Uber Reveals Costco Partnership, Uber One Discount for College Students

Uber Technologies (UBER) announced six new products and features Wednesday as part of its fourth annual Go-Get event, including a discounted Uber One membership for college students and an international rollout of Uber Eats delivery service of Costco (COST) products.

The ridesharing giant also announced new features for Uber Eats and Health, along with new ways to reserve rides at lower costs.

Uber Eats and Costco Delivery

As of Wednesday, users in select locations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Japan can order a number of Costco products through the Uber Eats app, whether they have a Costco membership or not.

The companies have experimented with partnerships and delivery pilots in the past in individual areas like Texas, but have now taken the service international.

“We know that our consumers are craving Costco’s wide selection of merchandise, quality name-brand items, and commitment to value,” Uber Director of Grocery and Retail Partnerships Beryl Sanders said at Wednesday’s event.

Uber Eats users who already have a Costco membership will get access to special discounts, and Costco members can also get 20% off a yearly Uber One membership, Sanders said. The ability for non-Costco members to be able to order Costco products is also significant, as the retailer has long been protective of its members-only shopping experience, cracking down on membership sharing over the last year.

Costco has been historically slow to adopt technological advances, and already has a partnership with Instacart (CART) to get groceries delivered same-day in select areas. Ahead of its earnings report last week, Uber also announced a partnership with Instacart, bringing its restaurant delivery services and network for users that want to order through the Instacart app.

Uber One for Students

Uber rolled out its Uber One membership in November 2021, offering discounts on rides and free Uber Eats delivery, among other benefits, and currently has more than 19 million members, Head of Global Membership Danielle Sheridan said Wednesday.

The company has decided to expand its potential membership base by offering a discounted version of the membership to college students at $4.99 per month, half the price of the original plan.

Uber One for Students is launching now through the fall at an unspecified number of universities across the U.S., Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Mexico, Sheridan said. She also said Uber plans to partner with a number of popular college spots like Domino’s (DPZ), Taco Bell, and Starbucks (SBUX) for promotions going forward.

Pair of New Options for Scheduling Rides

Uber also announced two new ways to plan rides in advance Wednesday, expanding its scheduled ride system by bringing Uber Shuttle to the U.S., and introducing the ability to schedule an UberX Share ride in advance.

After experimenting with Uber Shuttle in densely populated areas like India and Cairo, Egypt, Uber Shuttle General Manager Anthony Le Roux said Wednesday that Uber is prepared to bring the service to America later this year. Previously, the company had also partnered with some businesses in the U.S. to take their employees to and from work, but the feature will soon be available directly for users.

This summer, Uber said it plans to partner with airports and event venues to coordinate trips to and from sporting events, concerts, and more in cities like Miami and Chicago. In some cities, the service will take users to and from a nearby public transit station, or central areas in a city.

Uber is also expanding its scheduling service with UberX Share, making the lower-cost service one that can be scheduled in advance. A ride can be scheduled as little as 10 minutes ahead of time or days in advance, and the app will tell users once the driver is approaching whether they will be sharing the ride with anyone else.

Uber Eats and Health Additions

Starting in July in New York City and elsewhere later this year, Uber Eats users will have the ability to save restaurants and dishes in combined lists, which can also be shared with friends or publicly on the app.

Finally, Uber Health users will receive the ability sometime this summer to add a contact from their phone as a designated “caregiver” for them. This will allow the caregiver to do things like schedule rides for the other user to and from medical appointments, which Uber said could be a big help for those caring for elderly or sick relatives who may not be able to schedule those things on their own.

Uber shares were up 1.4% at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday to $66.25, and have gained over 70% in the last 12 months.