Uber, the world’s largest on-demand ride-sharing company, has announced the rollout of its driver rewards program ‘Uber Plus’. The new loyalty program enables Uber’s driver partners to earn points for rides so that they can win free doctor consultations, concessions on education modules, access to microloans, faster airport pickups, and savings on vehicle maintenance costs.
These points will be earned over a fixed period of every three months and can be accumulated to unlock higher tiers such as Blue, Gold, Platinum and Diamond, which in turn will enable driver partners to access better rewards.
After an initial pilot phase in Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh and Mumbai, Uber Plus has now been rolled out across 10 new cities in the country, including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kochi, Guwahati and Jaipur.
Prabhjeet Singh, Head of Cities, Uber India and South Asia, said, “We, at Uber, have always believed that there is no Uber without our driver partners. We have always worked towards prioritizing their welfare and making them feel valued, respected and appreciated. Uber Plus is a sincere effort in that direction and will enable our driver partners to access greater benefits during their everyday journeys so that they can accomplish their dreams.”
All rewards and offers are only available to drivers who use the Uber driver app, are participating in Uber Plus, and meet applicable criteria.
How Uber Plus Works
Uber Plus is a tiered rewards system with four levels, Blue, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. All drivers in the 13 cities will start at the Blue tier. To unlock rewards in the Gold, Platinum or Diamond tiers, drivers need to maintain at least a threshold star rating, a low cancellation rate, and a threshold acceptance rate. Drivers earn points on every trip during fixed 3 month periods which go towards unlocking a status. Drivers earn more points for trips done during peak hours.
Singh stated, “Under the programme, the Uber drivers get access to four tiers. To unlock these awards, they need to maintain a certain threshold rating and keep a low cancellation rate to unlock access to these benefits. We have always worked towards prioritising their welfare and making them feel valued, respected and appreciated. 'Uber Plus' is an effort in that direction and will enable our driver-partners to access greater benefits during their everyday journeys.”
Drivers can learn about Uber Plus, see available rewards, and track progress toward their goals directly in the rewards section of the Driver App. Riders will also be able to see a driver’s Uber Plus tier in the app when they request a ride.
Drivers are not adversely impacted if they don’t take trips. This is a reward programme designed to enhance the experience of drivers choosing to use the Uber app.
“We encourage riders to flag such cases if the driver cancels because the mode of payment is not cash, etc. That will help us take strict action against such drivers. We want to encourage behavior which helps improve the marketplace reliability. Less the cancellation, the chances of the trip getting completed go up and, overall, the network efficiency increases,” he further added.
