India’s uberAuto Rickshaw Business Accepts Cash

If you’re in New Delhi, you can now use Uber to get a rickshaw ride — and you can pay for that ride in cash.

Yesterday (April 9), the mobile app-based transportation company launched uberAUTO, which provides an option for the app’s users to hail rickshaws. The service, debuting in India’s capital, is additionally notable for being the first Uber product that is (for now, at least) payable on a cash-only basis.

As Uber explains in the release on its website, “When it comes to getting around Delhi, auto-rickshaws are a staple. We [recognize] the history and value of autos to the transportation landscape. For us, uberAUTO is another way of using technology to offer more choice, making life simpler and keep Delhi moving.”

UberAUTO functions as another option on the platform (joining options such as uberGO, uberX and UberBLACK). Unlike its predecessors, however, if selected, riders pay for uberAUTO in cash (rather than with a credit card programmed into their Uber accounts) at the end of their trip; the amount is based on the government-approved metered fare.

Because the uberAUTO service currently requires fare to be paid for via cash, fare adjustments are not possible, the blog post clarifies. The blog added that users can book an uberAUTO without a minimum balance in a user’s Paytm wallet (the India-based mobile payments service that Uber has integrated).

Of uberAUTO, the company additionally states that “Autos are an iconic and ubiquitous part of the Delhi landscape and we are excited to have them as another option on the Uber platform.”