If you own a vehicle or live within walking distance to restaurants, you can order food on Uber Eats and pick it up yourself.
Choosing the pickup option instead of the delivery service can help you save money and even get your food quicker.
Here is all you need to know about placing a pickup order on the food delivery app.
Table Of Contents
Can You Pick Up on Uber Eats?
Yes.
In many cities in the United States, including New York and San Diego, you can pick up your order from a local restaurant yourself instead of waiting for a delivery driver to bring it to you.
Pickup is available in many other countries as well.
It might be a bit less convenient, but it will cost you less.
How Does Uber Eats Pickup Work?
Pickup on Uber Eats is simple and easy.
In the Uber Eats app, you will see two options at the top of the screen: Delivery and Pickup.
General Pickup Overview
Pickup is a feature that Uber Eats rolled out to compete with DoorDash, Grubhub, and other apps that already offered this option.
It allows customers to place orders with restaurants on the delivery app but pick up those orders themselves.
Uber Eats first tested the pickup feature in cities like Austin and San Diego, later expanding it to many other locations.
Once you’ve placed a pickup order on the app, you’ll be able to see updates about your order, and Uber will notify you when the order is ready for pickup.
Simply head to the restaurant and get your order.
There’s no need to wait for a delivery person or risk having your food get cold or damaged while in transit.
You can start eating your food right away while still in your car.
If you live very close to a restaurant, you can simply walk over.
That can take a lot quicker than waiting for a delivery driver to pick up your order.
However, perhaps the biggest perk of selecting the pickup option is that you can save on delivery fees.
Delivery fees on Uber Eats can add up.
Even if you get free delivery, you typically pay a service fee.
On the other hand, when placing a pickup order, you don’t have to pay any fees.
If you live close enough to the restaurant, there’s no need to pay all those extra fees when you can pick up the order yourself.
In-app menu prices can still vary from in-store rates, though.
Do You Have to Go Inside for an Uber Eats Pickup?
Typically, you would have to go into the restaurant to pick up your food.
However, that does depend on the restaurant you are ordering from.
When ordering from many fast food joints, you have to go in and get your order from the pickup counter.
On the other hand, some local restaurants may be willing to bring the food out to your car.
You may be able to call the restaurant and ask them to do this, but it depends on its store policies and employee availability.
Does Uber Eats Tell You When Your Order Is Ready for Pickup?
Yes.
When your order is ready for pickup, Uber Eats will notify you in the app through a notification.
But if you don’t see one, you can always check the app for updates.
Before placing your order, Uber will also tell you how long it will take for the order to be ready for pickup.
That’s just an estimated timeframe, but for fast food orders, it’s usually accurate.
In those cases, you can start heading to the restaurant even before the order is ready.
When to Use Uber Eats Pickup
Only use pickup if you have the time to go to the restaurant yourself and a way of getting there.
Once you place a pickup order, you will need to go to the restaurant to get your food – you can’t change your mind later.
Typically, you should order Uber Eats Pickup in these situations:
- You have a car, motorcycle, bicycle, scooter, or some other way of getting to the restaurant.
- The restaurant is not far from you, and you won’t have to sit in traffic going back and forth.
- The restaurant is within walking distance.
- You’re heading somewhere, and the restaurant is on the way.
You should also consider using pickup if:
- You want to avoid the delivery fee.
- You want to avoid additional fees, like the service fee or tips.
- You are very hungry and don’t want to deal with waiting for a driver.
- It is peak delivery time, and you suspect that Uber Eats will have a hard time finding a driver.
- You are ordering from a restaurant that drivers don’t like picking up from.
- Delivery drivers have a tough time finding your home.
Does Uber Charge for Pickup?
No, Uber Eats does not charge for pickup.
You won’t have to pay a delivery fee or a service fee.
However, prices in the Uber app are often a bit higher than prices when buying from the restaurant directly.
That’s because Uber takes a commission from restaurants, so they need to increase their prices.
Uber Eats Pickup Fees
There is no Uber Eats pickup fee for customers.
However, if you are driving there, you will use gas, which costs money.
Also, if you are taking public transportation there, you will have to pay for that.
