Postmates is an on-demand food and grocery delivery service through which you can order almost anything you want from nearby stores to have it delivered to your doorstep.
So what does ‘almost anything’ mean? Does Postmates deliver cigarettes and how can you place your order of cigarettes on Postmates if so?
Does Postmates Deliver Cigarettes?
You can no longer have cigarettes delivered via Postmates. Ever since UberEats acquired Postmates in 2020, they discontinues their delivery service of cigarettes, tobacco, and liquor.
Since the recent merge between Postmates and UberEats, Postmates has shared an official statement that they will no longer be able to deliver cigarettes due to the change in their policy.
Can I Have Cigarettes Delivered?
Yes, you can have cigarettes delivered to your doorstep by using other delivery apps and having a valid ID upon delivery.
Some of the best apps to place an order of cigarettes are DoorDash and Amazon. .
Is Cigarette Delivery Illegal?
It is not illegal to order cigarettes online or use a delivery service, like DoorDash to deliver them. However, this varies by state.
In the United States of America, laws are very strict regarding the tobacco industry and they are heavily regulated.
These laws state that the relevant delivery driver will be held responsible in case caught selling tobacco products to minors who are underage. These laws not only limit customers, but they are applicable to delivery drivers as well as they should be older than 21 years old.
Online food delivery services have created some restricted areas or locations where delivery drivers can’t deliver anything illegal. Some prime examples of such restricted locations are as follows.
- Public or private school
- Hospitals & health care facilities
- Sports venues
- The place hosting a sporting event
- College campus
- Prison and reformatory
- veterans’ home and state capitol grounds
- P.O. Boxes
- Locker or similar package storage service
- Other business that sells tobacco products
As a delivery driver, if you have already picked up an order but don’t want to deliver it, contact the customer support number to share the whole situation with them. And they will transfer the order to a new delivery driver.
How Do I Order Cigarettes Online?
Regardless of the app, the way to order cigarettes online is fairly similiar accross the board. It is not much different than ordering food with some minor tweaks for tobacco-related products to stop sales to minors.
Here is a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process of ordering tobacco products from delivery app:
- Open the app (DoorDash or Amazon) website and enter your address
- Tap on the ‘Find Food’ button to start searching for your favorite item
- Type the name or keyword related to the item to search fast
- Choose the desired item
- Pay for the order or choose Cash on Delivery (if available)
- Enter address and contact information
From there, you’re set to go. You’ll see the ETA on your app and will receive your products soon.
This varies state-to-state. Some states don’t allow the selling of tobacco products to anyone while others have relaxed laws.
In some states, delivery drivers can deliver such items to those who are more than 21 years old. If you live in a state where tobacco is allowed, you only need to show the delivery driver I.D., and they will scan it on their mobile phones to check for its authenticity. A driving license, passport, national identification card, etc., are sufficient to prove your age, and so you can receive your order of tobacco products.
Conclusion
Postmates used to deliver cigarettes along with other tobacco-related products and liquors, but ever since they were bough by UberEats they have discontinued the service.
You can still order cigarettes online legally through various apps, like DoorDash, as long as you have a valid ID present at time of delivery and your state permits it.