Note: This article contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission for referring you to Postmates or Uber Eats.
Postmates and Uber Eats are two titans in the on-demand delivery industry. Each app allows customers to order items at the touch of the button, and from a distance they might appear to be nearly identical services. There are many similarities, but there are a few big differences between the two that might make one the right choice for you.
How do Postmates and Uber Eats compare on price, delivery speed, and other important factors?
Here are the highlights: One main difference is that Postmates offers delivery from nearly any restaurant or store while Uber Eats only offers delivery from partnered restaurants. Both are similar in price, but you might find that Postmates offers better promotions than Uber Eats.
The important differences between Postmates and Uber Eats
There’s no denying that Postmates and Uber Eats offer a similar service: An on-demand local delivery service all contained in an app. There are a few key differences worth exploring.
Where can you order? Uber Eats is restaurant only, Postmates does more
One of the major differences between Uber Eats and Postmates is that Uber Eats only delivers from restaurants, while Postmates delivers from restaurants and stores.
Both Postmates and Uber Eats partner with restaurants to create a more efficient ordering & delivery experience, but only Postmates allows customers to order from stores, and from non-partnered restaurants. That means that Postmates customers can order from almost anywhere, while Uber Eats customers are limited to partnered restaurants listed in the app.
When Postmates customers order from a non-partnered restaurant or store, the customer still pays via the Postmates app, but the Postmates courier places the order in person and pay for it using a special prepaid “PEX” card. Uber Eats delivery drivers don’t have that same ability.
Cost: Postmates and Uber Eats charge similar delivery fees and service fees
Both Postmates and Uber Eats charge customers a delivery fee and a service fees, but there are a few differences in the details.
The Uber Eats service fee is 15% of the order subtotal. The delivery fee is dynamic, based on the proximity if the restaurant and the availably of deliverers. When demand is high, the delivery fee increases.
Uber Eats delivery fees typically range from $0.99 to $7.99. Closer restaurants cost less, so the typical delivery fee you’ll see is around $2.99 – $4.99.
Postmates charges a service fee that is percentage of the order subtotal, but unlike Uber Eatss, Postmates doesn’t make it easy to figure out the exact percentage of the fee. I was not able to find it listed in the app or at Postmates.com.
The Postmates delivery fee is based on the location of the restaurant or store, and local demand. The delivery fee typically ranges from $3.99 – $5.99. Some merchants on Postmates charge a small merchant fee, around $1.
Both apps allow you to tip the driver, and the driver keeps 100% of tips.
More About Pricing
Which is more expensive, Postmates or Uber Eats?
Although service fees and delivery fees are different between the two, in the end pricing is competitive between Postmates and Uber Eats. You’ll often find that the same order at the same restaurant is similar in both apps.
If you keep an eye out for promotion, Postmates is less expensive because they offer free delivery promotions more often than Uber Eats does. It’s also easier to find codes for existing users with Postmates, which will bring down the cost.
Postmates and Uber Eats promo codes and referral programs
Both Postmates and Uber Eats offer new-user promo codes that are easily found online. The codes offer free or discounted deliveries. Currently, Postmates offers generous delivery credits on several orders, while Uber Eats typically only offers a discount on the first order. Promotions may vary city to city, and frequently change.
Promo codes for existing users? Uber Eats does not offer promo codes for existing users, while Postmates occasionally does. Keep an eye out on the Postmates app notifications to find codes and promotions for existing users.
Read more: Promo codes for existing Postmates users and Uber users
Both apps offer referral programs that incentivize you to share the app with friends. When you share your Postmates or Uber Eats promo codes, you earn delivery credits when your friend downloads and uses the app to place an order.
Promotions and other ways to save money: Postmates offers more
Uber Eats sometimes offers limited-time free delivery if you “share a courier with a nearby order.” The restaurants offered for those promotions are selected because other customers nearby ordered from the listed restaurants, and your order can be batched with the same courier.
Postmates also offers free delivery from ‘trending’ restaurants, and it’s likely for the same reason as Uber Eats: It gives Postmates a chance to save money by batching your order with one courier who can do two or more deliveries from the same restaurant.
Postmates has a monthly membership that offers unlimited free delivery on orders over $15. It currently costs $9.99 per month, and it pays for itself if you order from Postmates more than twice or three times per month. Uber Eats doesn’t offer a membership service.
Other Promotions: In general, Postmates offers more promotions than Uber Eats. Here in Los Angeles, Postmates regularly sends messages about free or discounted delivery. Uber Eats rarely offers similar promotions.
Which has faster delivery, Postmates or Uber Eats?
Speed is one of the most important elements of a delivery service, and both Postmates and Uber Eats offer similarly speedy service. It’s hard to say that one service is consistently faster than the other because both use similar ordering & dispatching methods, and there are many variables that can affect delivery time that may be out of Postmates’ or Uber Eats’ control.
Both Postmates and Uber Eats dispatch a delivery courier to a partnered restaurant when the order is nearing completion, so couriers generally don’t have to wait long. The exception is fast food restaurants or drink shops because the order typically won’t be prepared until the courier arrives, which can extend delivery time.
Postmates may be slower if you order from a non-partnered restaurant or from a store because the delivery courier may need to place the order in person. Postmates offers on-foot delivery in some cities, and some complain that on-foot couriers are slow.
Customer service: You can call Uber Eats! You can’t call Postmates
Uber Eats offers something that Postmates doesn’t: Telephone support. You can call Uber Eats, but you can’t call Postmates. During your order, you can follow Help features in the Uber Eats app to connect with telephone support. They can help to change the delivery address, or contact the restaurant to modify an order. Postmates doesn’t offer that level of support.
Both Uber Eats and Postmates allow you to call your delivery courier while the delivery is in progress. After the order is complete, both apps only offer customer support via email or app messages.
Learn more: How to contact Uber Eats customer support and Postmates customer support
Who Wins? Why order from one vs the other?
Postmates and Uber Eats are locked in intense competition, and they both regularly add features and promotions to compete with each other. Each offers some advantages over the other, but pricing and restaurant availability can be so similar that it’s hard to find a big distinction between the two.
In the end, the app you choose will largely depend on the food you want, promotions you can get, or exclusive partnerships that you can only use in one app.
Postmates advantages over Uber Eats: Postmates offers delivery from a wider variety of businesses. Uber Eats only offers restaurant delivery, so if you need delivery from a store, Postmates will win your business.
Postmates tends to have better exclusive deals. Here in Los Angeles they partner exclusively with some of the more popular restaurants.
Uber Eats advantages over Postmates: Delivery fees and services fees are sometimes cheaper on Uber Eats, so check both apps to see which one has the better price. Uber Eats offers telephone customer service, Postmates doesn’t. Uber Eats also offers some exclusive partnerships, such as McDonalds.
Delivering for Uber Eats and Postmates
Postmates and Uber Eats both hire drivers and couriers to perform deliveries. Which job is better?
Some of the main differences for drivers are:
- Uber Eats drivers can also do regular Uber rides if they have a qualifying car
- Uber Eats drivers can see potential tips up front in the order payout estimate
- Pay is similar for both, around $8 – $15 per hour
Learn more about driving for Postmates or Uber Eats
Whether you’re a customer or a delivery partner, Postmates and Uber Eats both offer solid services that are worth looking into. If you’ve only ever used one, try the other. Customers benefit from competition between the two, so make sure to check both apps for the better deal.
Leave a Reply