Is Uber Eats Safe?

Is Uber Eats safe? You might be asking yourself this question if you’re thinking about becoming an Uber Eats driver or if you’re a customer looking to order food using Uber Eats. The short answer is that Uber Eats is generally safe for both customers and delivery drivers.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at whether Uber Eats is safe, considering both the perspective of customers and the perspective of delivery drivers delivering with Uber Eats. We’ll also go into more detail about what Uber Eats does to make its app safe for customers and drivers.

In general, Uber Eats is safe for customers and delivery drivers. At a minimum, I’d say it’s at least as safe as any of the other major food delivery apps in the United States (i.e. DoorDash and Grubhub).

For customers, Uber Eats takes steps to ensure customers are safe and food is delivered securely (we’ll go into what they do in more detail in the next section). Restaurants also take steps to ensure that their food is safely delivered to customers. While there have been some recorded incidents of drivers tampering with a customer’s food, these are rare incidents that are unlikely to happen to most customers. Indeed, whether you’re ordering food through Uber Eats or ordering food directly from a restaurant, the risk of food tampering is essentially the same (in other words, it’s not unique to Uber Eats or other food delivery apps).

Uber Eats also takes steps to make sure the app is safe for delivery drivers. Most notably, this includes giving Drivers the ability to call for help within the Uber Eats app.

In the remainder of this post, we’ll go into more detail about what Uber Eats does to make the app safe for customers and drivers.

Is Uber Eats Safe For Customers?

As mentioned previously, Uber Eats takes steps to make ordering food safe for customers, particularly since the pandemic changed how we order food. Here are all of the things that Uber Eats has done to make the app safe for customers.

1. Drivers Go Through Background Checks.

Every delivery driver for Uber Eats has to complete and pass a background check before delivering for Uber Eats. To do this, Uber Eats uses a company called Checkr, which checks both motor vehicle history and criminal history. Potential delivery drivers with major vehicle infractions (such as a DUI) or a problematic criminal history background will have a difficult time being accepted by Uber Eats.

2. Most Restaurants Seal The Food In The Bag.

The majority of restaurants seal orders in the bag before giving them to the driver, making it more difficult for Uber Eats drivers to tamper with your food. Bags are typically sealed with a sticker or stapled shut. While a driver can theoretically still tamper with your food, it’s more difficult when the bag is sealed and you can see if your food has been opened.

3. Customers Can Request Contactless Delivery.

Customers can request contactless delivery, which is when the driver leaves your order at your door and sends you a notification. You can then pick up your order without having to interact with anyone. This is not only a safer way to collect your delivery, but it’s also more convenient. Whenever I order food with Uber Eats, I almost always request contactless delivery so that I can pick up the order from my front door at my convenience.

4. Customer Phone Numbers Are Hidden

Uber Eats drivers can call customers, but drivers do not see the real number. Instead, when an Uber Eats driver calls you, it gets sent through the Uber Eats system and the delivery driver only sees an Uber Eats number.

This works both ways also. Customers can’t see the Uber Eats driver’s phone number and Uber Eats drivers can’t see the customer’s phone number. If you’re worried about getting spam calls or getting harassed by drivers, the fact that your number is hidden can help prevent that.

5. Drivers Are Supposed To Use Insulated Delivery Bags

Uber Eats drivers are supposed to use insulated delivery bags when delivering orders, which helps to keep food warm. This helps make sure your food is delivered at a safe-to-eat temperature.

Is Uber Eats Safe For Drivers?

The most important thing you can do when delivering for Uber Eats is to use common sense. If you feel unsafe, take steps to put yourself in a safer position. For example, if there are certain neighborhoods where you don’t feel comfortable, then consider rejecting those orders.

One thing Uber Eats has is a safety toolkit, which gives you the ability to call for help, among other features. In the bottom left corner of the Uber Eats driver app, you’ll see a shield icon that has several different options in it. Below is a screenshot of what that looks like:

You can set up a “Follow My Ride,” which makes it so someone you designate can GPS track you on their phone. The app also allows you to chat with an Uber safety agent, who can assist you. Finally, there’s an option to call 911 directly within the Uber Eats app. All of these features are good features that I think make Uber Eats safer for drivers.

A question that I do see occasionally is whether Uber Eats is safe for female drivers. This is a legitimate question to ask – and unfortunately, as a young male, I don’t often think of the safety implications of working on Uber Eats, especially when I’m working at night.

Again, I think it ultimately comes down to your comfort level. Ideally, you want to stay in busy, safe neighborhoods. If you can, try to work during the day when you’ll likely be safer. Make sure people know where you are and what you’re doing. Never go into someone’s house. If you follow all these steps, you can keep yourself as safe as possible.

Final Thoughts

Uber Eats is safe. Drivers are background checked, and restaurants take steps so that drivers don’t tamper with orders.

I also like that they’ve taken steps to make Uber Eats safe for drivers too by adding safety features that allow you to call for help.

As with anything having to do with personal safety, be aware of your surroundings when you’re delivering. And don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or puts you in a less-than-ideal situation. For most people, Uber Eats is safe and you’ll never have any issues. But it’s still always better to be safe.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:

GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
Digital Federal Credit Union ($100) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on January 31, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before January 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
OnJuno ($60) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $10 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and make a deposit of $50 or more. You will also get 1000 JCOIN. The 1000 of JCOIN is cryptocurrency. At the time I'm writing this, it'll be worth about $50. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.