Careem UAE: delivery, returns and customer service
Reviewed by Fadi NasserUpdated
In short
This page covers the practical side of Careem Food in the UAE: how to reach support about an order, where it delivers, what to do when something is missing, how payment works and how the Careem Plus subscription is started and stopped. Two numbers matter most: the Plus subscription is AED 19 per month, and Dubai alone has over 9,000 restaurants on the service.
| Free delivery from | Not published |
|---|---|
| Standard delivery fee | Not published |
| Return window | Not published |
| Free returns | Not published |
| Cash on delivery | Not published |
| Pay later | Not published |
From Careem’s own pages for UAE, read .
Customer service
Careem Food support runs through the app rather than a published phone number or email address. For a problem with a specific order, the route is Activities in the bottom menu, then Food, then the order in question. Tap Help in the top right corner, and from that screen you can call the Careem help centre.
For general questions that are not tied to one order, Careem points to its online help centre at help.careem.com. Careem Plus members also get priority support from senior agents, according to the Plus page. Careem does not publish support hours on the two pages we read, so we cannot say whether phone help is available at every hour that food delivery runs.
Delivery areas and times
Careem describes its food service as 24/7 delivery in the Careem app. Dubai is the core market: one part of the food page counts more than 9,000 restaurants there, while its opening line mentions 9,500 restaurants, so treat the exact figure as approximate. The service has also expanded to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
There is no single delivery time. Careem says the expected time depends on the restaurant and on your location, and it shows that estimate in each restaurant's listing before you order.
Neither page gives a fixed delivery charge or a basket minimum. Without a subscription, the fee for your address appears at checkout. With Careem Plus, Careem says there is no delivery fee on food orders, and the Plus page states no minimum basket for that benefit.
Order problems: missing, wrong or not delivered
Careem's food page does not describe live tracking or how to change an order once it is placed, so we cannot give steps for either. What it does describe is the procedure when an order arrives incomplete, arrives wrong or does not arrive at all.
- Open the Careem app and tap Activities in the bottom menu.
- Choose Food, then select your most recent order, or the order that went wrong.
- Tap Help in the top right corner of the order screen.
- Call the help centre from there and explain what is missing or wrong.
Cancelling an order or a Plus subscription
Careem does not publish a cancellation rule for food orders on the pages we read: there is no stated cut-off time, fee or refund method. If you need to cancel, the in-app Help screen on the order is the place to start.
Cancelling Careem Plus is better documented. Careem says you keep all your benefits after cancelling, and the subscription simply does not renew at the end of the current term. In practice, if you paid AED 19 for this month and cancel halfway through, free food delivery continues until that month runs out. The Plus page does not give step-by-step cancellation instructions or say whether part of a month is refunded.
Payment methods
Careem asks you to add card details and save them when you make your first booking. To add another card later, open your profile and choose add new under the Cards section. You can also pay from your Careem wallet balance instead of a card.
The food page does not mention cash on delivery, Apple Pay, Tabby or Tamara. Careem does not publish how refunds for a food order are paid back, whether to the card, to the wallet or another way, so check the outcome with the help centre when you raise a problem.
Careem Plus: what it includes and how to join
Plus is a monthly subscription priced at AED 19 on the food page. For food, it removes the delivery fee and adds member discounts at thousands of restaurants. Quik grocery orders also get unlimited free delivery and member discounts.
Outside food, the Plus page lists 10% back on 10 rides, including Hala Taxi, paid into your Careem Pay wallet; buy-one-get-one deals and discounts on DineOut; 30% off unlimited daily bike passes; zero fees and member rates on global transfers through Careem Pay; and 10% off home services such as cleaning, laundry and salon and spa visits.
To join, tap Careem Plus in the app, then Subscribe now to pay. Your savings are shown on your Careem Plus profile. Careem says Plus benefits can be combined with other discounts on food and groceries; offers on the coupon page work alongside it.
Saving at Careem in the UAE
The strongest offer right now: Careem Plus: unlimited free food delivery for AED 19 a month. All Careem codes in the UAE
Frequently asked questions
How do I contact Careem about a missing food order?
Through the order itself in the app. Tap Activities, choose Food, open the order, tap Help in the top right corner and call the help centre from that screen. Careem says its care agents assist immediately.
How long does Careem Food delivery take in the UAE?
It depends on the restaurant and your location. Careem does not publish one standard time; instead, each restaurant's listing in the app shows its own estimate before you order. Delivery itself is offered around the clock in the Careem app, so late-night orders are possible, but the estimate on the restaurant page is the number to rely on.
What happens to my benefits if I cancel Careem Plus?
You keep them until the current term ends. Careem says cancelling stops the subscription from renewing at the end of the period you have already paid for, and all benefits stay active until then. So free food delivery, Quik delivery and the other perks carry on for the rest of that month. Careem does not say whether any unused part of the month is refunded.
How do I add a new card to Careem?
Open your profile in the Careem app and choose add new under the Cards section. Careem also asks you to add and save card details the first time you make a booking. Once a card is saved, it can be used for food orders, and you can also pay from your Careem wallet balance instead. Cash on delivery is not mentioned on the food page.
Does Careem Plus give anything on rides?
Yes. The Plus page lists 10% back on 10 rides, which includes Hala Taxi trips, and the money is credited to your Careem Pay wallet rather than taken off the fare. Plus also adds 30% off unlimited daily bike passes and deals on DineOut.
Where can I find Careem help outside the app?
At help.careem.com, which is the help centre Careem links from its food and Plus pages. For a problem with a specific food order, Careem's published route is still the Help button on that order inside the app, which leads to a call with the help centre.