Uber Eats and Instacart Partnering for Easier Take-Out Delivery

Instacart now wants to deliver more than just your groceries. 

On Tuesday, Uber and Instacart announced their new partnership, which will see Instacart users gain access to Uber Eats restaurant delivery. And it will all happen right in the Instacart app. 

According to a press release by Uber, users will be able to click on the new “Restaurants” tab in the Instacart app, where they can choose from nearby restaurants to order from and browse their menus inside the app. Users can place their orders and track delivery, just as they can in the Uber Eats app as well. 

“Our goal is to make it effortless for people to go anywhere and get anything,” Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, shared in a statement. “We’re excited that this new strategic partnership with Instacart will bring the magic of Uber Eats to even more consumers, drive more business for restaurants, and create more earnings opportunities for couriers.”

Of course, users will also still be able to order groceries in the Instacart app, and Instacart+ members will also get the bonus of having $0 delivery fees on grocery and restaurant orders over $35. So, essentially, this is like apps in one — groceries, which will still be fulfilled by the Instacart technology and delivered by Instacart shoppers, and take-out, with transactions fulfilled by Uber and delivered via its couriers.  

“Through this partnership, Instacart customers now have access to both the best online grocery selection in the U.S. and restaurant delivery, making it even easier for them to conveniently tackle all their food needs from a single app,” Fidji Simo, CEO and chair of Instacart, added. “Whether it’s ingredients for a beloved family recipe, a prepared meal from a nearby grocer or takeout from a favorite restaurant – customers can now get the food they want, from the retailers and restaurants they love, all within the Instacart app.”

Importantly, a spokesperson for Uber shared with The Verge that customers won’t see higher prices in the Instacart app vs. its own app, and delivery drivers will see the same payout, regardless of how customers order. As for why the two apps, which do compete over grocery delivery already, wanted to come together, Uber shared in its release that it’s hoping to “drive more sales through an even more engaging Instacart experience,” which, in turn, means bigger profits for Uber Eats, which is already valued north of $20 billion. Keep an eye out for the new tab on the Instacart app in the coming weeks.