Last Updated: July 10, 2026 | For platform rules, bonuses, and real-time updates, please refer to the official app or announcements.
The most frequently asked question in our group chat lately has been, “After July 21, how much will I actually get paid for this delivery?” The Food Delivery Special Act (Act on the Protection of Food Delivery Workers’ Rights and the Management of Food Delivery Platforms) is set to take effect on July 21, and there are now less than two weeks left. Among these changes, the one most directly related to our daily income is that the “method of calculation” for compensation has been codified into law—it’s no longer solely up to the platform to decide. I’ve summarized the key points I’ve been able to find so far—the ones that seem fairly certain—so everyone can have a clear understanding before the law takes effect.
The most significant change is the shift from a “fixed fee per trip” black box pricing model to a “time-based” system. According to the implementing regulations, delivery service time is calculated in “minutes”; periods under 30 seconds are not counted, and periods of 30 seconds or more are counted as 1 minute. In principle, the time you spend on the road, waiting at red lights, and climbing apartment stairs should all be factored in, rather than just the straight-line distance on the map—this will be particularly noticeable for those who frequently make “short but labor-intensive” trips to older apartment buildings, hospitals, and schools.
Another aspect I find very practical is that protection is now in place for “wasted trips.” In the past, when a customer went offline or canceled upon arrival, the delivery person would often end up working for nothing. Under the new system, as long as the order isn’t completed and the reason isn’t attributable to the delivery rider, the platform’s base compensation must be no less than “1.25 times the minimum wage calculated based on the actual time you spent on the order.” To put it bluntly, the platform can’t leave you with nothing for the time you’ve already spent.
In addition to compensation, the authorities have outlined four key areas of protection: clearer compensation standards, accessible complaint channels, more transparent order allocation, and a formal compensation system. Account suspensions can no longer be imposed arbitrarily; they must meet the criteria of clarity, accountability, fairness, and proportionality. If a platform unlawfully terminates a partnership, financial compensation is provided—half a month’s average earnings for every full year of service, up to a maximum of six months, which the platform must pay within 60 days of contract termination. Taken together, these measures effectively draw a clear line of defense against the past gray areas where “the platform had the final say,” providing a basis for workers to assert their rights.
My view is that this change is a good thing for delivery riders, but there’s still a gap between what’s “written in the law” and what actually ends up in their accounts: how the platform’s system will display these hours, whether the breakdown is clear, and how smoothly the appeals process works in the event of a dispute—we won’t know for sure until after July 21. I recommend that everyone get into the habit of checking their pay breakdown after each trip—if the time or amount doesn’t match, take a screenshot as evidence first, then go through the appeal process. For a more comprehensive look at the impact of these changes, I’ve written about it inThe Article on the Implementation and Impact of the Special Law on Food Delivery ServicesWe've discussed this; I'll also post updates on the progressTakeout News SectionWe will continue to follow this story. For related reports, please seeOriginal Report by Liberty FinanceThe
This article is a general overview. For actual rules and compensation calculations, please refer to the provisions of the Special Act on Food Delivery, announcements from the Ministry of Labor, and the official guidelines of each platform.