If you ordered food through Caviar between 2012 and 2015, you may be eligible to claim a portion of a $2.2 million settlement that resolved a lawsuit over deceptive gratuity charges. Additionally, if you placed orders through Caviar in Chicago, you might qualify for compensation from an $18 million settlement that addressed hidden fees and inflated menu prices. These settlements represent the primary opportunities for diners to recover money from the company’s past billing practices, though claims windows and eligibility criteria vary depending on which settlement applies to your situation.
This article explains what settlements are available, how they were triggered, what you might be owed, and what steps you should take to protect your rights. Caviar, which was eventually acquired and shut down by DoorDash, faced multiple legal challenges over its pricing and fee practices. The most significant settlements for individual diners stem from two separate actions: one federal class action focusing on undisclosed gratuity withholding, and one brought by the City of Chicago addressing systematic deceptive pricing tactics. For anyone who used Caviar’s service during the affected time periods, understanding these settlements is important because claim deadlines may apply and opportunities to recover money are often limited.
Table of Contents
- What Was the Caviar Gratuity Fee Deception and Settlement?
- The Chicago Deceptive Pricing Settlement Details
- Who Was Affected by These Settlements and Deceptive Practices?
- How to Determine Eligibility and File a Claim
- Important Deadlines, Claim Windows, and What You Risk Missing
- Caviar’s Service Closure and What It Means for Future Claims
- Pending Litigation and Future Recovery Opportunities
What Was the Caviar Gratuity Fee Deception and Settlement?
Between January 2012 and August 2015, Caviar charged customers an 18% “gratuity fee” at checkout. The company labeled this charge as a tip that would go to delivery drivers, but it did not actually distribute the money collected to the people who delivered the food. Instead, Caviar kept the funds as company revenue. This practice violated consumer protection laws because customers were deceived about where their money was going—they believed they were tipping their driver, when in reality the company was collecting what amounted to an additional service charge. In 2018, Caviar agreed to settle this lawsuit for $2.2 million.
The settlement covered approximately 93,000 class members, resulting in an estimated payout of around $15.28 per qualifying customer. The settlement required Caviar to admit no wrongdoing but did compensate customers who were affected by the undisclosed gratuity withholding. The relatively modest per-person amount reflects the nature of class action settlements, where large groups of people receive smaller individual payouts from a fixed settlement fund. To qualify for this settlement, you needed to have placed at least one order through Caviar’s platform during the class period (January 20, 2012 – August 21, 2015) and paid the 18% gratuity fee. However, this settlement is now years old, and claim deadlines have likely passed. If you believe you were affected but did not file a claim during the open window, you should check the settlement administrator’s website for any remaining options or late-claim procedures.
The Chicago Deceptive Pricing Settlement Details
A more recent legal action brought by the City of Chicago resulted in an $18 million settlement with doordash and Caviar combined, addressing a broader range of pricing deceptions. This settlement focused on hidden fees, menu price inflation, and “bait-and-switch” tactics that affected Chicago consumers. Caviar’s specific deceptive practices included advertising low delivery fees upfront to attract customers, then adding substantial hidden service fees when users reached the checkout screen. The settlement also addressed the practice of imposing a “Chicago Fee” on all orders without clearly disclosing what the fee covered or why it was being charged.
Additionally, Caviar and DoorDash posted inflated menu prices on their platforms without informing consumers that restaurant prices were marked up compared to in-store pricing. The settlement further alleged that the companies used customer tips to offset their own operational costs rather than keeping the charges separate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lawsuit claimed these companies took advantage of restaurants’ desperation for delivery orders by imposing even more aggressive fee structures. The $18 million settlement addressed these systemic practices, though the allocation between DoorDash and Caviar customers and the specific per-person amounts have been determined through the settlement process. If you placed orders through Caviar in Chicago during the affected period, you should verify your eligibility and any remaining claim deadlines with the settlement administrator.
Who Was Affected by These Settlements and Deceptive Practices?
The gratuity fee settlement affected any Caviar customer who placed orders between early 2012 and mid-2015, nationwide. If you used the app during that window and saw an 18% gratuity charge, you were part of the potential class. The scale was significant—93,000 class members suggests Caviar had substantial customer volume during that period, making this one of many small overcharges that affected a large population. The Chicago deceptive pricing settlement, by contrast, was geographically limited to Chicago but potentially affected a larger dollar amount per transaction.
