Uber may have elevated the notion of “fast food” when it launched UberEATS back in 2014, but now, it’s coming at an elevated cost, too. On Thursday, Uber announced that its dreaded and often-criticized surge pricing model would not only be applicable to getting you from Point A to Point B, but also for getting your food to you. That’s right — surge pricing has come to UberEATS.
In its announcement, Uber attributed the growing demand for its meal delivery service as the reason for the change. “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,” the company said. “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.”
As a result, Uber is “asking UberEATS customers in select cities to pay more for delivery when they order from restaurants in areas where demand is high but delivery partners are scarce.” You’ll know that you’re being charged a premium should you see an arrow below the restaurant name, with a notification regarding surge pricing. You can also check out the exact amount of the fee by looking above the menu, and on your receipt, the surge charge will appear as a separate line item.
So where is all that extra money going? According to Uber, it’ll be used as a “financial incentive for delivery partners,” and will also help with Uber’s own operational costs.
Of course, if you’re not so happy with this change, you can express your discontent, and Uber assures its customers that they’re always “listening to feedback and working on additional improvements.” After all, the company said, “It’s all part of our commitment to create a delivery network that meets the unique needs of every city we serve.”
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