What Uber Eats promotions are and how they show up in your app

Uber Eats promotions are temporary offers that increase what you earn per delivery. They appear as notifications in your driver app, usually showing a dollar amount you'll earn on top of the base fare for completing a certain number of deliveries within a set time window. The promotion might say "Earn an extra $2 per delivery for your next 5 deliveries" or "Complete 20 deliveries by Sunday and earn $50 bonus".

Promotions are not may provide income. Uber decides which drivers see them, when they run, and how much they pay. The same promotion may not appear to all drivers in your city, and you may not see any promotions on some days. Promotions are one tool Uber uses to encourage drivers to work during times when demand is high or when they need more drivers on the road.

The app shows active promotions in a dedicated section, usually labeled "Promotions" or "Earnings Opportunities". You can see the exact terms before you accept: the bonus amount, how many deliveries you need to complete, and the deadline. Once you tap to accept a promotion, you're locked into those terms for that specific offer.

Key Takeaways

  • Promotions appear in your driver app as temporary bonus offers tied to completing a set number of deliveries by a deadline.
  • Not all drivers see the same promotions, and promotions are not may provide — they depend on Uber's demand forecasting and driver supply in your area.
  • You must complete the exact number of deliveries within the exact time window to earn the full bonus; partial completion usually means no bonus.
  • Promotions stack with base pay and tips, so your total earnings include the promotion bonus plus what customers pay you directly.
  • Canceling deliveries after accepting a promotion may disqualify you from that promotion's bonus, depending on Uber's current policy.

Types of promotions Uber Eats runs

Surge bonuses are the most common. Uber pays extra per delivery during specific hours when orders are backed up — typically lunch (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) or dinner (5 p.m. to 9 p.m.). These usually run for a few hours and pay $1 to $5 extra per delivery. You don't have to accept them in advance; they're active during the window, and you earn the bonus automatically on every delivery you complete during that time.

Streak bonuses require you to complete a set number of consecutive deliveries without canceling. For example, "Earn $3 extra per delivery for 10 straight deliveries" or "Complete 25 deliveries in a row and earn $75". If you cancel a delivery after accepting it, the streak resets and you lose the bonus. These are riskier because they depend on you not having to decline any orders.

Time-based bonuses ask you to complete a number of deliveries within a longer window — usually 24 to 72 hours. "Earn $50 if you complete 15 deliveries by Sunday at 11:59 p.m." is a time-based bonus. You don't have to do them consecutively, and you can take breaks. These are less risky than streaks because canceling one delivery doesn't reset your progress.

Referral bonuses pay you when you refer another driver who completes their first deliveries. The amount varies widely, from $50 to several hundred dollars depending on your city and current demand. Both you and the new driver may receive a bonus once they meet the threshold (usually 20 to 50 deliveries).

How much promotions actually pay and what affects the amount

Promotion amounts vary by city, time of day, and how many drivers Uber needs. A surge bonus in a dense urban area during peak dinner rush might pay $4 to $6 per delivery, while the same promotion in a smaller city might pay $1 to $2. Weekend promotions are often higher than weekday ones. Holiday periods and bad weather sometimes trigger larger bonuses because more customers order and fewer drivers are willing to work.

The bonus is added to your base pay and customer tips. If Uber pays $3 base fare, a customer tips $2, and you're working under a $2 per delivery surge bonus, you earn $7 for that delivery. The promotion bonus is separate from and in addition to what you already make. However, promotions do not increase tips — customers decide their tip amount independently.

Uber does not publish a formula for how much promotions pay or why one city gets higher bonuses than another. The company uses demand forecasting and driver supply data to set amounts. If many drivers are online, bonuses tend to be lower. If few drivers are available and orders are stacking up, bonuses rise. Checking your app regularly during different times of day and days of the week will show you the typical range in your area.

How to track whether you've completed a promotion

Your driver app shows your progress on active promotions in real time. Open the Promotions section and you'll see a counter: "3 of 5 deliveries completed" or "12 of 20 deliveries by Sunday 11:59 p.m." The counter updates after each delivery is marked as delivered in the app, not when you pick up the order or when you arrive at the customer's location.

For streak bonuses, the app displays your current streak clearly. If you cancel a delivery after accepting it, the streak resets to zero immediately and you'll see the counter drop. Some drivers take a screenshot of the promotion terms when they accept it, so they have proof of what they agreed to if there's a discrepancy later.

