Uber has announced that it is launching Uber Rewards, just days after its rival, Lyft, announced its own. Anyone can enroll in the program at no extra cost in order to gain additional perks. Initially, the firm will bring the service to nine cities in the United States before rolling it out to all customers inside the country. The firm didn’t mention anything about an international rollout.
With Uber Rewards, users will earn points on every Uber and Uber Eats payment, as you earn points, you’ll rank up through four membership levels, Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond, each with their own perks. You’ll earn one point for every eligible dollar spent on UberPool and Uber Eats orders, you’ll get two points for UberX, UberXL, Select, and WAV, and three points for Black and Black SUV.
Here’s what each will get for you: At the Blue level and above, you"ll be credited with $5 to your Uber Cash balance each time you earn 500 points. This cash can be spent on Uber rides and Uber Eats.
Once you’ve got those initial 500 points you’ll graduate to Gold membership which allows you to cancel and rebook eligible trips within 15 minutes and get your cancellation fee refunded. Gold members will also get quicker support responses on Uber and Uber Eats. Once you’ve gathered 2,500 points, you’ll be put on the Platinum tier, this gives you all the previous perks plus price protection on route and priority pickups.
The last tier is Diamond tier, you’ll attain this rank once you amass 7,500 points. In addition to the perks listed above, you’ll also get premium support with dedicated phone support that is available 24/7. Every now and again you’ll also get premium products like Uber Black at no extra cost and you can access highly-rated drivers. Diamond members can also get three orders, without a delivery fee, every six months.
The ranks are not permanent, earning periods last for six months from signing up, when you unlock a tier you’ll get to keep it for the rest of the six month period and the following six months after that, essentially if you want to maintain your rank, you’ll have to continue using the service regularly.
Rewards will be available in Miami, New Jersey, Denver, Tampa, New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, and San Diego initially. If you want to get a head start, join the waitlist and all your eligible dollars spent on Uber and Uber Eats in the six months prior to joining Uber Rewards will be counted toward your membership level so you may automatically jump to a higher tier by the time it comes to your area.