Recurring Timed Deliveries
Summary
The Recurring Timed Deliveries service is available to Maker and Retailer Partners who can commit to a consistent volume of repeated deliveries. This article outlines how the service works and what types of deliveries are eligible.
What is the Recurring Timed Deliveries service?
For eligible recurring deliveries, the Recurring Timed Deliveries service offers maximum flexibility with earlier and narrower delivery windows than our standard services. Your weekly recurring deliveries are paired with our most experienced Driver Partners and are priced at a preferred rate, reflecting the efficiency your consistent delivery volume brings to Starling’s routing operations.
These deliveries are carefully integrated into fixed routes based on their static requirements.
Eligible deliveries
To qualify for the Recurring Timed Deliveries service, a delivery must:
repeat once or more per week, every week, for at least four consecutive weeks;
have the same pickup and drop-off addresses;
have the same pickup and drop-off windows;
have the same quantity of items and packaging types, and
occur on the same day of the week (e.g., every Monday, Tuesday, etc.).
Examples of eligible deliveries
Example 1: Joe Plum’s Pie Company ships 12 pies from its bakery on Monday mornings to Cafe Nervosa for same-day delivery, every week from November to January. The delivery is eligible for the service because all the requirements are the same, every week, and it meets the minimum commitment of four consecutive weeks of deliveries.
Example 2: Cookie Shack ships 10 cases of cookies on Monday and Friday mornings from its bakery to Gillian’s Grocer for delivery later that morning, year-round. The delivery is eligible for the service because all the requirements are the same, including the two delivery days each week, and it meets the minimum commitment of four consecutive weeks of deliveries.
Examples of ineligible deliveries
Example 1: Joe Plum’s Pie Company ships 6 pies on Monday mornings to Cafe Nervosa for two weeks in May. This delivery does not qualify because it does not meet the four-week minimum commitment.
Example 2: Cookie Shack ships 2 cases of cookies on Monday mornings to Gillian’s Grocer every week and occasionally on Thursdays or Fridays. The Monday deliveries are eligible, but the occasional Thursday and Friday deliveries are not, because they are inconsistent, and so must be booked individually.
How to request the Recurring Timed Deliveries service?
Before you are able to book this service through the Partner Portal, you must first receive approval for your recurring delivery.
Please contact support@trystarling.com with your request to use the Recurring Timed Deliveries service and include the following information:
Pickup and drop-off addresses
Preferred pickup window and drop-off window
Quantity of items and Packaging Type (i.e., dimensions).
Day of the week for delivery
We’ll do our best to accommodate your preferences, but exact timing may not always be possible due to routing and factors beyond our control.
Important: To start a new recurring delivery for the following week, you must email us by Thursday at 11:59 PM.
Statutory holidays
If you have booked Recurring Timed Deliveries for four consecutive weeks, and one of the delivery days falls on a statutory holiday (i.e., service is not available), you must extended the series of Recurring Timed Deliveries by an additional week to meet the minimum commitment for this service. If you do not extend the series by a week, you will be charged for the missed day’s deliveries based on the rate your series was booked at.
Order size changes
You can adjust your order size closer to the delivery date without penalty.
Items we can and cannot deliver
Summary
Starling offers a same-day delivery service for perishable and fragile specialty food items. If you’re considering delivering with Starling, review this support article to check if your product meets the delivery criteria.
Item eligibility for same-day delivery
Products meeting all the following criteria are eligible for Starling’s same-day delivery service:
The item is a food or beverage product. We specialize in moving perishable and fragile specialty food items.
The item can maintain its integrity for up to 8 hours in transit (Standard Delivery), or up to 4 hours (Priority Delivery).
The item is adequately packaged for courier transport.
Each shipped package weighs less than 50 lbs.
All shipped packages have dimensions that fit within a standard, non-commercial vehicle (i.e., they are not too tall or too long to safely fit inside a sedan, hatchback, or SUV).
The total shipment quantity is less than one pallet.
