Yes, the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is terrible, but there are some upsides to staying at home 24/7. Previously, Tokyo was strictly a dine-in city, takeout and delivery were rare, except from the occasional fast food franchise. After the state of emergency was declared in April, restaurants had to cope with temporarily closing to diners and turned to delivery options instead.
The Japanese arm of US-based food delivery pioneer Uber Eats quickly became popular for its bilingual ordering options in English and Japanese, although the ease and convenience of the app means more money spent by hungry Tokyoites. Meals are generally more expensive via Uber Eats to cover restaurant costs while the delivery fee adds another few hundred yen to every order.
Now, you can save some of your hard-earned yen: Uber Eats Japan is introducing a monthly subscription service starting Saturday August 8. Instead of paying a delivery fee every time you make an order, you’ll pay a flat rate of ¥980 per month. The subscription covers delivery fees on all orders of ¥1,200 or more. So if you depend on delivery for your daily breakfast, lunch AND dinner, the service is bargain.
This is the first time Uber Eats Japan has introduced a subscription service. Currently, Uber Eats in the United States offers a similar Eats Pass for USD9.99 per month for free delivery and 5 percent off orders of USD15 or more.
However, if you’re keen to support independent businesses, then skip the middleman and order takeout or delivery directly from the restaurant.
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