Uber now takes your returns from your doorstep

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

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

There are limitations to the new service, and there are, of course, courier fees. The return fee is calculated based on the courier’s time and distance, according to Uber.

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

Uber has also put price limits on the service. Customers can only return items with retail prices above $20, according to the company.

Customers can access the new feature by navigating to their order history in the app, tapping “Return an item,” and selecting the item. The process will be completed once the users tap on the “Return with a courier” option. Some customers may be attracted by the immediate refund, not to mention skipping the task of driving to a retailer, finding a parking space, and standing in line.

Uber has never experimented with retail returns. However, the company has launched several other segments outside of the traditional business, ride-hailing, and food delivery businesses.

In 2020, Uber launched a service called Connect that used couriers to pick up and deliver packages to friends, family, or coworkers. It also created Uber Direct, which allows users to place orders from selected retailers and have their goods delivered right to their door – contactless, a reflection of the COVID-19 pandemic that was sweeping the country at the time.

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