Here’s what it means to serve alcohol safely.
Alcohol deliveries can provide you with an opportunity to boost your earnings by increasing the number of eligible offers you can receive, or open shifts you can pick up.
That said, not all couriers on the SkipTheDishes Network can deliver alcohol. Alcohol delivery is available to certified couriers on the Skip Network in Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
Anyone who delivers alcohol is required to comply with the certification requirements and regulations of their province. If you want to add alcohol delivery capabilities to your courier account, here’s what you need to know.
The Basics
Ontario: be 19 years of age (or older) and hold a valid Smart Serve Ontario Certification.
British Columbia: be 19 years of age (or older) and hold a valid Serving it Right Certification (as of April 20, 2020).
Manitoba: be 18 years of age (or older) and hold a valid Smart Choices Certification.
Alberta: be 18 years of age (or older) and hold a valid ProServe Certification.
Saskatchewan: be 19 years of age (or older) and hold a valid Serve It Right Saskatchewan certification
New Brunswick: be 19 years of age (or older)
Nova Scotia: be 19 years of age (or older) and hold a valid Serve Right Program Certification
Quebec: be 18 years of age (or older).
Some ways alcohol orders differ from food orders?
- You need a government-issued photo ID to pick up alcohol orders
- You may also need your alcohol handling certification.
- You are legally required to check the customer’s government-issued photo identification to establish proof of age. You’ll get an additional pop-up reminder in your Courier App. Only deliver to those of or over the legal drinking age in your province.
- You are legally prohibited from making deliveries to customers at schools, prisons, remand centres, or businesses that also sell alcohol.
- You are legally prohibited from making deliveries to customers that appear visibly intoxicated.
- You may be transporting glass and need to take extra caution.
- You are legally required to return undelivered alcohol orders to the vendor.
- You may be prohibited from having a passenger in your car – check your local legislations
A Few Legal Obligations to Remember
- You are legally required to check the customer’s government-issued ID. The name on the card must match the name on the order.
- In BC, you must check two pieces of ID to verify customers’ age:
- An official government-issued ID, such as a driver’s licence, passport, Indian Status Card, etc., (including foreign government-issued). The ID must include the name, photo and birth date of the customer.
- A secondary ID, such as a credit card or student ID. The ID must include the name and signature or the name and photo.
- You can accept an expired ID as long as it proves the customer’s age.
- You are legally prohibited from delivering alcohol to a person that is visibly intoxicated.
- Never deliver alcohol to customers at schools, prisons, remand centres, or businesses that also sell alcohol.
If you fail to follow the regulations in your province, you may lose your eligibility to deliver alcohol. We do this for your safety and the safety of customers. Remember to always use your best judgement. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or concerns. We’re happy to help.
If you are unable to hand over the alcohol delivery for any reason, including, whether the person is a minor, already intoxicated, or at a prohibited location, by law, you must return the alcohol to the restaurant or store. You will be paid for the time.
If you are not following the regulations in your province, you may lose your eligibility to deliver alcohol. We do this for your safety and the safety of customers. Remember to always use your best judgement. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or concerns. We’re happy to help.
If you’re interested in adding alcohol delivery capabilities to your account, get certified and send your proof of certification to [email protected].
We’ve also created a cheat sheet with basic alcohol delivery requirements in your province.
Alberta: Download the cheat sheet
British Columbia: Download the cheat sheet
Manitoba: Download the cheat sheet
New Brunswick: Download the cheat sheet
Ontario: Download the cheat sheet
Quebec: Download the cheat sheet
Nova Scotia: Download the cheat sheet
Saskatchewan: Download the cheat sheet
IMPORTANT UPDATES ON ALCOHOL DELIVERY
Skip is committed to protecting the health and safety of our entire network, which is why we’ve launched mandatory Contactless Delivery across Canada.
If you accept an alcohol order, you will still need to ask the customer for a government ID at the time of delivery.
Here are some tips to help you stay safe when delivering alcohol:
- Where required, wear a mask and be conscious of social distancing when checking a customer’s ID. You may ask the customer to present their ID without physically touching it.
- Encourage customers to show their IDs from a distance, such as at arms-length, through a glass window, or by placing the ID on a flat surface.
- Once the customer’s name and age is confirmed, you can place the alcohol delivery near the customer. You are legally obligated to ensure that the customer collected the order, but you can do so from a distance.
For couriers already registered to deliver alcohol, if you wish, you can temporarily opt-out of alcohol delivery here.
