Welcome to Japan! If you’re looking for a flexible way to earn money while exploring your city, becoming an Uber Eats delivery partner can be an excellent opportunity. However, like any role, it comes with its own set of rules and responsibilities. This guide is designed for prospective foreign delivery partners in Japan to help you understand one of the most critical aspects of the platform: the cancellation policy.
Understanding Your Role: The Independent Contractor Model
First and foremost, it’s crucial to understand your relationship with Uber Eats. When you sign up, you do so as an independent contractor. This is a key distinction from being an employee. The Uber Technology Services Agreement explicitly states that there is no employment relationship between you and Uber Eats Japan.
This status grants you significant freedom:
- You are your own boss: You decide when, where, and for how long you want to deliver.
- Freedom of choice: You can accept or reject any delivery request that comes your way.
- No exclusivity: You are free to work with other delivery platforms, even at the same time you are using the Uber app (a practice known as ‘multi-apping’).
However, this freedom is balanced by the responsibility to adhere to the platform’s guidelines to ensure a smooth, reliable, and safe experience for restaurants and customers. The cancellation policy is a cornerstone of these guidelines.
The Cancellation Policy: Key Principles
As an independent contractor, you have the right to cancel an allocated booking. However, Uber’s policy is designed to prevent misuse of this flexibility, which could negatively impact the marketplace. The core idea is to differentiate between occasional, necessary cancellations and patterns of behavior that suggest manipulation or poor service.
Managing Your Cancellation Rate
Uber tracks your cancellations. Your cancellation rate is calculated as the total number of cancelled trips divided by the total number of trips you accept. While an occasional cancellation is understandable, a consistently high rate can trigger warnings.
According to Uber’s policy, “If your cancellation rate gets much higher than the average for your city, you’ll receive a notification. If your cancellation rate continues to be high after multiple notifications, your delivery account may be deactivated.”
This means it’s vital to keep your cancellation rate in check to maintain a healthy account status.
Prohibited Cancellation Behaviors: What to Avoid
Uber is very specific about what it considers a breach of its Services Agreement. These actions can lead to warnings or account deactivation. According to Uber’s official cancellation policy, you should never cancel a trip for the following reasons:
- Destination-based refusal: Cancelling after finding out the customer’s destination. This includes calling the customer to ask for their destination before you arrive at the pickup location.
- Fare-based refusal: Refusing a trip because of the fare multiple applied by dynamic pricing.
- Discrimination: Cancelling for any reason that violates discrimination laws, such as a customer’s disability, gender, race, or sexuality. This explicitly includes refusing to accept guide dogs or other service animals.
- Systematic cancellations: Persistently and systematically cancelling trips, which can be interpreted as an attempt to manipulate the system. Recently, there have been reports of some drivers in Japan rejecting multiple orders in hopes of getting a high-paying “whale” order, a practice that could be flagged as systematic cancellation.
Account Deactivation: The Ultimate Consequence
Losing access to your account is the most serious outcome of policy violations. Uber retains the right to deactivate or restrict access for violations of the Services Agreement or Community Guidelines. This can happen for various reasons, including safety issues, harassment, fraud, or consistently high cancellation rates.
The process is not always transparent, which has become a point of contention for gig workers globally.
A Landmark Case in Japan
The issue of account deactivation gained significant attention in Japan in 2025. Two delivery couriers sued Uber Eats Japan after their accounts were suspended in 2022 without clear justification. One of the couriers relied on Uber Eats as his primary source of income. In May 2025, it was announced that Uber Eats had reached a settlement with the couriers, agreeing to pay an undisclosed sum. According to their lawyer, “It is significant that we have made it clear that unjustified account deactivation is unacceptable.”
This case, reported by outlets like The Asahi Shimbun, is believed to be the first time Uber Eats has compensated couriers in Japan over such a suspension. It highlights the growing scrutiny on platform companies to provide more transparency and fairness in their deactivation processes.
The Rise of Worker Protections in Japan
The legal landscape for freelance and gig economy workers in Japan is evolving. In a significant development, the Japanese government passed the Act on Improvement of Transactions between Freelancers and Undertakings (the “Freelancers Act”😉, which took effect on November 1, 2024.
As reported by legal experts, this act introduces new protections for workers like Uber Eats partners . Key provisions include:
- The requirement for businesses to provide written contracts clearly defining the terms.
- Ensuring payment is made within 60 days.
- Prohibiting businesses from unjustly altering contract terms.
This law marks a crucial step toward providing freelancers with more stability and bargaining power, addressing some of the vulnerabilities inherent in the gig economy.
Best Practices for Delivery Partners
To succeed on the Uber Eats platform and avoid issues with cancellations or your account, follow these best practices:
- Go Offline When Unavailable: This is Uber’s number one recommendation. If you cannot or do not want to accept trips, simply go offline in the app. This prevents requests from being sent to you, so you won’t have to decline or cancel them, protecting your rates.
- Check Your Vehicle Registration: Ensure your delivery vehicle is correctly registered in the app. Uber Eats Japan has a strict policy against using “;Specified small motorized bicycles” for deliveries. Using an unapproved vehicle can lead to account suspension.
- Maintain Professionalism: Adhere to the Community Guidelines. Be courteous to restaurant staff and customers. High ratings (thumbs up) can lead to a better experience for everyone.
- Fulfill Accepted Orders: Once you accept an order, make a commitment to complete it unless there’s a legitimate, unavoidable reason to cancel. Avoid the prohibited behaviors listed above at all costs.
- Verify Your Documents: As a foreign national, you must have a valid status of residence that permits work as a delivery partner. You will also need to have your ID and residence card physically checked at a Compliance Center to activate your account.
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Being an Uber Eats delivery partner in Japan offers a unique blend of freedom, flexibility, and the chance to earn. By understanding your responsibilities, especially regarding the cancellation policy, you can set yourself up for a successful and rewarding experience.
If you’ve read through these guidelines, understand the commitment, and are excited about the opportunity to be your own boss, the next step is to sign up. Use the link below to begin your application.
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