Amazon hands Prime members Uber Eats delivery as DoorDash circles Instacart

Amazon just made Uber Eats part of Prime. Members in the U.S. can now order restaurant meals straight through Amazon's website and app, skipping the extra download and using their existing Amazon accounts. The service reaches nearly 10,000 cities and towns.

Delivery fees get waived on eligible orders of $25 or more. That's the hook. Customers still cover service fees, taxes and tips, and the perk only covers restaurant food — groceries aren't included. It replaces Amazon's previous Grubhub delivery benefit.

Uber is happy to have the reach. ''We're excited to connect our restaurant community with new Prime fans,'' Uber President Andrew Macdonald said.

The timing is not subtle. Amazon announced the deal the day after Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi slammed DoorDash's proposed $17 billion purchase of Instacart. Speaking to investors, he said merchants want plenty of delivery partners and that the merger would strip away one option. He added that some concerned merchants had already reached out to Uber. ''They want plenty of partners including us and DoorDash and Instacart to work with,'' he said.

DoorDash and Instacart announced their agreement last week and argue their combined delivery network and grocery tools will help local stores compete with giant online retailers. They've promised grocers they can still work with any delivery platform they choose, according to aol.com. DoorDash will keep the Instacart name and app alive, and DashPass and Instacart+ members will pay a single membership fee instead of two once the deal closes.

Walmart is already in the restaurant game too. It announced a Dunkin' partnership in September after adding Subway meals earlier this year, letting shoppers order food and groceries through its own app and website. DoorDash and Instacart expect to close in late 2027 or early 2028, pending stockholder and regulatory approvals — until then, they stay separate.