Delivery services have changed how many businesses interact with their customers.
Over the past few years, they have become more important than ever.
Some of them, such as Postmates, offer more than just food delivery.
You can get groceries, medicine, and even alcohol delivered to your doorstep.
Smokers may wonder if Postmates will deliver tobacco and related products.
There is certainly a demand to have all products available for delivery.
However, due to laws that change state by state, some things are difficult to regulate.
This article will look at Postmates and its rules for delivering tobacco products and compare them with some of the other services available.
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Does Postmates Deliver Tobacco?
There are only a few things Postmates will not deliver, and tobacco is one of them.
They did in the past, but that policy changed in 2020.
Now the company’s policy is not to deliver cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, vapes, pipes, or other smoking-related products.
At the time, this came as a surprise to a lot of tobacco users.
Many specifically used Postmates because they were one of the few services that would deliver these items.
Admittedly, Postmates lost some customers over this change.
But the difficulty in adhering to policies and laws made the change necessary.
Why Doesn’t Postmates Deliver Tobacco?
There are a couple of reasons why Postmates changed its policy on delivering tobacco products.
Some of those reasons are because of business practices.
There are also state laws that have to consider.
1. Uber Eats Merger
Chief among those is that the company merged with Uber Eats in 2020.
Uber Eats had a strict rule of not delivering tobacco and it became a stipulation of the merger.
Postmates agreed to put the practice away and went through with the agreement.
A year later, the purchase was complete.
Postmates made the announcement they would no longer be delivering tobacco products.
However, because the merger brought all the drivers and restaurants covered by Postmates and Uber Eats together under one app, many customers were satisfied with their delivery times and the increased number of items they could have delivered.
2. State Laws
The laws regarding tobacco sales vary from state to state across the country.
Some cities and counties have their laws and they may be drastically different from a neighboring municipality.
A company the size of Postmates would find it incredibly difficult to operate with so many legal changes happening around their drivers.
One mistake could mean a driver facing criminal charges for not adhering to the law.
3. Health
Many retail establishments have stopped selling cigarettes because of the stigma regarding their effect on health.
It is no secret that cigarette smoking is bad for your health.
Using a vape is believed to be somewhat better but has not yet been proven.
Many delivery services are opting to lean in the same direction.
Is There an App That Will Deliver Tobacco?
If you need to get cigarettes, cigars, or vapes and cannot get out to get them yourself, there are still some companies that will help you.
Check the website and find out what restrictions your service has.
Can DoorDash Get You Tobacco?
There was a time when DoorDash would deliver cigarettes in some markets.
That policy has changed recently, and they no longer offer the ability to order tobacco products on their website or app.
Like Postmates, they find it hard to maneuver the many laws and regulations across the country.
There is a loophole in DoorDash’s policy.
They have Drive and Whitelabel delivery merchants where customers will place orders on that business’s website. DoorDash will then fulfill the delivery.
If you order tobacco products from one of those stores, they will be able to send them to you through DoorDash.
Can You Get Tobacco Through Instacart?
Instacart is mainly a service that delivers groceries.
They will not deliver cigarettes, vapes, pipes, or other tobacco products.
The many variations of laws regarding tobacco also act as a hurdle for them.
However, Instacart has recently started delivering alcohol to its customers in places where it is allowed by law.
When you order alcohol, you will be prompted that ID will be required upon delivery.
When your driver arrives, they will have to scan your driver’s license or some other legal form of ID.
The person they had the alcohol over to must be at least 21 years of age.
Can Uber Eats Bring You Tobacco?
Uber Eats is owned by the same company as Postmates and shares rules.
They will not deliver tobacco or smoking-related accessories.
However, much like Instacart, you can now order alcohol with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that are often asked when people are deciding on a delivery service based on tobacco sales.
Can I order cigarettes online and have them shipped to me?
There are services online that allow you to buy tobacco products on their website and have them shipped to your location.
The postal service is strict about who can ship cigarettes and other products, so be careful that the site you choose is reputable.
Saucey is a popular company that delivers cigarettes, cigars, chewing and rolling tobacco, vapes, rolling papers, and more.
They have all the top brands that can ship right to you.
Can you order cigarettes online?
If you need to order cigarettes and have them delivered, there may be services in your area that can help.
Several convenience store chains offer delivery in their area depending on the local laws.
7-11 owns one such delivery service called 7Now that will deliver anything in the store to your home or business.
You will have to provide your ID upon delivery.
Wrapping Up
Postmates does not deliver tobacco products, but they do have a lot of services that make the lives of its customers much easier.
Having food orders and other products delivered has changed many lives and helped make more people independent.
While Postmates may never change their policies regarding tobacco, they do offer alcohol delivery.
If you need to get cigarettes and other products delivered, some services will do it.
Hopefully, you will be able to use Postmates for another delivery in the future.
