Uber Eats says it’s waiving its delivery fee for more than 100,000 independent restaurants across the United States and Canada.
The company made the announcement Monday in a press release that says it’s doing what it can to support local businesses that have been limited to deliveries and pick-up orders due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We know the success of every restaurant depends on customer demand,” wrote Janelle Sallenave, head of Uber Eats U.S. and Canada. “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."
Uber Eats will also launch 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.
Additionally, Sallenave says the company is rolling out a new payment option for restaurants to help create a more reliable and immediate source of cash flow.
“This new feature will allow restaurants of all sizes to opt into daily payments on all Uber Eats orders, rather than the typical weekly billing cycle,” wrote Sallenave.
Uber Eats is also stepping up its safety measures to help protect their delivery people and the customers from the virus. The company says it has started educating users about how to request deliveries be left on their doorsteps and have shared CDC guidance to restaurants to ensure all orders are sealed in tamper-evident packaging.
“In addition, we continue to support Uber delivery people and drivers both financially in the event of a COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure, and while they’re on the road by delivering sanitization products to keep themselves and their vehicles clean,” wrote Sallenave.
Lastly, Uber Eats says it’s also committing 300,000 free meals on Uber Eats to first responders and healthcare workers in North America.
“We know that the work of medical and crisis response teams can be tireless, and the hours long; we hope we can help in a small way,” said Sallenave.
Interested officials and organizations can reach the company at social-impact-support@uber.com.