Will Uber become the place where you don’t just get a ride, but also buy shoes, groceries, and anything else you need? The rideshare company is betting on exactly that as it rolls out a sweeping expansion of its app into shopping and other digital services, and expands its partnership with payment technology provider Block Inc.
Uber introduced the new platform, calling it “one app for everything,” at its annual Go-Get Conference. According to CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the “Where to?” bar in Uber’s app now returns results for places, food, and consumer items. A new “Shop for Me” feature allows users to request items from any store and have an Uber driver pick up and deliver them.
The model builds on an Uber Eats feature introduced in 2023 that lets delivery drivers shop for grocery items in-store before delivering them to customers.
As Seamless As Possible
The unstated premise is that Uber needs to strengthen its position to compete with DoorDash, which has been expanding beyond restaurant delivery into local retail purchases. Uber, however, is going further by enabling users to arrange delivery from virtually any merchant—even those not listed in the Uber or Uber Eats apps.
“This is a strategic move by Uber and helps users who are already struggling with app overload by connecting the dots and making related tasks as seamless as possible,” said Don Apgar, Director of Merchant Payments at Javelin Strategy & Research.
Relying on Block’s Technology
Uber announced a major expansion of its global partnership with Block last month, including the international rollout of a new Uber Eats integrated payment service in Canada, Australia, and several European countries. In the U.S., Block helped extend Cash App Pay as a new payment option across Uber’s platforms. Uber says it could not have rolled out the new shopping features without Block’s expertise.
“This is very complex from a payments perspective,” said Apgar. “When you order from a listed merchant, either through Uber Eats or DoorDash, the platform parses the billing and settlement to ensure the driver and merchant are paid correctly. For off-platform purchases, the Uber driver actually makes the purchase on behalf of the user, so driver reimbursement and reconciliation add a new layer of complexity to the payments stack.”
“This really raises the bar in terms of what users can expect,” he said. “It also highlights Block’s capabilities in solving complex constructs like this.”
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