A no-contact delivery method where the delivery person leaves the package at a designated spot such as the front door or meter box without meeting the customer face to face. It spread rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic and has become a standard delivery option for food delivery and e-commerce.
The Rise of Contactless Delivery and Supported Services
Contactless delivery gained rapid adoption during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic as a way to reduce infection risk. Amazon's decision to make contactless delivery the default in 2020 was a turning point, and major delivery services including Uber Eats, Demaecan, Yamato Transport, and Sagawa Express quickly followed suit. Today, approximately 40% of e-commerce package recipients are estimated to choose contactless delivery.
For food delivery, the typical workflow involves selecting "Leave at door" in the app at order time, with the delivery person photographing the placed order and sending a notification upon completion. Compared to in-person handoffs, this eliminates delivery partner wait time, improving delivery efficiency and ultimately helping to keep delivery fees in check.
Managing Risks and Using Contactless Delivery Safely
The primary risks of contactless delivery are theft and misdelivery. Effective countermeasures include specifying a delivery locker for auto-locked apartment buildings, designating a concealed spot inside the gate for houses, and switching to in-person handoff for high-value items. Make it a habit to check the delivery completion photo, and in case of a missing package, promptly contact the platform's customer support.
For food delivery, food safety is also a consideration. In summer, items left outside risk exposure to high temperatures, so retrieve them promptly after receiving the delivery notification and specify a shaded location. Each platform has compensation policies for damaged or missing items during contactless delivery, but the terms vary by service, so review them in advance.
Contactless Delivery and Solving the Redelivery Problem
The spread of contactless delivery is also contributing to solving Japan's redelivery problem in the logistics industry. According to a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism survey, the redelivery rate for parcel deliveries is approximately 12% (2023), equivalent to about 60,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The growing adoption of contactless delivery is steadily reducing the redelivery rate, delivering social benefits including reduced workload for delivery drivers and lower environmental impact.
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