Uber Eats Lets Customers Return Their Retail Purchases

Calling it a first for the on-demand delivery space, the company announced Friday (April 17) that customers can now send back eligible retail items bought over Uber Eats and receive a refund, without leaving home. 

“Returns are one of the biggest pain points in retail, and we’re reimagining them the way only Uber can,” Rohan Mathew, engineering lead, Uber Eats, said in a news release.

“Whether you’re debating the right paint color mid-project or second-guessing a new pair of wireless headphones, you can shop confidently on Uber Eats knowing returns are simple, fast, and convenient.”

To make a return, users can go to their order history and tap the “return an item” option, select the item, and explain why they’re returning it. 

As long as the item is eligible and meets the store’s return policy, users can tap “return with a courier” to complete the process. Once the courier picks up the item, Uber will instantly process a refund, the release added. Return fees are based on the courier’s time and distance. 

“Think of it as a small price for never having to find parking at the mall again,” the company said, noting that users still have the option to return items themselves at no added cost.

The program is available at thousands of retail locations on Uber Eats throughout the U.S.,  including Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Pet Food Express, Pacsun and Petco.

Uber points out that, as of its most recent earnings report, the company’s delivery gross bookings on Uber Eats had jumped to 26% year over year and exceeded a $100 billion annual run-rate for the first time.

In other returns news, PYMNTS wrote earlier this month that while online shopping has made buying and returning clothing seamless for consumers, returns have become an expensive problem for retailers.

“The process requires retailers to pay to retrieve any garment that does not fit before inspecting it and deciding what to do with it, often at a loss,” PYMNTS wrote. “Virtual try-ons powered by generative artificial intelligence are emerging as the most commercially viable fix.”

Platform companies, retailers, and an increasing number of startups have begun embedding generative AI virtual try-on technology into product pages, search results, and checkout flows.

Among the more well-known companies involved in this effort is Google, which last year expanded its AI virtual try-on feature to Australia, Canada and Japan in October while also introducing shoe try-on to its apparel capability.