What Is Uber Direct? How Businesses Use Uber Direct for Delivery

Since its launch in 2009, Uber has transformed the way we use on-demand transportation. The company has expanded its services to include food delivery through Uber Eats. As an ecommerce business owner, you can also add on-demand delivery services to your own website, app, or other sales channels using another service, Uber Direct.

Learn more about how Uber Direct works and how businesses can use this service to handle last-mile delivery and build stronger customer relationships.

What is Uber Direct?

Uber Direct is an on-demand delivery platform that provides access to Uber’s network of drivers to deliver online orders to customers. The delivery process offers a white-label solution for ecommerce merchants, letting businesses integrate Uber Direct into their own sales channels (like an ecommerce website, app, or online marketplace) without using Uber branding or redirecting customers to the Uber website or app. When a customer places an order, the relevant delivery information is sent to a driver through Uber Direct, and the driver who accepts the delivery picks up and delivers that order to the customer.

A wide range of businesses can use the Uber Direct platform for on-demand delivery, from merchants selling pet supply goods and household items to tech accessories, auto parts, and documents. Uber Direct will accept items no bigger than a large suitcase and no heavier than 50 pounds. You can review what items are prohibited or restricted on Uber’s website. The service provides a range of delivery options for merchants and customers—including express delivery within two hours, same-day delivery, next-day delivery, and scheduled delivery up to 30 days in advance.

Uber Direct doesn’t charge startup costs or monthly minimums; instead, it uses a per-delivery pricing model that may prove cost-effective for your business. The delivery fee for an Uber Direct delivery starts at $7 in the US, but rates vary based on your order type, delivery mileage, and speed of delivery. The size and weight of your package also matter, as well as the market region and integration type—meaning the way Uber Direct is connected to your sales channels, like an application programming interface (API) or channel partner.

How does Uber Direct work?

1. Create your Uber Direct account
2. Provide a business pickup location
3. Integrate Uber Direct with your sales channels
4. Add relevant users to your account
5. Create, track, and confirm deliveries
6. Manage customer support for deliveries

Here’s a breakdown of the Uber Direct process for businesses:

1. Create your Uber Direct account

Sign up for the service on Uber’s website. Provide basic information about your business, including your business name, company address, business type, average monthly orders, email, and phone number. Read the Terms of Use and Privacy Notice and click “I Agree” if you do. Confirm your business address and add a business credit or debit card to pay delivery fees. Under the “Management” section of your Uber Direct Dashboard, you can click on the “Billing” field to edit your payment methods and set one as your default.

2. Provide your business pickup location

Use the Uber Direct Dashboard to specify confirmed business locations where drivers can pick up deliveries (like a retail store or fulfillment warehouse). Click on “New delivery” then “Add location,” and then fill out the “Create location” box by confirming your account, location name, phone number, and address. Uber recommends including your business name and neighborhood name in the location field to give Uber drivers context.

Once you save and confirm your new location, you can include it as a pickup address for delivery requests. Keep in mind that Uber Direct limits on-demand deliveries to local customers within a 10-mile delivery radius of your designated pickup locations.

3. Integrate Uber Direct with your sales channels

After creating an account, you can access your Dashboard and sign in with your phone number or email. The Dashboard lets merchants set up billing information and change user permissions. Merchants can connect their Uber Direct accounts to sales channels using three methods:

• Uber Direct Dashboard. Businesses can manually submit delivery requests on the Dashboard under the “Deliveries” tab.
• Uber Direct API. An API is a set of protocols that facilitates communication and technical integration between two software systems (in this case, it integrates a merchant’s order fulfillment system with Uber Direct for automated ordering processing). Under the “Management” section of your Dashboard, you can click on the “Developer” tab to learn more about the API authentication process.
• Channel partner. If you have an existing order management system that does not naturally integrate with Uber Direct, you can use a third-party software tool as a channel partner to create an integration. For example, even though Uber Direct does not natively connect with Shopify, merchants can download a third-party app like Seeplus to integrate Uber’s service with their Shopify stores.

4. Add relevant users to your account

Under the “Management” section in the Uber Direct Dashboard, you can click on the “Users” tab to add additional team members to the platform. Click the “+ Add” button and enter the name, email address, and role of the team member you need to add. That team member will receive an invitation to join the Uber Direct Dashboard. For example, an ecommerce merchant could add its fulfillment manager to the Dashboard and give them permission to create and track deliveries.

5. Create, track, and confirm deliveries

When you receive an Uber Direct request from one of your sales channels, you can create new on-demand deliveries on the Dashboard by clicking the “+ New Delivery” button. Choose a confirmed store location as a pick-up site, then provide any additional details about the delivery, including package weight and size. Select whether the order is for immediate delivery or scheduled for a future time.

Include the name of the recipient, their phone number, and the designated drop-off point. Beyond a delivery address, include any relevant drop-off instructions provided by the customer. Specify whether the customer requested contactless delivery and decide if you want to select one of the boxes for additional proof of delivery, including a photo, ID verification from the recipient, or a signature.

Finally, you can add a tip for the delivery driver and submit your delivery request. Uber can reject requests if there are problems with your payment method, if it looks like a duplicate of an active order, or if the drop-off location is outside the 10-mile delivery radius of your pick-up location. Uber Direct keeps track of all previous deliveries and offers real-time tracking for in-progress deliveries.

6. Manage customer support for deliveries

Merchants using Uber Direct have two options for customer support:

• Brand-managed support. Merchants can have their own in-house support team manage communications with customers about delivery, and contact Uber Support themselves if there is anything that Uber needs to handle, such as processing a refund.
• Uber-managed support. Merchants can also choose to have customers contact Uber Support directly from their app or website if there are any questions or issues with their deliveries.

Uber Direct vs. Uber Connect: What’s the difference?

Both services tap into Uber’s courier network to make local deliveries within 10 miles of the pick-up location. Uber Connect is designed for people to send packages to one another. It’s like a courier service that allows them to request a delivery driver to pick up care packages, gifts, and documents. Uber Direct focuses on delivery orders for businesses.

Uber Connect also allows multiple deliveries within the same trip, whereas Uber Direct limits each trip to one delivery to prioritize speed. Additionally, Uber Connect only offers same-day delivery services, whereas Uber Direct offers scheduling for up to 30 days in advance.