If you ordered food in Chicago through Caviar during the period when hidden fees and inflated menu prices were in effect, you were affected by these practices. The per-order impact was likely more substantial than the 18% gratuity fee in many cases, since hidden service fees could add $3 to $8 or more to an order depending on delivery distance and restaurant selection. A critical distinction between the two settlements is that they address different deceptive practices and may have different claim windows and procedures. If you lived in Chicago and used Caviar during both periods, you might technically be eligible for both settlements, though the mechanisms for claiming would be separate.
How to Determine Eligibility and File a Claim
To determine your eligibility for either settlement, you need to have documentation that you placed orders through Caviar during the specified time periods. For the gratuity settlement, records from 2012–2015 would be helpful. For the Chicago settlement, records from the time when hidden fees and inflated pricing were in effect are relevant. However, since Caviar no longer operates and was shut down after its acquisition by DoorDash, you will not be able to log into the Caviar app to retrieve your order history. Your best option is to check with the settlement administrator for each case. The settlement administrator maintains claim forms and processes for eligible customers and can verify eligibility based on information you provide, such as your name, email address, or approximate order dates.
If you have credit card statements showing charges to Caviar, those can serve as corroborating evidence. The administrator’s website will have instructions on how to submit a claim, whether online or by mail, and what documentation is required. One important limitation: both settlements have passed their initial claim deadlines. However, many settlements offer extended claim periods or late-claim procedures for people who did not file during the initial window. You should contact the settlement administrator immediately to determine if you can still file. Missing the deadline may result in forfeiture of your claim, so acting quickly is essential.
Important Deadlines, Claim Windows, and What You Risk Missing
Settlement claim deadlines are strictly enforced by the courts, and once they pass, there is typically no way to recover funds from that settlement. For the 2018 gratuity settlement, the initial claim deadline has long since passed—that settlement was finalized years ago. However, you should verify by searching for “Caviar gratuity settlement claim” or checking with the settlement administrator to see if a limited late-claim procedure is still available. The Chicago deceptive pricing settlement may be more recent, depending on when the settlement was finalized.
You should search for details on the City of Chicago attorney general’s website or contact them directly to learn about current claim deadlines. If a deadline has passed but you have a legitimate reason for missing it—such as lack of notice—you may be able to petition the court for a late claim, though approval is not guaranteed. Another critical point: if you fail to file a claim by the deadline, the unclaimed funds from the settlement pool may be distributed to cy pres recipients (charities or organizations selected by the court) rather than returned to class members. This means that by not claiming, you are not getting a refund—the money simply goes elsewhere. Some class members intentionally skip claiming because the per-person amount is small, but given that the gratuity settlement was only $15.28 per person and the Chicago settlement amounts varied, even modest claims are worth pursuing if the claim process is straightforward.
Caviar’s Service Closure and What It Means for Future Claims
Caviar no longer operates as an independent service. DoorDash acquired Caviar and subsequently shut down the platform, migrating some of its customer base to DoorDash’s main app. This closure has significant implications for diners seeking redress: there is no longer a company actively operating the service, which can complicate attempts to file complaints or seek additional compensation for new grievances.
However, the closure does not affect your ability to claim from the existing settlements. DoorDash acquired Caviar’s assets and liabilities, which means DoorDash is responsible for funding the settled claims from the litigation. The settlements themselves are independent of whether Caviar continues to operate—they are funded from the settlement amount agreed upon before or around the time of the company’s shutdown.
Pending Litigation and Future Recovery Opportunities
In addition to the two main settlements discussed above, there are ongoing legal actions related to Caviar’s business practices. One pending class action lawsuit addresses claims that Caviar withholds funds from partner restaurants and fails to transparently report the amounts being remitted. While this lawsuit does not directly affect diners (it focuses on restaurants as the injured party), the outcome could have indirect implications for the restaurant ecosystem and potentially for future Caviar-related consumer litigation.
The landscape of third-party delivery litigation continues to evolve, with regulators and consumer groups scrutinizing the pricing practices of all major platforms. If you believe you were harmed by Caviar in ways not covered by existing settlements, you may have options to join new litigation if it arises, though new claims would need to fall outside the statute of limitations and the scope of previously settled issues. Monitoring your email for settlement notices and staying informed about class action developments related to food delivery is advisable.