Uber will now collect your returns at your door

Uber launched a new feature on Friday that allows customers to return purchased items without leaving their homes.

The new returns feature, accessible through the Uber Eats app, is Uber’s latest effort to add “stickiness” to its app by offering services beyond its core ride-hailing and delivery business.

There are restrictions on the new service, and of course there are courier fees. Return fees are calculated based on the time and distance traveled by the delivery company, according to Uber.

Customers can only send eligible retail items purchased on Uber Eats, and must adhere to each store’s return policy. Share Retailers Includes At Home, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, GNC, Michael’s Pet Food Express, Pacsun, Petco, and Target. Uber said more retailers will be added in the future.

Uber has also placed price caps on the service. Customers can only return items with retail prices over $20, according to the company.

Customers can access the new feature by going to their order history in the app, tapping “Return Item,” and selecting the item. The process is completed once users click on the ‘Return with Courier’ option. Some customers may be wooed by an instant refund, not to mention bypassing the task of driving to a retailer, finding a parking spot, and standing in line.

Uber has never experimented with retail returns. However, the company has launched a number of other features outside its traditional business, such as ride-hailing and food delivery services.

In 2020, Uber launched a service called Connect that uses delivery companies to pick up packages and deliver them to friends, family or co-workers. It also created Uber Direct, which allowed users to place orders from select retailers and have their goods delivered directly to their doorstep – contactless, a reflection of the Covid-19 pandemic that was sweeping across the country at the time.

Peer-to-peer package delivery service, Uber Connect, expanded in 2023 with a Return Parcel feature. Which allows customers to hire a gig worker to pick up and deliver up to five packages at a time to a post office, UPS or FedEx location.