Postmates
Corporate office · South of Market ·
Food delivery startup acquired by larger mobility company
Food delivery startup acquired by larger mobility company
"Many couriers preferred this platform because it was seen as more lenient and paid better in practice by allowing workers to keep customer tips on top of the platform’s delivery payments; drivers reported frequent small tips and occasional very large tips (even $150–$250). The company offered incentive programs—such as large bonuses for hitting high delivery quotas within short windows (e.g., a $500 bonus for 75–80 deliveries over several days)—and its CEO publicly supported policy reforms to protect workers. Still, drivers cautioned that even with tips and bonuses, earnings could fall below a living wage, and they faced the same hazards of parking, vehicle wear-and-tear, long hours, and safety risks inherent to delivery work." - Saru Jayaraman
"After being acquired by the larger delivery platform, onboarding exposed profile-sync problems: a driver who had already been using a chosen name found his legal name from license and insurance still displayed in the app, and support said the chosen name would appear only as a parenthetical nickname alongside the legal name—an arrangement the driver said would out him to customers and put his safety at risk. Slow, FAQ-driven automated support on these issues ultimately led him to stop using the app and sign up with another service." - Aliza Abarbanel
"A once-independent on-demand delivery startup that was bought for $2.65 billion amid pandemic-era consolidation, its takeover illustrates how mid-sized players were absorbed by larger rivals as the industry raced to capture scale and customer loyalty." - Eater Staff
"After initially assuring customers that prices would remain the same following the passage of Proposition 22, I found that Postmates (which has been owned by Uber since December 1, 2020) began adding a California Driver Benefits fee to deliveries within the state. The fee was reported by the SF Chronicle as $2 in San Francisco and $2.50 in both San Jose and Oakland; a Postmates support-note says the fee “helps us fund the new benefits offered to drivers thanks to the passing of Prop 22,” and the Chronicle reports fees vary by market and range from $0.50 to $2.50 throughout California." - Eve Batey
"I observed that Postmates, which Uber officially acquired on December 1, said that at this time Postmates pricing remains the same for customers, even as the broader app companies announce fee increases tied to Prop 22 and the benefits packages they’re moving to offer workers." - Eve Batey
