How to Save Money on Uber

*This post has been reviewed by an Illinois Registered CPA. However, when making important financial decisions, it's best to speak with your financial advisor.

Last Updated on August 27, 2022

Saving Money on Uber

Uber is one of the most popular ride-sharing services worldwide. Many people prefer this service over other transportation options, and for good reason. Uber typically costs less than taxis. It is convenient, easy to access, and fast. If you’re a fan of this ride-sharing company, you might already feel like you’re saving money.

Compared to calling a cab, Uber can prove faster and is usually cheaper in most cities. Yet, there is more to it. You can lower the amount you spend on Uber each month. Below are tips to help guide you learn how to save money on Uber.

How To Save Money on Uber with Discounts

Saving money on Uber is like saving money on any other service or product. The easiest way to do it is by accessing the available discounts. Uber is not the only ride-sharing service on the market. It’s only normal for the company to strive to get and retain customers. For this, Uber offers different rewards.

To make sure you don’t miss out, check your app regularly. Also, check your email to see if you have any promotional offers from Uber. The biggest chance you have to nail a discount is at the very beginning. Right after you create your Uber account, you might be able to access a discount, for example, by using a promo code or a referral code.

Uber offers regular discounts through promo codes. To make sure you don’t miss out, stay connected to your app. See what notifications you get. Take the time to read the promotional messages. Go through each offer’s terms and conditions to fully understand and leverage it.

Many promotions have a fixed deadline. If you don’t subscribe or claim your rewards on time, they can expire. Small discounts can help you achieve significant savings too.

Use referrals

You can also gain benefits through Uber referrals. Check out if there are any such promotions available. All you have to do is tell a friend to get an Uber account too. Once they create it, you can enjoy a discount or promotion. To gain referral discounts, you need to send your friends a link. They have to use that specific link when creating their account.

Subscribing to Uber via a referral link is beneficial to both of you. Your friend will also enjoy advantages they wouldn’t get if they signed up directly via the app.

How to Save Money on Uber via Third Parties

Saving money on Uber doesn’t depend on the company’s willingness to reward clients. Nowadays, many companies partner with each other to gain more exposure and customers. There are all sorts of affiliations and rewards systems you can benefit from.

One example is the Uber Debit Card, which is an exclusive checking account supported by GoBank. The card enables you to earn rewards as you make payments. Some of the benefits you can enjoy include

• 1% cash back reward on all purchases
• 3% cash back at Exxon stations
• 10% cash back at Advance Auto
• 15% discount on select Jiffy Lube services

Check out apps like Freebird

Freebird is a rideshare rewards app. Besides helping you access ride-sharing services, Freebird provides other advantages too. This user-friendly app can connect you to Uber. If you choose to access Uber via Freebird, you will enjoy ride share cashback rewards.

You can also enjoy reduced ride fares through this app. The incentives apply when you visit certain locations. For example, if you go to specific restaurants in the app’s network.

Freebird is easy to use. You have to create an account, choose your location or the desired destination, and then take an Uber ride. The app is available both on iOS and Android. More bonuses are available when you pay for a product or service using the card linked to this app.

To claim the rewards, you have to check their status. They become available when it changes from pending to posted.

Check out the Uber Rewards Programs

The Uber Rewards program enables you to earn points while paying for your rides. These rewards points apply by default to any ride if you subscribe to the program. You can earn rewards for every dollar you spend. There is no minimum ride fee.

After you already have an account, joining the program is easy. Access your account and look for the Uber Rewards program in the menu. You will find it next to the Payment and Help sections.

Joining the program doesn’t take much time, and it is free. Besides rewards for rides, this program also grants you rewards on Uber Eats. This program also helps you save money on:

• Uber x (2x point)
• Uber Black (3x points)

In short, the rewards system looks like this

Number of reward points	How you earn them
One point	For each eligible dollar
Two points	For UberXL, UberX, Uber Green, Uber Select, Uber Comfort, Uber Connect, Uber WAV Assist, Uber Pet.
Three points	For Uber Black and Uber Black SUV

The points you get through this program are converted into Uber Cash. The rewards work like any other cashback reward system. You can only use them with Uber. It’s also possible to choose specific rewards or prizes Uber offers.

