Uber is asking customers in select cities to pay more when they order from restaurants that are in high demand.
In a blog post last week, Uber said, in order to maintain the speed of delivery for its UberEATS service, customers in certain cities will have to pay more for delivery when they order from a restaurant in areas of high demand but where delivery partners are few and far between. Uber said an arrow below the restaurant name will alert customers to the additional fees associated with delivery. The exact amount of the extra delivery fee appears above the menu as a separate line item before checkout and on the order receipt.
“We’re seeing tremendous appetite across the world, as the number of people ordering on UberEATS continues to grow,” said Uber. “In order to maintain the speed, reliability and selection people have come to expect from Uber, we depend on having delivery partners available in the right places at the right times. Even though more people are signing up for a flexible way to earn money every day, there are still times when there aren’t enough delivery partners in a particular area to complete every delivery request at Uber speed.”
According to Uber, the extra money it charges in delivery fees goes toward giving delivery partners financial incentives, as well as other operation costs. These partner incentives, Uber said, look at past patterns and aim to predict where and when there will be high demand and to encourage more people to get on the road in these underserved locations. “This is an important step to ensure the reliability of our network and continue to offer the same selection and speed UberEATS is known for. As always, we’ll be listening to feedback and working on additional improvements in the coming weeks and months. It’s all part of our commitment to create a delivery network that meets the unique needs of every city we serve,” Uber said.