Uber Eats has long been a convenient way to get your hands on some food when you aren’t looking to leave the house, but they’ve also expanded into other markets in the past few years. This leaves many people wondering whether or not Uber Eats will deliver them alcohol, so let’s find out.
Yes, Uber Eats can and will deliver you alcohol, but it depends on where you’re located. In places like Florida or Canada, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting alcohol, while in others, you may be out of luck. You’ll also need to fulfill a few criteria so that they can bring you your liquor of choice.
I’m going to more closely explore how Uber Eats delivers alcohol and the conditions that their drivers have to abide by so that they’re not breaking the rules when they bring you a drink. Also, I can’t emphasize enough that these rules only apply in select markets, where the regulations and laws allow Uber Eats to deliver alcohol.
Can Uber Eats Deliver Alcohol?
Uber Eats can deliver you alcohol in markets where the laws allow them to, and this includes Canada, Florida, and most recently, New Zealand. Of course, alcohol delivery can’t exactly be conducted anonymously because of the potential that the alcohol may be delivered to minors.
To make sure that this doesn’t happen, Uber Eats has set up a list of guidelines that their delivery drivers have to follow when they’re bringing drinks to your front door. If all of the criteria are not met, then your alcohol may end up going straight back to the place that you bought it from.
If the alcohol can be returned, you’ll be charged a restocking fee. If the store does not accept alcohol returns, then you may have to pay for the alcohol regardless, and you still won’t get it. This is why it’s crucial to ensure that you fulfill all of Uber Eats’ guidelines before you decide to order yourself a drink.
The first thing that you’ll need to make sure of is that you have a valid ID that you can use to prove that you’re the drinking age in the area that you’re ordering your alcohol. Since the drinking age varies from country to country, state to state and province to province, you’ll have to look up your local regulations beforehand.
You’ll also need to ensure that you provide the delivery driver with a valid ID, as not all forms of identification are accepted for alcohol delivery. As a basic guideline, you need to have a valid ID issued by your government and you’ll need to make sure that it features a photo on it to confirm your identity.
In most cases, a driver’s license will suffice, but the driver’s license must be native to the country in which you’re purchasing your alcohol. For example, if you’re trying to order alcohol in Florida, then there’s no guarantee that your Uber Eats driver will accept an Ontario driver’s license and make the delivery.
IDs that are typically invalid for alcohol deliveries include library cards, student ID cards, and other types of identification that don’t feature photos or aren’t given out by a government body.
If the ID that the person provides is not valid, then the driver will have an option to tap a button saying no valid ID on their Uber Eats app. This will automatically begin a return trip to the place where the alcohol was purchased, and the driver will not be allowed to drop it off without fear of getting penalized.
If this sounds like it can result in some unpleasant situations, then Uber Eats offers its drivers the ability to opt out of delivering alcohol to customers. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to get into a confrontation with a potentially inebriated client for wanting to follow the rules and not lose your job.
In the event that you’re trying to order alcohol over Uber Eats in a foreign country, then you should use your passport, as both domestic and foreign passports are accepted by delivery drivers. Also, the alcohol must be delivered to a place where it is legal for it to be consumed.
For example, Uber Eats drivers aren’t allowed to deliver alcohol to public parks or places where they believe the alcohol will be consumed illegally. The person ordering the drinks must be located in a residence where they will be able to drink the alcohol without any potential legal issues.
Along with the validity of the ID, the Uber Eats driver will also have to make sure that your face matches the one on the identification card. The ID also needs to have the exact same name as appears on the app, so you won’t be able to order alcohol and have someone else pick it up for you.
To ensure that drivers can’t break the rules, they will have to enter the date of birth that appears on the identification card into the Uber Eats app. Some states or provinces may even insist that the driver scans your ID using their phone camera to ensure that the rules aren’t being bent or broken.
If there are any issues with a delivery, then Uber Eats drivers will be compensated for both trips, including the one back to the store where the alcohol was purchased. If this weren’t the case, then drivers may be incentivized to complete the delivery regardless, which would be against the law.
At the end of the day, all of these rules and regulations are in place to protect Uber Eats, as they would potentially have to pay massive fines if it were discovered that they were delivering alcohol to people underage. Of course, the penalty depends on the exact laws in the area where the deliveries are being made.
Along with this, the rules also protect the store that the alcohol is being purchased from, as they may also get in trouble for indirectly selling alcohol to minors, even if they had no way of knowing.
