You can now buy prepaid passes for your Uber rides
What's the story
Uber has introduced a new feature, prepaid passes, to help customers save money on their frequently traveled routes. The passes are offered in bundles of five, 10, 15, or 20 rides at a discounted price. The discount varies from 5% to as much as 20%, depending on the number of prepaid passes purchased in advance.
Marketing approach
Price comparison to market prepaid passes
Uber plans to market these prepaid passes by comparing the fare of a single ride with that of a bulk purchase. For example, a ride from Lower Manhattan to Midtown in New York could cost around $19 but could go up to $30 during surge pricing. However, those who buy passes in bulk won't have to pay the higher price, according to Uber.
Usage
How do prepaid passes work?
When buying the prepaid passes, customers choose a one-hour request window during which they usually book rides. Uber then shows a countdown to let customers know how many passes are left. The facility has been launched in 75 cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, and Los Angeles among others.
Feature expansion
Price-lock feature expanded to all major US cities
Along with prepaid passes, Uber is also expanding its price-lock feature. This lets a customer lock in a certain price for up to 10 routes, for a monthly fee of $2.99. If the upfront cost is lower than the locked-in one, customers shall get that lower fare. The feature was first offered in select cities but is now available in every major US city and Brazil.