Need to pick up an order in-store? Have Uber pick it up for you instead
Whether you are a holiday shopper who starts buying gifts months in advance or waits until the day before, it is nearly guaranteed that there will always be something left to purchase at the very last minute. Uber's new feature is here to help.
On Tuesday, Uber announced a new Store Pickup feature via Uber Connect, which allows users to arrange for an Uber courier to pick up the prepaid item they placed an order for from the store, and track it live as it makes its way to their doorstep.
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Typically, the best solution for your last-minute shopping predicament is placing an order for in-store pick-up since it has a quick turnaround, and you don't have to waste time waiting for it to ship or browsing in the store.
However, having to go to the store and pick it up is still a time suck, and that's where this feature can shine for last-minute shoppers.
All you have to do is complete an order online, click on the Uber Connect package icon 📦, upload a photo of the receipt to the Uber app, and then have someone pick it up.
"With Store Pickup via Uber Connect, we're taking the stress out of holiday shopping, making it easier than ever to get your gifting done and spend time with loved ones," said Wendy Lee, Director of Delivery Product Management.
The only caveat is that the item has to be less than $200 in value, weigh less than 30 pounds, and can't be an item on the Uber prohibited item list, which includes the obvious, such as people, illegal items, firearms, and more.
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The store pickup feature will be available starting this week for customers in more than 1500 cities and towns, including Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orange County, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay, according to the release.
Holiday shopping also often results in many returns. Either you realized the gift wasn't what you expected, or someone got you a gift that you are grateful came with a gift receipt. Uber has a solution for that too.
A couple of months ago, Uber released a return package service in Uber Connect, which allows an Uber delivery driver to pick up your package and then deliver it to the store for you. This feature can be found in the same place as the store pick-up option, as seen in the photo at the top of the article.