Does Uber Eats Charge Restaurants for Pickup Orders?
Yes, Uber Eats charges restaurants in the United States a 6% commission on pickup orders.
That is less than the commission Uber Eats charges restaurants on delivery orders, which is 15-30%.
So, both you and the restaurant save on fees.
How to Select Uber Eats Pickup
After opening the Uber Eats app, you will see two options at the top of the screen: Delivery and Pickup.
Tap on Pickup to see restaurants that offer a pickup option in your area.
Then, scroll through the list of restaurants.
You will also be able to look on the map and see where each restaurant is located.
That way, you can determine how close they are to you.
Alternatively, when browsing any category from the “Browse” section, you can tap on the Pickup option at the top of the screen to filter for restaurants that accept pickup orders.
Also, when looking at any restaurant’s menu, the “Pickup” option will appear at the top of the screen if available.
How to Save on Uber Eats Pickup Charges
While Uber Eats doesn’t charge an extra fee for pickup, you can still save money on pickup orders when using Uber Eats.
Get an Uber Eats Pass
The easiest way to save money on Uber Eats pickup orders is to get Uber One.
Uber One is a premium Uber membership that replaced Eats Pass.
It costs $9.99/month if paying monthly or $99/year if paying yearly.
Members get access to exclusive perks and discounts, including a 5% discount on eligible pickup orders.
Not all restaurants and stores are part of Uber One.
Those that are will have an Uber One icon appearing next to their names once you have subscribed.
Also, the 5% discount only applies to orders of at least $15 when picking up from restaurants or $30 when picking up from other stores, like convenience stores.
Uber One makes even more sense if you order deliveries because it will give you free delivery on eligible orders from restaurants and stores.
If you only place pickup orders, you will save less money.
Use an Uber Eats Pickup Promo Code
Using an Uber Eats promo code is another awesome way of saving money on Uber Eats orders.
In the app, tap on “Account” in the bottom-right corner.
Scroll down and click on “Promotions.”
There, you can see promotions currently available to you.
You can also check for available promo codes on the Uber Eats Promo Codes page.
You may also find Uber Eats promo codes on third-party websites.
For example, here are some from the Wall Street Journal.
You can also check RetailMeNot.
However, not all of those promo codes may be up-to-date or still working.
Tipping on Uber Eats Pickup Orders
A lot of people tip their Uber Eats delivery drivers.
As such, it’s only natural to wonder whether you should tip on Uber Eats pickup orders, too.
Should You Tip on Uber Eats Pickups?
Generally, workers don’t expect you to tip on Uber Eats pickup orders.
The reason for that is simple – you’re doing the hard work yourself.
When ordering delivery on Uber Eats, the driver needs to go to the restaurant and pick up your order.
It’s hard work – they need to find the restaurant, get your food, and then find your home.
Sometimes, they end up waiting in the restaurant for the order to be ready or spending extra time in traffic.
However, you are doing that work yourself when placing a pickup order.
Furthermore, you are not even waited on in the restaurant – it’s not like there is a waiter there to take your order and ensure you get your food quickly.
However, you can still tip the restaurant workers who hand you your order if you like.
If there is a tip jar in the restaurant, you can leave some money there.
In some restaurants, everyone working in the restaurant shares the tip jar, including the chef who just cooked your food.
In fast-food restaurants, however, tipping is not commonplace.
How Much Should You Tip on Uber Eats Pickup Orders?
You don’t have to leave any tips when picking up your order.
You’re doing most of the work, and the restaurant employees won’t expect you to tip them anything.
However, you can give a few dollars to the restaurant worker handing you your food.
Or, you can leave some loose change or a dollar or two in the change jar.
Who Gets the Tip?
That depends on who you give it to.
There is no option in the app to leave a tip, as that option only applies when placing a delivery order.
If you leave a tip in the tip jar, it may go to the waiters or cashiers, or the workers may split it with everyone, including cleaners and chefs.
Final Thoughts
Uber Eats also offers a dine-in option in some cities, which allows you to go to the restaurant and eat your food there, right away, instead of taking it home first.
Whether you choose pickup or dine-in, you can save money and get your food faster, provided the restaurant is close to you.
