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Everything to Know About Uber Eats for Restaurants
Expand your restaurant's reach by partnering with one of the nation's largest on-demand delivery platforms — and learn how to make the most of every order.
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In the do-it-for-me economy, on-demand services like Uber Eats have changed the way consumers make purchases. In 2024 alone, Uber Eats accumulated over 12 million app downloads, making it the second-most downloaded food delivery app in the United States, according to Statista.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about using Uber Eats for your restaurant delivery services, from how to list your business to best practices for success.
What is Uber Eats?
Uber Eats is a leading food delivery app that hosts over 1 million merchant partners in more than 11,000 cities worldwide. It helps restaurants expand their delivery capabilities by connecting them with its network of more than 5 million drivers.
“Uber Eats … [offers] extensive reach and a user-friendly interface,” said Carmela Hughley, senior vice president of marketing insights and innovations at Rita’s Italian Ice. “[It] often provides competitive marketing opportunities and data insights that can help restaurants refine their strategies.”
How does Uber Eats work?
When a customer places an order through Uber Eats, restaurants receive it in the app and must accept it. The app updates the order status throughout each stage — from preparation to pickup — enabling customers to track their order’s progress in real time.
Once the order is ready for delivery, a nearby delivery person (called a “delivery partner” by Uber) is dispatched to pick it up. After pickup, customers receive driver information and can see their location until it arrives.
How do you become a merchant on Uber Eats?
Adding your restaurant to Uber Eats is simple. The turnaround time often takes just a few days. The process is designed to be user-friendly, with support from the Uber Eats team.
While precise steps may vary slightly by region, in general, here’s how it works:
- Visit the Uber Eats for Merchants sign-up page.
- Complete the requested information, including your business name, business type (e.g., convenience store or restaurant), cuisine type and address. Then, select “Submit.”
- Uber Eats will review your application and may contact you to request additional information, including licenses, food safety certifications, tax information and permits.
- Upload your menu to the app using the tools Uber provides (like the Uber Eats Manager portal), or work with its team to help set it up.
- Once everything is approved and your menu is live, activate your store in the Uber Eats Manager portal or app to start taking orders. This step may also include setting up payout details to receive payments.
How do fees and payments work?
Uber Eats charges a commission on each order, with rates depending on the plan you choose and the type of service. For example, commissions generally range from 6 percent to 10 percent for customer pickups and from 15 percent to 30 percent for orders delivered by Uber’s drivers. Your exact rate will depend on your selected plan (more on plans below) and regional factors.
The platform also uses dynamic pricing. That means delivery fees can adjust based on things like customer location, order demand or driver availability — all of which can impact your order volume.
Uber typically deposits payments to your bank account on a weekly basis after deducting commissions and any applicable fees, such as refunds. Merchants can also opt in to daily payouts for an additional fee.
Are there any tiered paid plans for restaurants?
Uber Eats offers flexible plans to meet different restaurant needs, with a 6 percent commission fee for pickup orders and varying delivery commissions. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Lite: This low-cost option allows restaurants to offer delivery services to existing customers. It charges 15 percent for delivery. Restaurants are discoverable via search but not promoted on the app’s home screen.
- Plus: This plan pays higher delivery commissions — 25 percent — but offers better discoverability. Customers can access Uber One benefits (e.g., $0 delivery fees), encouraging repeat business.
- Premium: With a 30 percent delivery fee, this plan maximizes discoverability. It also includes Uber One benefits, matches ad spend up to $100 monthly, and refunds fees for months with fewer than 20 orders (first six months, terms apply).
- Self-delivery: This option lets restaurants use their own delivery staff for a 15 percent commission or use Uber’s network for 25 percent, with 6 percent for pickups.
What are the benefits of being on Uber Eats?
Being on Uber Eats can help restaurants reach new markets by providing increased exposure and access to a preestablished delivery infrastructure. It also enables automated promotions and built-in incentives that attract customers and create new revenue opportunities.