Examples of items Starling can deliver
Our Partners use Starling’s delivery service to transport a range of specialty food products to their business or consumer customers. Below are just some of the items we regularly move from A to B:
Bread
Cakes
Candy
Canned food
Chocolate
Confectionaries
Cookies
Cupcakes
Frozen prepared meals
Frozen soup
Frozen pizzas
Gelato
Ice cream
Muffins
Pasta
Pastries
Jams
Preserves
Sauces
Seafood
Examples of items Starling cannot deliver
Starling is unable to deliver the following:
Equipment
Furniture
Items requiring assembly or disassembly by Starling at pickup or drop-off
Items that cannot be moved by a single person
Items using plastic wrap to seal the package
Animals
Live fish, insets, or crustaceans
Illegal items or substances
Pickup & drop-off experience
Summary
Starling and its Driver Partners are committed to an efficient and friendly delivery experience. This support article outlines what Maker Partners and their customers can expect from a Starling delivery.
Pickup experience
The day before a booked delivery
As the sender, you’ll receive a text message breakdown outlining when you can expect a Starling Driver Partner to arrive at the pickup address for each delivery you booked. This message is sent to the phone number saved to your account on the Partner Portal.
The message looks like this:
🚚 Starling Pick-Ups For Tomorrow 🚚
We’re picking up at these times:
[Time] to [Time]
[Destination][Time] to [Time]
[Destination]
On the day of a delivery
One of Starling’s friendly, professional Driver Partners will arrive at the pickup address within the pickup window. They have all the details for your booked delivery, including the number of pieces they’re picking up, destination(s), and any special instructions you shared with us for pickup and drop-off.
The driver will load the items into their vehicle. If you have provided a dolly or cart, the driver will return it after safely loading your items into their vehicle. Driver Partners may make several trips depending on the quantity or weight of the items, or the location of their parked vehicle.
The Driver Partner will also take a series of tracking photos with their smartphone to record:
where the items were picked up from;
each of the items they are picking up;
any delivery documentation received at pick-up; and
how the items were packed into their vehicles.
Tip: Help us help you! When booking a delivery, please include detailed pickup and drop-off instructions, especially if there are special considerations around procedures and parking or tips for Driver Partners. Special considerations may require Priority Delivery or incur Wait Time.
Drop-off experience
At 8:00 AM ET on the morning of a delivery
Starling sends your recipient(s) a text message with a delivery window. If you have not provided us with your recipient’s mobile phone number ahead of this time, they will not receive this notification.
The message looks like this:
Hey! This is Starling. Heads up: your [Sender’s Name]’s delivery is arriving today between [Time] and [Time]. Need help with this delivery? Reply to this message. 👇
Your recipient can message us with delivery questions or updates. If we can't help, we'll share your contact information.
Upon arrival at the drop-off location
The Driver Partner will safely unload and deliver the items according to any provided instructions.
The Driver Partner will also take a series of proof of delivery photos with their smartphone to record:
where the items were delivered;
each of the items delivered; and
any signed delivery documentation;
Behind the scenes, Starling's Driver Support team reviews delivery tracking and proof of delivery photos to ensure all items reached the correct place and/or person. If an issue pops up, they work to resolve it quickly and will coordinate with you and/or the recipient, if necessary.
Once the delivery is confirmed as completed
The recipient receives a text message as follows:
Hi there,
Your items have been delivered. Have a great day!
[Proof of Delivery Photos]
Note: You will have access to all Proof of Delivery photos via the Partner Portal.
Terms of Use for Starling delivery services
Summary
Starling maintains a Terms of Use which all Partners agree to when using Starling’s delivery service.
Where do I view Starling’s Terms of Use?
Starling’s B2B and B2C specialty food delivery service Terms of Use are available to Partners on the Partners Portal.
Wait Time
Summary
When some deliveries take longer than expected due to difficulties at pickup or drop-off, Partners are charged a variable Wait Time fee. This guide outlines the Wait Time fee and when it’s charged.
What is Wait Time?
Starling’s Driver Partners are allotted 10 minutes for loading activities at pickup, and five minutes for unloading activities at drop-off. You can think about Wait Time as the extra time Driver Partners spend beyond the allotted time at either pickup or drop-off. These are some examples:
A Driver Partner waits for the sender to prepare their items for pickup.
A Driver Partner is unable to pick up or drop-off the item due to incorrect instructions/information and must wait for additional details.
A Driver Partner must wait for a clear loading dock at the drop-off location.
