Why Is Uber Eats So Slow? - Financial Panther

If you’re wondering why Uber Eats is so slow, this post can help you understand what’s going on. There are two groups of people who may be interested in understanding why Uber Eats is so slow. These include the following:

You may be an Uber Eats driver and are wondering why you aren’t receiving any orders.
You may be an Uber Eats customer and are wondering why you are waiting so long for your order to be delivered.

At the outset, for drivers, most of the reasons why Uber Eats is so slow will be related to when you’re delivering. It’s likely going to be slowest if you’re delivering during off-peak hours or when too many Uber Eats drivers are signed in compared to the number of customers ordering Uber Eats.

For customers, the main reason why it might take a while for your order to be delivered is if the payout for your order is so low that drivers don’t want to accept your order. Your delivery can also be slow if it’s very busy and restaurants or the driver have a lot of orders to complete.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the question of why is Uber Eats so slow.

I’m A Driver – Why Is Uber Eats So Slow?

There are four main reasons why things might be slow when you’re delivering for Uber Eats. These include the following:

You’re delivering during non-peak hours.
The Uber Eats app is down.
You’re not in a busy area.
There are too many Uber Eats drivers signed in.

Let’s address each of these reasons in turn.

1. You’re Delivering During Non-Peak Hours

When you think about it, food delivery is predictable. People order food during two main times – lunch and dinner. For the most part, if you want to stay as busy as possible, you should stick to doing deliveries during the lunch and dinner rushes. That means you should focus on working between 11 am and 1 pm, and from 5 pm to 8 pm. I generally stick to working only during these prime hours so that I don’t waste my time sitting around.

In terms of bad times to deliver, this is my experience. Mornings are typically slow on Uber Eats, as people don’t order breakfast as often as they order lunch or dinner. While this might differ depending on your market, I’ve rarely had much luck with Uber Eats during the morning hours.

Mid-afternoon is also a bad time to dash. Again, you can understand why by thinking about eating patterns. Most people eat during lunch or dinner, so they’re not going to be ordering a lot of food during the mid-afternoon.

The main exception is during weekends when people seem to order food at any hour of the day. On Saturday and Sunday, you can generally stay busy throughout the day. In addition, if there is a special event happening, that can change when you might want to start delivering. For example, during the Super Bowl or other big sporting events, it can be busy right before the game starts.

2. The Uber Eats App Is Down

If things are slow and you’re logged in during peak hours, it’s possible the Uber Eats app is down. Compared to DoorDash, the Uber Eats app doesn’t go down too often, but it can happen.

There are a few ways you can check to see if the Uber Eats app is down. The first place I usually look is the Uber Eats Twitter account. If the app is down, they’ll usually let you know there. You can also search on Twitter for Uber Eats to see if other people are complaining about the app being down.

Another good place to check is the Uber Eats subreddit. If the app is down, you’ll probably find people talking about it there as well.

3. You’re Not Working In A Busy Area

If you find that Uber Eats is slow for you, it might be because you’re not in a busy area. The Uber Eats app will show you where the busy areas are in your city. Busy areas will be highlighted in dark colors in the app.

These busy zones aren’t perfect by any means, but they should give you a general idea of where you’ll likely receive the most orders. In general, you want to head towards busy downtown areas and areas with a lot of young people. Neighborhoods with young professionals are usually busy. College campuses are also generally busy. If you’re fortunate to live in an area like this, you can even get orders without having to leave your house (I live in a busy area, so I can sit on my couch and wait for orders).

I find I have the most success in college areas, but your area may differ on which is the best area.

4. There Are Too Many Uber Eats Drivers Logged In

There’s an interesting paradox with supply and demand in Uber Eats. When demand is high, Uber Eats will often offer a bonus for deliveries. However, if the bonus gets really high, more Uber Eats drivers will log into the app, and then you may end up getting fewer deliveries as the supply of drivers increases.

If Uber Eats is offering a particularly high bonus, there’s a possibility you’ll end up with fewer delivery requests simply because so many drivers will log in to try to take advantage of the bonus. I would still try to work when there are large bonuses being offered, but be aware that others will try to do the same.

I’m A Customer – Why Is Uber Eats So Slow?

If you’re a customer and Uber Eats is slow for you, the primary reason is that you aren’t tipping. Uber Eats drivers are paid per delivery and can accept or reject orders any orders that are sent to them. The payment is made up of two parts – the base pay from Uber Eats + the tip the customer leaves for the driver.

Uber Eats orders generally come with a low base pay of just $2 to $4 or so. That means if you don’t tip, drivers will only see a delivery request offering $2 to $4. That’s too low for most drivers to accept, which means your food may be sitting for a while until Uber Eats either raises the pay on it or is able to lump it in with another delivery. Either way, it means you’ll likely be waiting longer.

One thing to note is that while Uber Eats drivers can’t see the exact tip you leave until after they deliver your order, they can still get an idea if you tipped based on the payout they’re being offered. The takeaway is if you want your order delivered to you quickly, be sure to tip.

The other reason Uber Eats could be slow is that you’re ordering from a restaurant that’s too far away from your location. Logistically, the farther away the restaurant is from you, the longer it’ll take to get to you. But also, many drivers might not accept a delivery request going far away unless the payout is particularly enticing. If you want your order delivered quickly, consider ordering from restaurants that are closer to you.

Strategies For When Uber Eats Is Slow

The most important thing you can do to make sure you stay busy is to multi-app. That means signing up for multiple food delivery apps and turning them all on at the same time. If you’re signed up only for Uber Eats, you should also sign up for DoorDash, Grubhub, and any other food delivery apps that are available in your city. If one app is slow, other apps could be busier.

Check out my post, How To Make $1,000 A Week With Uber Eats. I go into more detail there with strategies that can help you earn more. Be sure to check out some of my other food delivery app posts for more detailed information about each app.

This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:

Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
Himiway Escape Ebike – 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 Ebike – 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.
Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
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Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R 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 ($100) – 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 $100 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 just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares 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 shares using Webull.
Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
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.

SoFi Money ($325) – 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 $300 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.
Upgrade ($300) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $300 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $300 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – 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.
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.
US Bank Business ($800) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
Fifth Third Bank ($200) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
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.
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.
Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 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.

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 $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
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 $100 for opening an account.
Empower. 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.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.