Uber Eats waives delivery fees for independent restaurants during COVID-19 pandemic

Uber Eats has waived the delivery fee for independent restaurants in Canada and the U.S. on the Uber Eats app and has launched daily dedicated, targeted marketing campaigns – both in-app and via email – to promote delivery from local restaurants, especially those that are new to the app.

“As we face the uncertainty of this health crisis together with our restaurant partners, we are thinking about how best to support independent restaurants in the U.S. & Canada that have been most significantly affected,” said Janelle Sallenave, head of Uber Eats’ U.S. and Canada divisions, in a news release.

“We know the success of every restaurant depends on customer demand, Sallenave said. “That’s why we’re working urgently to drive orders towards independent restaurants on Eats, to help make up for the significant slowdown of in-restaurant dining.”

The company is rolling out a new payment option for restaurants that will allow restaurants to opt in to daily payments on all Uber Eats orders, rather than the typical weekly billing cycle.

According to the release, Uber Eats has started educating users about how to request deliveries be left on their doorsteps and shared CDC guidance to restaurants to ensure all orders are sealed in tamper-evident packaging.

It is providing 300,000 free meals on Uber Eats to first responders and health-care workers in Canada and the U.S., in co-ordination with local and provincial and state governments. Interested officials and organizations can reach the company at social-impact-support@uber.com.