Disruptions like those above cause unexpected use of time and can result in delays to other deliveries, impacting our overall service quality. As a result, a Wait Time fee applies in these cases.
Note: Wait Time does not include the transit time for our Driver Partners between pickup and drop-off locations, or the time it takes them to find parking for their vehicle.
Wait Time fee
The Wait Time fee is $2.50 per five-minute increment.
If a Driver Partner encounters excessive wait time at either a pickup or drop-off location, Starling reserves the right to cancel the delivery at its discretion.
What is the Partner Portal?
Summary
Starling offers B2B and B2C delivery services to specialty food makers, curators, and consumers across Southern Ontario. This guide outlines our Partner Portal, the platform our customer partners use to access these delivery services.
What can I do on the Partner Portal?
Starling’s Partner Portal is a web app designed to make using our specialty food delivery services as simple as possible. It’s where you go to request and manage all your deliveries, view and manage your billing information, and more. Below is a list of support articles that outline the key features available via the Partner Portal:
Book a recurring delivery
Bulk book deliveries
Track deliveries
View proof of delivery
How do I access the Partner Portal?
To gain access to our delivery services and the Partner Portal, please contact us to set up your account. Once you have an account, you can access the Partner Portal by visiting trystarling.com and clicking the Log in button at the top of the page.
Note: For the best experience, please access the Partner Portal via a desktop browser.
Feedback and feature requests
If there’s feedback you’d like to share about your experience using the Partner Portal, or if you have suggestions for features we should roll-out, please send us a detailed message at: support@trystarling.com.
Priority Delivery service
Summary
Our Priority Delivery service gives partners the flexibility to deliver a range of specialty food products with the care only Starling can provide. Review this guide for full details on Priority Delivery.
Priority Delivery requirements
Starling charges a Priority Delivery service fee when a delivery requires special attention via any of the following services, each outlined in detail in this support article:
Guaranteed Timing
Extra Care or Handling
Heavy Deliveries
Special Access
If your delivery requires any of the above services, you must select Priority Delivery at the time of booking a delivery. If Priority Delivery is required but not selected when a delivery is booked, Starling reserves the right to apply the Priority Delivery fee or cancel the delivery.
Important: Fragile items sent without Priority Delivery are not eligible for refunds.
Guaranteed Timing
Starling guarantees same-day delivery within a standard six or eight-hour window, where offered. If you need your items delivered within a shorter timeframe, you can add the Priority Delivery service for a guaranteed one or four-hour window, where offered.
Extra Care or Handling
While Starling’s trained Driver Partners pride themselves on offering a quality delivery experience for every item they deliver, some items require special considerations. The extra care or handling provided by the Priority Delivery service is required when booking delivery for:
Cakes and fragile items.
Any items that cannot be stacked during transit.
Any items that require a specific vehicle.
Any items that are awkward or very difficult to handle.
Any deliveries that require more than 15 minutes of combined time between loading at pickup and unloading at drop-off.
Heavy Deliveries
Deliveries deemed especially heavy, either by piece or in total, require Priority Delivery service. Starling uses its discretion to determine if this applies based on item weight, size, and other factors.
Special Access
You can use Starling to deliver to locations of all kinds. Certain locations require additional effort or unavoidable costs beyond standard delivery conditions and so Priority Delivery service is required. Examples include:
Hospitals or high-rise buildings with mandatory paid parking.
Locations requiring significant navigation (e.g., multi tenant commercial spaces,
Security checkpoints, entry through a loading dock).
Service maps for Toronto pickups
Summary
Starling’s delivery services are especially popular with Toronto-based specialty food businesses. So, we’ve put together a few service maps below to highlight where we deliver to, how often we go there, and what you can expect around base pricing when your pickup location is in Toronto.
Total service area
Use this map to view all the areas we can deliver to when the pickup location is a Toronto-based address.
Service days (for Toronto pickups)
Use this map to view how frequently we deliver to destinations across Southern Ontario, when your pickup location is a Toronto-based address.
Base delivery price (for Toronto pickups)
Use this map to view base delivery prices for destinations across Southern Ontario, when your pick-up location is a Toronto-based address.
Note: These are based on standard delivery requirements and do not include any additional services. For the most accurate pricing, please book a no-commitment consultation with us to share your requirements.