If you just opened your phone looking for that familiar black-and-neon logo, you might be wondering if you’re hallucinating. The app is there. You can still log in. You can still order a burrito or a pack of AA batteries at 2:00 AM. But things feel... different.
The short answer? Yes, Postmates still exists in 2026.
But it’s not the independent, scrappy startup that once promised to deliver "anything, anywhere" back in 2011. It’s more like a ghost living inside a much larger machine. Since the massive $2.65 billion acquisition by Uber that finalized a few years ago, Postmates has been surgically attached to the Uber Eats infrastructure.
It’s alive, sure. But it’s basically Uber Eats wearing a Postmates mask.
The Identity Crisis: Why the App is Still on Your Phone
You might think it would have been easier for Uber to just kill the brand. Delete the app, migrate the users, and call it a day. That’s what usually happens in tech. But Postmates had something Uber desperately wanted: a specific, cult-like loyalty in cities like Los Angeles, Miami, and Phoenix.
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In LA alone, Postmates once held a massive chunk of the market. People didn't "Uber" their food; they "Postmated" it.
The "Separate but Equal" Illusion
Honestly, if you use the Postmates app today, you are using the Uber Eats engine.
- The Fleet: When you order on Postmates, the person driving to your house is often an Uber Eats driver.
- The Restaurants: The merchant network is shared. If a Thai place is on Uber Eats, it's almost certainly on Postmates.
- The Tech: The algorithms for surge pricing and route optimization are identical.
So why keep the app? It’s all about the "Postmates Unlimited" crowd and the brand's aesthetic. Uber realized that Postmates users skew younger and more "lifestyle" focused. They aren't just ordering dinner; they’re ordering high-end retail, alcohol, and weird last-minute essentials. By keeping the separate app, Uber maintains two "storefronts" on the digital high street, catching twice as much traffic.
Postmates in 2026: By the Numbers
Even as a subsidiary, the brand still moves serious volume. As of early 2026, the combined power of Uber Eats and Postmates holds roughly 30% to 35% of the U.S. food delivery market.
They are still chasing DoorDash, which remains the king of the hill with over 55% market share. But Postmates isn't exactly starving. Recent financial data for the 2024-2025 period showed the brand alone contributes billions to Uber’s total delivery revenue.
Just this week, in January 2026, Kroger announced a massive expansion with Uber that includes Postmates. You can now get groceries from nearly 2,700 Kroger-owned stores via the Postmates app. It’s part of a "hybrid" model where tech giants handle the logistics so grocery stores don't have to own their own vans.
What Happened to the "Anything" Promise?
Early Postmates was wild. You could literally ask a courier to go to an Apple store, buy an iPad, and bring it to you. Or pick up a prescription. Or a pair of shoes.
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That "concierge" feel has been dialed back for efficiency. Uber is all about the "multi-vertical" strategy now. They want to deliver your dinner, but they also want to deliver your pharmacy order, your booze, and your dog food.
The Rise of the Robots
One of the coolest (or creepiest, depending on who you ask) parts of the Postmates legacy is Serve Robotics. If you’re in a dense urban area like West Hollywood, your Postmates order might not even arrive via a human.
Uber spun off Postmates' robotics division into Serve Robotics. These little four-wheeled coolers on sidewalks are the direct descendants of the original Postmates R&D team. They're currently expanding into more cities in 2026, proving that while the company was bought, its innovation is literally rolling down the street.
Is Postmates Unlimited Still a Thing?
If you were a die-hard Postmates Unlimited subscriber, you’ve probably been nudged toward Uber One.
Uber has spent the last few years aggressively migrating the "Unlimited" perks into their unified membership. For about $9.99 a month, you get $0 delivery fees and discounts across both Uber (rides) and Postmates/Eats (delivery).
- Check your settings: If you're still paying for a legacy Postmates plan, you might be overpaying for fewer features.
- The "New" App: If you haven't updated in months, the app will likely force you to log in via your Uber credentials.
The Driver Perspective: Does it Pay Better?
Kinda. But not really because of the brand. Since the merger, the driver pools are merged. A courier sees a request on their screen; it might say "Postmates" in the corner, but the pay structure is dictated by Uber’s master algorithm.
Drivers generally like the merger because it means less downtime. More orders coming from two different apps means they aren't sitting in a parking lot waiting for a ping. However, the high commission fees—sometimes up to 30% for restaurants—remain a massive point of contention in 2026.
The Reality Check: Is it Better or Worse?
It depends on what you value.
If you loved the weirdness of Postmates—the "Postmates Live" events at Coachella or the strange, curated collections—that soul is mostly gone. It feels corporate now. It feels like a utility.
But, the reliability is undeniably higher. The "Uber-fication" of Postmates meant better tracking, more reliable customer service, and a much larger fleet of drivers. You’re less likely to have an order simply "disappear" into the void like you might have in 2016.
Actionable Steps for 2026 Users
If you’re still holding onto that Postmates app out of nostalgia or habit, here is how to navigate the current landscape:
- Switch to Uber One: If you use Uber for rides even once a month, the unified membership is objectively better than keeping a standalone Postmates subscription.
- Check Local Favorites: Some small, "indie" restaurants still stick with Postmates because of legacy contracts, even if they aren't on the main Uber Eats interface. It's always worth a quick search if your favorite spot seems to have vanished from other apps.
- Watch the Fees: Because Uber operates two apps, they occasionally run different promos on each. It sounds tedious, but checking both Postmates and Uber Eats for the same restaurant can sometimes save you $5 in "service fees" or delivery promos.
- Utilize Grocery Integration: With the new Kroger and retail partnerships active this year, use Postmates for "non-food" items. Their interface for retail is still slightly more intuitive than the "Grocery" tab in the standard Uber app.
The brand isn't dead. It’s just evolved into a specialized branch of the Uber empire. It still exists, it still delivers, and for the millions of people in its core cities, it remains the go-to way to get "anything" brought to their door—even if an Uber driver is the one doing the heavy lifting.