaction—strict delivery times, one-sided ratings, and automatic penalties. Riders have traditionally had little recourse against unfair or abusive customers, often choosing silence to avoid losing income or ratings.
For Meituan rider Mr. Yang, who has been delivering for five years, the new feature is a sign of respect. “Before, we couldn’t refuse customers, even unreasonable ones,” he said. “Some people made us take out their trash or gave random bad reviews. Now, we finally have a way to avoid that.”
Yang explained that the feature has limits: riders can block only two users at a time, must provide valid reasons, and can do so only for customers they have actually served. “It’s not something we use casually—it’s a last resort,” he said.
Other riders on social media listed common reasons for blocking customers: false delivery complaints, unreasonable demands, harassment, or malicious ratings. They emphasized that the feature is not used lightly, as every action is logged and reviewed by the platforms.
Similar mutual blacklist systems exist elsewhere. Ride-hailing giant Didi introduced one in 2018, allowing both drivers and passengers to block each other for 12 months. In the U.S., Uber bans passengers for harassment or property damage. Didi also warns that users repeatedly blocked by drivers may experience longer wait times for rides.
The new blocking feature is part of broader reforms addressing long-standing rider grievances, chief among them being harsh overtime fines. These penalties for late deliveries, regardless of cause, have been widely criticized for pushing riders to speed or run red lights.
At an industry meeting in August, a Meituan operations manager announced that all overtime fines would be abolished nationwide by the end of 2025, to be replaced with a points-based “training and reward” system.
Other major players are following suit. JD.com is piloting the policy in 25 cities, including Shenzhen and Wuhan. Ele.me has launched its own service score model, replacing fines with performance-based points.
According to the China Instant Delivery Safety White Paper, overtime fines account for 7–15 percent of riders’ monthly income losses.
Rider Mr. Wang from Changsha, Hunan Province, who has three years of experience, said the change was meaningful. “Delays often happen because of traffic or restaurant queues—things we can’t control. Before, every minute late meant losing money. Now, we lose points but can earn them back by being on time next time.”
A JD.com spokesperson described the shift as part of the company’s more human-centered management approach to improve both safety and service.
In September, the State Administration for Market Regulation released a draft regulation—Basic Requirements for Food Delivery Platform Services—requiring platforms to ensure fair pay, reasonable working hours, and social insurance coverage for riders.
By October, Meituan’s no-fine system had reached 100 cities, with nationwide rollout expected by year’s end. Ele.me and JD.com are expanding their pilot programs on similar timelines.