This guide explains how to register, onboard, and go live on Careem Food. It is written for founders and operators who want a simple, step-by-step checklist.
If you are launching a cloud kitchen or delivery-only restaurant in the UAE, Careem Food is a growing platform worth listing on. Careem launched its food delivery service in Dubai in 2020 and has since expanded across the UAE, giving restaurants access to a customer base that already uses Careem for ride-hailing and other everyday services.
Because Careem operates as a multi-service app, your brand can reach customers who may not be active on other standalone food delivery platforms. Competition on Careem Food is also lower than on Talabat, which makes it a useful platform for building early order volume and reviews.
This guide explains how to register on Careem Food, what documents you need, and how the onboarding process typically works. Whether you are starting a new delivery brand or expanding to additional platforms, this step-by-step guide will help you understand the Careem Food partner registration process.
To sign up as a restaurant partner on Careem Food in the UAE, you can reach out directly to the Careem Food partnerships team at partners.uae@careem.com or visit the Careem for Business portal to begin the registration process.
Note: Careem uses a partner signup flow for restaurants and cloud kitchens. For a faster and smoother process, partner with FoodWork who can coordinate your onboarding directly.
Once you access the registration form, fill in your basic business information including your restaurant name, kitchen address, contact details, and cuisine type. Careem uses this information to ensure your brand appears correctly to customers searching in your area.
Careem will request verification documents to confirm your business is legitimate. Trade license and food safety compliance approvals are typically required. Once submitted, Careem reviews your application and notifies you via email or your Careem business account when approved or if additional information is needed.
Keep your documents ready before applying. It reduces back-and-forth and speeds up approval.
After approval, log in to your Careem business account and complete your restaurant profile. This includes uploading high-quality images of your food, writing descriptions for your dishes, setting your menu and pricing, and confirming your operational hours.
The Careem food offer sits inside the wider Careem super app, alongside rides, grocery and payments. Here is what you need, what it costs, how long it takes and why applications get held up.
A valid UAE trade licence whose activity covers food preparation, catering or delivery. If the activity line is wrong, nothing else matters.
A food establishment permit from the relevant authority: Dubai Municipality, ADAFSA in Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah Municipality.
A licensed commercial kitchen address with a Makani number or map pin. Residential addresses need a home food licence.
Establishment card, memorandum of association where applicable, and the passport and Emirates ID of the authorised signatory.
An IBAN letter for an account in the licensed company name. Personal accounts are refused.
Your TRN certificate if the business is VAT registered.
The brand name as it appears on the licence, or an NOC if you trade under a different name.
A complete menu with item names, descriptions, prices, modifiers and allergen notes.
Original photographs shot to the platform image spec. Stock and watermarked images are rejected.
A phone number and email that is monitored during trading hours for order and rider issues.
Have all ten ready before you open the application. Every item missing on day one adds days, and in some cases restarts the review.
Commission is the largest single line in a delivery-only P&L, so model it before you sign rather than after your first payout.
| Line | Indicative rate | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Commission model | Reported as a per-order and subscription structure rather than a flat percentage | Careem has used a lower-percentage or fee-per-order model to win partners from the larger platforms |
| Indicative per-order fee | Around AED 1.80 per order, plus a delivery fee of roughly AED 6.50 | Reported figures, not published rates |
| Payment processing | About 2.5% to 3% | Charged on card orders |
| Registration | Normally no joining fee | Confirm, since promotional terms change |
Careem food commercials have changed more than any other UAE platform, and reported structures differ between sources. Treat the figures above as a starting point for the conversation and get the current rate card in writing before you sign.
These are indicative market ranges gathered from UAE operators and public reporting, not published rate cards. Platforms negotiate individually and terms change, so treat the figures as a planning range and confirm the rate in your own contract before you commit.
Each stage below assumes your documents are complete and correct. The clock restarts on any stage where the platform has to come back to you.
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Application submitted | Same day | Partner form completed with licence and contact details |
| Account and document review | 2 to 5 working days | Trade licence, food permit and bank details checked |
| Contract issued and signed | 1 to 3 working days | Fee structure and delivery model confirmed |
| Menu build and photo approval | 3 to 7 working days | Menu loaded into the partner dashboard |
| Go live | 1 to 3 working days | Listing switched on in your delivery zone |
Two to four weeks from application to first order, assuming documents are complete on day one.
Almost every stalled application in the UAE comes down to one of these. Check them before you submit, not after the rejection email.
Careem's lower competition means new brands can rank and gain visibility faster than on larger platforms. Consistent fulfilment and quality from your first orders will help you accumulate positive reviews quickly, which compound over time.
Careem's partner FAQ specifically highlights that menus with relevant upsells generate higher average order values. Adding sides, drinks, and combo options to your menu is one of the simplest ways to increase revenue per order on the platform.
Fix operational causes of low reviews first, then scale volume. Otherwise recovery becomes slow. If you need to raise changes to your menu or operations, Careem's partner support team can be reached through the Partner Helpdesk.
Careem charges an onboarding fee for restaurant partners. The standard onboarding fee is AED 1,500, though this may vary. Always confirm the current commercial terms during the registration process.
It depends on document readiness and how quickly your profile is completed. Most brands are live within 1 to 2 weeks of submitting all required information.
Most delays come from mismatched license details, missing approvals, or incomplete profile setup. Menu changes on Careem can take up to 7 working days to reflect, so having your menu finalised before going live is important.
Careem onboarding becomes straightforward when your documents, menu, and operations are ready before you apply. If you want faster onboarding and a clean launch, FoodWork coordinates your documentation, platform registration, menu setup, listing readiness, and launch hygiene.
Share a few details and our team will guide you through the onboarding process on WhatsApp.
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