You Can Now Have an Uber Driver Ship Pre-Paid Packages to UPS, FedEx for a $5 Flat Fee Rejoice, lazy returners of the online shopping world.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Returning packages just became a whole lot easier for those of us too lazy to make it to the Post Office.
As of Wednesday, Uber customers will be able to hand off prepaid, packaged boxes and mail to an Uber driver who will then drop it off at your local post office, UPS, or FedEx center as a part of its Uber Connect option.
"With the launch of Uber Connect three years ago, we've simplified the way you can send items to friends, family or colleagues across town," Uber said in a release. "Now we're adding a new way to save you time and effort with a much-avoided chore: taking care of the packages you need to return but have been ignoring."
Related: You'll Soon Be Able to Order Flights Through the Uber App
According to the company, research from the National Retail Federation states that 79% of shoppers under 30 find making returns by mail "annoying," and the rideshare company is hoping to alleviate that for its estimated 65% of users that are under the age of 35.
Uber users can select the option to ship a package from their app (via Uber)
For a flat fee of $5, customers can send up to five packages at a time and will receive a photo of the receipt confirmation from their driver when the transaction is complete.
Uber users can track their packages as they make their way to the drop-off location (via Uber)
The new feature rolled out Wednesday in 4,950 cities and can be accessed in both the Uber and Uber Eats app.
Uber Connect launched in 2020 amid the pandemic as a car courier service, which allows users to send packages or items of all sizes to another person in a designated drop-off location.
Related: Uber Error Charges Couple $30K, Vacation Turns into Nightmare
Uber is expected to announce its Q3 2023 earnings next month, after missing analysts' expectations in Q2 2023, but still generating a net income of $394 million (compared to a net loss of $2.6 billion at the same time last year).
The company was up 54% in a one-year period as of Wednesday afternoon.
