Amazon partners with Uber to make Uber Eats the “official” US restaurant delivery partner for Amazon Prime subscribers, after previously partnering with Grubhub
Prime members can now order takeout straight from the Amazon app or website with waived delivery fees on orders over $25.
Context & Ripple Effects
Amazon has repeatedly tested restaurant delivery as an extension of its consumer platform, from Prime Now food delivery to an Olo integration for restaurant ordering. Its 2022 Grubhub deal added a Prime-linked subscription benefit, and Amazon made that Grubhub+ perk permanent in 2024.
The shift to Uber changes the delivery network behind a Prime benefit rather than Amazon’s role as the customer-facing destination. It also follows Uber’s restaurant-order integration with Instacart, showing that delivery platforms are increasingly supplying fulfillment inside other retail apps.
First-order effects
- Prime members can place eligible restaurant orders through Amazon with waived delivery fees above $25, while Uber Eats becomes Amazon’s designated US restaurant-delivery partner.
- Uber gains access to Amazon’s Prime audience and ordering surface; Grubhub loses the Prime-linked distribution position it had held since 2022.
Second-order effects
- Grubhub must replace a customer-acquisition channel that Amazon had reinforced by making Grubhub+ a permanent Prime benefit in 2024.
- Uber’s role at both Amazon and Instacart strengthens its position as an embedded delivery provider, putting greater value on retailer integrations alongside its own consumer app.
Third-order effects
- Restaurant delivery is moving toward a split model in which membership and retail platforms own customer access while delivery networks compete to provide the underlying ordering and fulfillment layer.
- If more retailers follow Amazon and Instacart, delivery competition will increasingly turn on winning embedded distribution partnerships rather than solely on direct-to-consumer app usage.
The trend: Consumer platforms are bundling restaurant delivery into memberships while outsourcing fulfillment to delivery networks that compete for privileged in-app placement.