Once you complete the final delivery required by a promotion, the bonus is usually added to your earnings within 24 hours. You'll see it listed separately in your earnings breakdown under "Promotions" or "Bonuses". If you don't see the bonus after the deadline passes, check your app's earnings history or contact Uber support through the app's help section.

What happens if you cancel deliveries during a promotion

Canceling a delivery after you've accepted it affects different promotion types differently. For streak bonuses, one cancellation resets your entire streak to zero, and you lose the bonus. For time-based bonuses, a cancellation counts as a failed delivery but doesn't reset your progress — you still need to complete the remaining deliveries to earn the bonus, but the cancellation is recorded.

Uber's policy distinguishes between canceling before you pick up the order and canceling after. Canceling before pickup is generally less penalizing than canceling after you've collected the food. However, canceling too frequently — even before pickup — can lower your acceptance rate and may cause Uber to stop sending you promotions or orders altogether.

If you're working toward a promotion and you receive an order you don't want to take, consider whether the promotion bonus is worth the risk. A $50 time-based bonus spread across 15 deliveries is about $3.33 per delivery — if that delivery would pay less than that, declining it might cost you more than accepting it. For streak bonuses, the math is even tighter because one cancellation ends the entire bonus.

Why you might not see promotions and what to do

Uber doesn't show promotions to all drivers equally. New drivers sometimes see larger welcome bonuses to encourage them to start working. Drivers with low acceptance rates or high cancellation rates may see fewer or no promotions. Drivers who work consistently during peak hours may see fewer promotions because Uber already has enough drivers online. Drivers who work off-peak hours often see more promotions because Uber needs to incentivize work during slower times.

Your account status also matters. If you have an active issue with Uber — a customer complaint under review, a safety concern, or a payment problem — the company may temporarily withhold promotions. Drivers who have been deactivated and reactivated sometimes report seeing fewer promotions for a period afterward.

If you're not seeing promotions, check whether you're working during the times when Uber typically runs them. Promotions are most common during lunch and dinner hours on weekdays and weekends. Late night and early morning often have fewer promotions. Checking your app at different times of day will show you the pattern in your city. You can also contact Uber support through the app to ask whether your account is may be able to access for promotions, though the company doesn't always provide a detailed explanation.

How promotions compare to base pay and tips

Promotions are a bonus layer on top of what you earn from base pay and tips. Base pay is what Uber guarantees for the delivery itself — usually $2 to $5 depending on distance and complexity. Tips are what customers add, which varies widely. Promotions are what Uber adds to encourage you to work at specific times or complete a specific number of deliveries.

Over a full week, promotions can add meaningfully to your income if you work during the times when they're available. A driver who works five lunch rushes and five dinner rushes and hits the promotions each time might earn an extra $50 to $150 per week, depending on the city and the promotion amounts. However, this is not may provide — promotions change week to week and are not available every day.

Some drivers prioritize working during promotion windows because the may provide bonus is more predictable than tips. Others focus on high-tip areas and times, betting that customer generosity will outpace promotion bonuses. The best approach depends on your city's patterns, which you can only learn by tracking your own earnings over time and noting when promotions appear and how much they pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to accept a promotion to work during that time?

No. Surge bonuses are automatic — you earn the bonus on every delivery during the surge window whether you formally accept it or not. For streak and time-based bonuses, you must tap to accept the promotion in your app to be may be able to access for the bonus. If you don't accept it, you can still work and earn base pay and tips, but you won't earn the promotion bonus.

What if I complete the deliveries but the bonus doesn't show up in my earnings?

Wait 24 hours after the promotion deadline. Bonuses are usually added within a day. If it still hasn't appeared, open your app's earnings history and look for a "Promotions" or "Bonuses" section — sometimes the bonus is listed separately from delivery earnings. If you still don't see it, contact Uber support through the app's help menu and provide the promotion details and the dates you worked.

Can I work on multiple promotions at the same time?

Yes. If Uber shows you both a surge bonus and a time-based bonus, you can work under both simultaneously. Each delivery counts toward both promotions. However, you can only accept one streak bonus at a time — accepting a new streak bonus cancels the previous one.

Do promotions change by neighborhood or area within my city?

Promotions are usually city-wide or region-wide, not neighborhood-specific. However, Uber may run different promotions in different parts of a large city at the same time based on where orders are concentrated. Check your app to see what's active in your area right now.

What if I'm deactivated or suspended — do I lose promotions I was working on?

Yes. If your account is deactivated or suspended for any reason, you cannot complete deliveries and therefore cannot complete an active promotion. You will not receive the bonus. If you believe the deactivation was a mistake, contact Uber support immediately to appeal.