Uber Eats raised marketplace fees for many restaurant partners Wednesday, which the delivery platform says is necessary to cover rising operational costs and continue investing in its marketplace.
Under the new structure, restaurants with custom delivery marketplace fees will see those rates increase by 3 percent, though commissions will still be capped at 30 percent. Merchants on the Lite plan will see a bigger jump, with their commission increasing from 15 percent to 20 percent, the company announced.
The Plus tier will stay at 25 percent, but orders placed by Uber One members under that plan will now carry a 30 percent fee. Premium plan rates will remain unchanged at 30 percent.
Pickup orders will also get slightly more expensive for restaurants. Uber Eats said pickup commissions will increase from 6 percent to 7 percent for businesses that confirm their in-app prices match what customers pay in-store. Restaurants that don’t verify their pricing could face pickup commissions as high as 10 percent.
Uber said the higher fees will ultimately help restaurants by bringing more customers to the platform and making its delivery network more reliable.
“Uber Eats’ Marketplace Fees have remained stable over many years despite the pandemic and increases in costs to operate our marketplace,” the company said in a news release. “This increase in pricing will help us reinvest in ways to drive more customer demand for restaurants, courier reliability, and improved products and tooling to support your business.”
The Independent has reached out to Uber to clarify whether the Marketplace Fee changes will affect customer prices or only impact restaurants.
Uber introduced its tiered marketplace model in 2021, giving restaurants different levels of visibility and reach in the app depending on the commission they pay. Lower-cost plans offer less discoverability, while higher tiers typically come with better placement and lower delivery fees for customers.
The changes come as Uber continues to grow its delivery business. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi previously said the company’s delivery segment has been expanding quickly, with gross bookings surpassing a $100 billion annual run rate.
“A key imperative is helping merchants grow by meeting their wide range of needs—bringing them demand across delivery, pickup, and in-restaurant dining; powering first-party, last-mile fulfillment through Uber Direct; or providing industry-leading tools such as Offers, Ads, and more,” he said in February.
In May, Uber expanded its partnership with OpenTable across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Ireland, allowing Uber Eats users to book restaurant reservations directly in the app while also receiving ride offers to and from their dining destinations.
