How to turn Uber Eats customers into your own
Uber Eats brings you customers you'll never see again. Literally: you don't have their email, you don't have their phone, you don't even know their names. This guide explains, step by step, how to change that without dropping Uber.
The problem, in one sentence
Every order that comes in through Uber Eats costs you between 15% (if you deliver yourself) and 30% (if Uber delivers) in commission. But the most expensive cost isn't that: it's that the customer is Uber's, not yours. If tomorrow Uber raises your commission or drops you down the feed, you have no one to email and no one to call.
The goal isn't to leave Uber. It's to use Uber for what it's good at (visibility and the first order) and win all the rest on your own website.
The mechanics, in 5 steps
A physical flyer in every delivery bag
Print a small card (business-card size works) and drop one into every order that goes out through Uber. Contents:
- A big QR pointing to yourrestaurant.com (or your SnackStack subdomain)
- A discount code for the second order: "HOME10" → 10% if you order direct
- A short line: "Order direct next time. Same dish, same wait, no Uber in the middle."
Real cost: ~€0.05 per card from an online printer. If just 1 in 20 customers uses it, you've paid for the cards 10 times over.
A coupon on the pizza box / ramen bag
The card goes inside the bag, but what people actually see is the box. If you can afford a sticker, put it on top with a clear message: "Your second pizza, direct from our website → -15%".
The difference between a card and a sticker on the box is huge. The card gets seen by 1 of the 4 diners. The sticker gets seen by the whole table.
Google Maps pointing to your website, not Uber
This is the most underrated lever. When someone searches "pizza near me" and sees you on Google Maps, there are two buttons: "Order on Uber Eats" or "Order now" (your website). If your profile doesn't have the website set up properly, Google only shows the Uber one.
What to do:
- Go to your Google Business Profile
- Under "Orders", set your direct order URL as the main option
- Remove the third-party options if you can, or at least lower their priority
This only changes one of the customer's clicks, but that click saves you the 15-30% commission. Worth it.
A basic loyalty program on your website
When the customer lands on your site for the first time (via the QR on the flyer), the reason to create an account has to be obvious. Three mechanics that work in small restaurants:
- Digital stamp cards: 10 orders = 1 free. Like the café card, but without the paper that gets lost.
- Pickup discount: -10% if you come get it yourself. You cut the delivery cost and the customer saves.
- Monthly giveaway: every order is an entry. You raffle off a dinner for 2 among everyone who ordered that month.
The goal isn't for every customer to use the promo. It's for them to leave you their email and phone when they sign up. Those details are worth more than the 10% you give away.
Remarketing with what you already have
30 days after the first direct order, send an automated email: "It's been a month since we saw you. Here's 10% for this week." You set it up once and it runs on its own.
If the customer hasn't come back after 90 days, another email. If they don't return after 180, stop. It's not worth it and you'll end up in spam.
What to measure
You don't need a dashboard. Three numbers at the end of the month and you're more than covered:
- Direct orders vs platform orders. Realistic target: shift 10-15 points in 6 months.
- Repeat rate on your website. The % of customers who place a second order. Below 20% something's off (price, timing, experience).
- Real commission savings. Multiply direct orders × average ticket × (%platform − %Stripe). That's the number you show in the meeting with your accountant.
What doesn't work (and we see it every week)
- Dropping Uber all at once. You lose the new customers who used to discover you there. Be patient: the goal is to reduce its weight, not cut it off.
- Giving away 20% the first time. You give up margin with no guarantee of a second order. Better a 10% tied to creating an account.
- A generic "we miss you" email. If you send something, make it concrete: an offer with a date, a new dish, something the customer can click.
Want us to set it up for you?
SnackStack includes the website, the loyalty program, the Google profile and the automated emails. Setup included, limited spots each month.