Uber Eats is now asking prospects in some places to donate a set payment to support their favourite local restaurants. A brand new contribution button seems on the checkout, and is as well as to any tip that the client chooses to give to their supply driver.

The announcement comes sizzling on the heels of a controversial crowdfunding initiative launched final week by Yelp and GoFundMe, which partnered to mechanically create fundraisers for enterprise homeowners listed on Yelp — with out their permission. Yelp backtracked after some companies protested at being opted in with out consent, and the initiative was paused till it might be made an opt-in choice as a substitute.

Whereas the brand new Uber Eats fundraising device pushes for the same purpose, its execution is unlikely to garner as a lot detrimental suggestions given the best way it has been built-in into the checkout course of contained in the Uber Eats app. As soon as the person has chosen their meals, they’ll tick a field to add an additional $2 onto their invoice, everything of which works to the restaurant. If the person doesn’t tick the field on the prime, they’re prompted once more on the finish as soon as they hit the “place order” button.

Above: Uber Eats: Contribute $2?

Initially, the donate button will solely be obtainable to Uber Eats prospects in New York, although plans are afoot to increase this into different cities throughout the U.S. and different nations within the coming weeks.

This new function additionally feeds right into a broader initiative, which noticed Uber final week be part of as a founding companion of the Nationwide Restaurant Affiliation Schooling Basis’s (NRAEF) Restaurant Worker Reduction Fund (RERF), which is setting out to give monetary help, within the type of $500 grants,  to staff throughout the restaurant business who’ve been impacted by the COVID-19 disaster. Initially, Uber mentioned it donated $2 million to the fund, and now it has dedicated to match all contributions made via the Uber Eats app up to an extra $three million.