If you’re looking to order late-night food with Uber Eats, you might be asking yourself, what time does Uber Eats stop delivering? The answer is that Uber Eats operates 24/7. That means you can order food with Uber Eats anytime you want, even late at night.
In practical terms though, whether Uber Eats is still delivering depends on whether there are restaurants still open. Each restaurant sets its own hours on the Uber Eats app. So, if there are restaurants open and Uber Eats drivers available to deliver your order, you can order with Uber Eats, even if it’s the middle of the night.
There are some nuances to consider too. In this post, we’ll take a deep dive to answer the question, what time does Uber Eats stop delivering?
What Time Does Uber Eats Stop Delivering?
As previously stated, Uber Eats operates 24/7, so there are no formal times when Uber Eats stops delivering. However, you can only order food with Uber Eats if there are restaurants open. If there are no restaurants open, then you won’t be able to place an order.
In larger cities, you’ll likely always find some delivery options. For late-night delivery, these typically are fast-food restaurants – think places like McDonald’s or Taco Bell. You’ll also probably find pizza places that have late-night delivery.
Be aware that restaurants may set different hours in the Uber Eats app compared to what their actual operating hours are. It’s fairly common for restaurants to be closed in the Uber Eats app but open for in-person pickup and dine-in.
Things To Consider When Ordering Uber Eats Late At Night
There are a few things you’ll want to consider if you’re ordering late-night Uber Eats delivery.
The most obvious is whether the restaurants you want to order from are still open. I’ve found that most normal restaurants close by 9:45 pm or 10 pm, so if you’re ordering after those hours, your options might be limited. You’ll likely only find fast food restaurants.
The second thing to consider is whether there are going to be Uber Eats drivers available to deliver your order. Uber Eats uses independent contractors to deliver orders, which means there are no set staffing levels. As a result, during late-night hours, there are fewer Uber Eats drivers, and in some situations, there might be no Uber Eats drivers available at all. In addition, if there are only a few Uber Eats drivers logged in, one Uber Eats driver may get assigned multiple orders at the same time, which means you’ll probably be waiting longer for your food to arrive.
Finally, one thing a lot of people don’t think about is that depending on when you’re ordering, the restaurant you’re ordering from might have a long wait. This is particularly true on Friday or Saturday nights, especially after the bars close. A lot of restaurants get really busy during these hours as people leave the bars and head to McDonald’s or other fast-food restaurants for some late-night food. If you place your order around this time, be aware that your food might take a while to get prepared (and your Uber Eats driver might be waiting in line for your order).
Is It Worth Delivering Late At Night?
If you’re an Uber Eats driver, you might wonder whether it’s worth delivering during late-night hours. In my opinion, it’s usually not worth delivering during the late-night hours unless you don’t have anything better to do.
There are two reasons why I don’t think it’s worth delivering late at night. The first is that it’s usually not very busy. You only make money when you’re completing deliveries, so sitting around at night isn’t the best use of time.
The second reason delivering late a night might not be worth it is that most orders during these hours are coming from fast-food restaurants. That typically means low-dollar orders, and as a result, smaller tips.
Even worse though, depending on what time you’re delivering, you might find yourself waiting in huge lines to pick up the order. A lot of late-night restaurants close their lobbies during the evening, which means you may find yourself having to use the drive-thru to pick up an order. At night, the drive-thru line at many fast-food restaurants can be ludicrously long. I’ve had situations where I’ve spent 30 minutes or longer just to get through a drive-thru line. That’s not worth it for the payout you’re probably getting.
My recommendation is to avoid the late-night hours and instead stick to the prime lunch and dinner hours. You’ll receive more deliveries and make more money.
Final Thoughts
Uber Eats delivers 24/7, so there’s no set time when it stops delivering. The only limitation is whether there are restaurants open in the Uber Eats app. If there are restaurants still accepting delivery orders, you can order food and get it delivered to your door.
Be aware that during late-night hours, there may not be enough Uber Eats drivers working to pick up your order. And if you’re working as an Uber Eats driver, think about whether working during the late-night hours makes sense for you.
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