Uber closing rewards program in favor of pushing Uber One subscription

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in iOS
Ride-hailing service Uber is closing down its loyalty program, Uber Rewards, with users being urged to sign up for the Uber One subscription to get regular Uber and Uber Eats discounts.




Since 2018, Uber Rewards provided users with discounted rides and food deliveries, by earning points from spending money on the service. The free-to-join loyalty program is now being wound up, in favor of a paid alternative.

In an email to Uber Rewards users seen by The Verge and an update to support pages, users are warned that Uber Rewards is ending on November 1, 2022. Participants will continue to earn rewards points until August 31 and will have until October 31 to redeem any points in their account against any applicable rewards.

Uber won't be replacing Uber Rewards directly, but instead is nudging users in the direction of Uber One. All Uber Rewards users will be able to try out the Uber One membership free for a month, according to the email.

Rather than requiring users to earn rewards, Uber One instead works from a monthly fee of $9.99 or $49.99 per year. For that fee, users get to place Uber Eats orders without paying a delivery fee, get up to 10% off eligible Uber Eats deliveries and pickup orders, 5% off Uber rides from top-rated drivers, and other bonuses.

The closure of Uber Rewards may be unwelcome to high-volume users of the service, since they would also be high points earners. Earning 7,500 points designated a user as "Diamond tier," which provided premium customer support, three free Uber Eats deliveries, and complimentary ride upgrades, among other bonuses.

Diamond tier customers will still have phone support after Uber Rewards' closure, Uber claims.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    mac_dogmac_dog Posts: 1,069member
    Oh, man…..
  • Reply 2 of 7
    This is disappointing news. I’m an Uber One member but without the rewards I don’t think it will be worth it 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 7
    jimh2jimh2 Posts: 614member
    To be expected. Their business model of subsidized fares until the competition is choked out was never a viable one. Undercutting everyone on price with investor money is not capitalism. 

    I don’t see them surviving any type of recession or financial slowdown. I do expect Lyft to merge with them as the only way they both can survive, much like Sirius and XM did. 
    JaiOh81watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 7
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,847member
    Uber scab now if only AirBNB can can join in some lower Hell.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 5 of 7
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    I'm amazed that anyone has anything to do with this scuzzy company, rewards or no.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    crowley said:
    I'm amazed that anyone has anything to do with this scuzzy company, rewards or no.
    I’ve lived in NYC my entire life and yellow cabs have always been terrible. They’re not what people see in the movies. Their laziness and discriminatory practices are the reason Uber and Lyft exploded here. Even after they were crying about going broke and several of them committed suicide they would still ask where you’re going before unlocking their doors. I have absolutely no sympathy for them. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Uber is a saint. But yellow cab drivers are worse. 
  • Reply 7 of 7
    payecopayeco Posts: 581member
    The rewards program sucked anyway. The discounts were capped at such a low dollar amount that they were practically worthless.
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