A few years ago, my wife was on bed rest, pregnant with our son, and I had hip surgery that had me laid up and unable to cook. This resulted in us spending a lot on ordering food online from apps like Uber Eats. We knew it was more, but how much more is the question, and it turns out that if you are not careful, it can really add up.
One of the best examples of why it may be best to go get your food from the store is drive-throughs. Recently we compared pricing on Uber Eats vs. the cost of the same meals at McDonald’s and Burger King. So here is how much a common meal will cost you on Uber Eats vs going to the store in the greater Grand Rapids, MI, area.
At Burger King, a standard Whopper with cheese meal medium with a Coke will cost, before taxes $11.89 at the store. On Uber Eats, that same meal will cost you $15.46. That is an extra $3.57 before adding the delivery fee, taxes, and other fees.
Mcdonald’s also charges more, for example, ordering a 10-piece chicken nugget meal with a large Coke and medium fire will cost you $10.27 through the McDonald’s app. (Selecting the option to pick it up through the drive-through.) On Uber Eats, that same meal will cost you $12.89 before taxes and all fees. That means you will pay an extra $2.62 even before you add on the fees Uber Eats charges.
Paying an extra $2.62 per meal per week over a year can work out to be an extra $136 a year. Something that will really add up over time.
So why is food on Uber Eats more than going to the restaurant? Uber Eats charges restaurants anywhere from 15% per delivery all the way up to 30% per delivery. Pick-up orders also have a 6% fee that restaurants must pay on top of the fees you pay. Even for self-delivery, where the restaurant’s own staff does the delivery Uber Eats takes a 15% fee. It seems that restaurants are charging extra to help offset the fees they must pay for delivery.
Delivery is an amazing way to get food when you can’t get out. Even with the extra fees, the convenience is something I love and will be something I continue to take advantage of. Recently when traveling for work, ordering on Uber Eats was far cheaper than getting food from the hotel I was staying at.
Ultimately with services like Uber Eats, you are paying for convenience, which is sometimes worth it. When my wife was unexpectedly on bed rest, and I had my hip surgery, it was worth every penny they charged extra to get a good hot meal when we wanted it delivered right to our front door. As always, just be aware of your spending and how it can add up before you get shocked at how much you spent over the course of a year.