Uber Eats Boost: How do paid promotions work and when to use them

Uber Eats Marketplace Ads is the advertising system for the platform that allows restaurants to pay to appear at the top of search results or in premium placements. It’s a powerful tool, but it must be used intelligently, otherwise it risks becoming an expense without a clear ROI. In 2025, click costs on Uber Eats Ads range from €0.30 to €1.20 depending on category and competition in your area.

The available formats are Sponsored Listings (your restaurant appears in first position in its category with the mention “Sponsored”), Homepage Banners (a banner on the homepage during the search for a type of cuisine), and Search Ads (appearance during specific keywords). Sponsored Listings are the simplest and most measurable entry point for small restaurants.

To evaluate the profitability of a campaign, you need to know your cost per acquisition (CPA). If you spend 50 euros on advertising and generate 20 additional orders, your CPA is 2.50 euros per order. Is it profitable? It depends on your average order value and your margin. For an average order value of 25 euros with a net margin of 30% (i.e., 7.50 euros), a CPA of 2.50 euros is perfectly acceptable. For an average order value of 15 euros with a 20% margin, the same CPA would be too high.

The optimal times to activate Boost are: the launch of a new restaurant (to generate initial reviews and a customer base), periods of low activity to compensate for a lack of organic orders, key periods of the year (Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, World Cup), and when introducing a new signature dish that you want to promote quickly.

Configure your campaign by setting a strict daily budget (start with 5-10 euros per day) and selecting only the periods when your kitchen is at its maximum production capacity. It’s pointless to generate extra orders if you can’t handle them properly. Gradually increase your budget based on measured results.

The less expensive alternative: promotions directly offered to customers (a 20% discount on the first order, free delivery on Wednesdays, etc.) are less visible than Ads but often have a better ROI for well-rated restaurants. The combination of an attractive promotion and good organic ranking often beats an Ads campaign for a restaurant with an average rating. Invest first in your quality, then in advertising.