Uber Eats launches new services, changes price structure for deliveries

Uber Technologies Inc. says it's launching three new offerings for its Uber Eats services that charge restaurants lower commissions than the company has previously.

The first of the offerings allows restaurants paying a 2.9% commission to accept orders directly from their websites or social media accounts and have them fulfilled with delivery people on the Uber Eats platform.

The second offering lets diners browse, order, and pay for food on Uber Eats that they will eat at the restaurant, which is charged a 3% commission.

The final offering introduces a pricing structure for deliveries, which carry commissions starting at 20%.

The lowest tier of the pricing structure helps restaurants process and fulfil orders but charges customers standard delivery fees, while higher tiers slash those fees paid by diners and give restaurants more visibility on the Uber Eats app.

Restaurants have long complained Uber's 30% commission for deliveries is too high and some were still disappointed when the company temporarily reduced its commission to 15% for restaurants using their own delivery people during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's worth noting that countless convenience stores - the big players like 7-Eleven, regional operators and independent c-store owners - use Uber Eats for delivering convenience items, as well as foodservice.

READ: Practical tips for getting the (delivery) zone

-with files from Convenience Store News Canada