“Uber Eats allows for immediate visibility to a large customer base, and restaurants can access customers that would otherwise not be able to find them,” explained Andrea Abbondanza, CEO of SEO for Restaurants. “The greatest advantage is incremental revenue because restaurants can generate sales without paying additional seating or physical growth expenses.”
How can you show up more often in the Uber Eats app?
Restaurants can’t just add their business to Uber Eats and expect the orders to roll in; you need to work to attract customers to your restaurant.
Try boosting your restaurant’s visibility on Uber Eats with the following strategies:
- Accurately represent your business: “Restaurants should optimize their Uber Eats profile with high-quality images, compelling menu descriptions and strategic pricing,” Hughley advised. Doing so sets customer expectations while piquing interest and driving sales.
- Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews: Earning and gathering good customer reviews can boost visibility and encourage more traffic. “Since high-rated restaurants appear prominently in search results, encourage your customers to leave a positive review,” Abbondanza said. “Work hard to provide good food, great service and timely delivery.”
- Offer deals and discounts: Special offers and promotions can help build customer loyalty, increase repeat business and generate word-of-mouth buzz.
Can a POS system be integrated with Uber Eats?
Yes — and it’s highly recommended. While Uber Eats provides tablets for managing incoming orders, integrating your point-of-sale (POS) system with the platform can significantly streamline your operations. Many of the best POS systems offer built-in Uber Eats integration, allowing orders to flow directly into your system. This simplifies menu management, improves accuracy and reduces the risk of errors.
“Without integration, you will run into missed orders, inaccurate prep, incorrect transfer to the [POS] and unhappy staff,” warned Jason Profitt, vice president of technology at Piada Italian Street Food. “This … means unhappy customers, refunds and lower ratings on the marketplace.”
When selecting a POS system, be sure it can scale with your business. Hughley notes that “integrating a delivery platform should complement, rather than disrupt, existing restaurant operations.”
Should my restaurant be on Uber Eats?
According to Profitt, “The days of sticking with one third-party marketplace [have] generally gone to the wayside.” Still, it’s important to consider how many on-demand services your restaurant currently uses and whether you’re truly reaching customers where they are. For example, if your restaurant is on Grubhub already and that’s working well, it doesn’t necessarily mean Uber Eats will be equally lucrative.
“Considering customer demographics and delivery trends in [your] area can help determine whether Uber Eats is the right fit for [your] business,” Hughley advised.
Here are a few other factors to consider.
The pros of listing your restaurant on Uber Eats
- Uber Eats gives customers an easy solution. “As a quick-service restaurant … [Uber Eats offers] customers a fast and convenient way to enjoy our products without needing to visit a physical location,” Hughley said.
- Uber Eats has a large customer base. “The platform expands our reach, bringing in customers who may not have previously considered us for delivery,” Hughley noted.
“Additionally, [it] … allows us to target key demographics and increase sales through strategic discounts.” - Uber Eats offers an intermediary delivery service. “[Some restaurant owners] use Uber Eats as a short-term growth tactic … to get visibility while creating their own in-house ordering platform,” Abbondanza explained. “In doing so, they can reduce the reliance on third-party platforms in the long term and gain better control over the customers and the profits.”
The cons of listing your restaurant on Uber Eats
- Increased orders can overwhelm businesses. “The first question [restaurants] need to ask themselves is ‘Can we handle the additional volume and still take care of our guests?'” said Izzy Kharasch, president of Hospitality Works. “If you add sales to delivery but hurt sales within the restaurant, then the program may not be for you.”
- Commissions can affect profits. “One of the most important considerations is profit margins, as the [platform’s] high [commission rates] … can affect revenue,” Abbondanza noted. “It’s a must to determine whether the number of orders can absorb such costs and still generate space for long-term profits.”
- It’s more expensive for customers, too. “Some owners don’t realize the upcharges they pay with these services,” Kharasch added. “The restaurant needs to make sure that the online menu that customers use is higher priced by as much as 30 percent to absorb the Uber [Eats] charges.”