Uber, the ride-hailing company, announced on Wednesday (Nov. 14) Uber Rewards, a new loyalty program that lets customers earn every time they use Uber or Uber Eats.
In a company blog post, Uber said the new program provides users with four membership levels, including Blue, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. The program is free to join and will eventually cover its bikes and scooters.
Once a user signs up, they start earning one point for every eligible dollar spent on UberPool and Uber Eats orders; two points for UberX, UberXL, Select and WAV; and three points for Black and Black SUV. Once a customer earns 500 points, they advance from Blue to Gold. At 2,500 points, the customer advances to Platinum and at 7,500 points, advances to Diamond. The earnings periods are six months in length and are tied to the date the customer joins the program. When an Uber user unlocks a tier, he or she has that tier for the remaining earnings period and the next six months, Uber said.
“Our customers have told us they want to see a return on their everyday spend, and care about price consistency, being on time and the quality of their experience. So we kept this feedback top of mind as we designed the benefits,” wrote Holly Ormseth, product lead, Uber Rewards in the blog post. “Once you opt into the program, you’ll get $5 added to your Uber Cash balance for every 500 points earned, regardless of your membership level. Your Uber Cash balance can be spent on both rides and Uber Eats.”
Customers who reach the Gold membership level will be awarded with flexible cancellations, which means they can cancel and rebook an eligible Uber trip within 15 minutes and have the cancellation fee refunded. Gold members also get priority support, which means faster response times across Uber and Uber Eats. Platinum members get all the benefits of Gold members, plus price protection on a route and priority pickups to reduce wait times at most airports. The highest membership level is Diamond, which includes Gold and Platinum membership benefits in addition to premium support, with fast, 24/7 response times from experienced customer support agents. Diamond customers also get complimentary surprise upgrades from UberX to premium products like Uber Black at no extra cost, and a special “UberX Diamond” option that includes access to highly rated drivers. Finally, Diamond members receive no delivery fee on three Uber Eats orders every six months.
Uber is starting the program in nine cities, including Miami, New Jersey, Denver, Tampa, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Diego and Washington, D.C. More cities will be rolling out in the next few months.