Then, use your rewards points to get them. You will need a minimum number of points depending on the reward you want to exchange them for. Check out the Uber Rewards section in the Uber application to see the available rewards.

Make sure you use the reward points before they expire. For some members, converting the points into rewards is only possible for 28 days. Also, you might need to collect a minimum of 500 points to get rewards.

Understand the reward program’s tiers and all its benefits

Uber offers plenty of advantages through its rewards program. Take time to go through the Uber program benefits terms to understand these benefits. There are four different membership tiers

• Blue

The first tier allows you to earn points and enjoy available rewards.

• Gold

The second tier also offers priority support and flexible cancellations.

• Platinum

The Platinum tier allows you to enjoy your favorite route point boosts.

• Diamond

The Diamond tier brings extra perks

1. Rides point boosts (earn 3 extra reward points for the first 5 Uber Black and Black SUV rides)
2. Access to premium support
3. Double points on Uber Eats
4. The best-rated drivers

Find the Best Uber Plan for Your Needs

Ride-sharing companies like Uber offer all sorts of subscription plans and prices. That might make it a bit hard to choose one, but take your time to study the entire range of options. That might make it a bit hard to choose one. But take your time to study the entire range of options. Some are more beneficial than others, depending on how often you use the service.

If you only need it every once in a while, a simple account can be enough. You can create it in minutes. Then, link a payment method to your account, and you’re done. Yet, if you need a ride more often, study the available options.

A subscription plan might benefit you more. You will have to pay a monthly fee, but you’ll enjoy rides without tracking their price every time you use Uber. You can choose a flat-rate monthly offer. Calculate if this is convenient for you. Here is an action plan that can help you out:

1. Create an Uber account.
2. Use the basic service for a month. Track all the rides and their prices.
3. At the end of the month, calculate the total Uber fare.
4. Compare it with the subscription plans’ prices.

This simple comparison will show you which option is more economical for you. Also, take into account how often you traveled and why. If you carry out the comparison in a busy month, it might not be relevant. Think about your regular commuting habits and needs. How often do you need a ride? This question can help you pinpoint the Uber plan that’s best suited for your pocket.

Calculate How Much You Save per Month with Uber

Uber might be better than taxis. In fact, this company disrupted the traditional taxi market. When it entered the market, Uber became recognized as a more affordable and accessible ride option. Yet, taxi services might not be the comparison term you’re used to. If you usually use your car or public transport, Uber might not be that convenient. Public transport usually tends to be a more affordable solution.

If your purpose is to save money, determine how much you spend each month on this service. Check your bank statement to quickly calculate this. If you use internet banking, you can do this in minutes. For an even faster overview, check out the Uber app, and see how much you pay monthly.

Then, calculate how much Uber costs you per year. Here is an example:

Uber fees in a busy month	$90
Uber fees in a regular month	$75
Average Uber fees per month	$82.50
Total amount spent on Uber per year	$990 ($82.50*12)

If you’re like most people, your commuting needs fluctuate. This week, you might need to use Uber four times but next week, you can use it twice as much. That is why in your calculation, you should calculate an average. Check out how much you pay on Uber in a busy and less active month. Then, find the average and multiply it by 12. The result will show you how much you spend on Uber per year, on average.

Compare this cost with other transportation options and with Uber’s subscription prices. A plan might prove more cost-efficient than paying for each ride. Subscriptions are monthly expenses you might try to avoid. If you’re on a limited budget, they can work against you. Many costly subscriptions can also be the reason you can’t fix your credit fast.

With Uber, that is not the case if you use the service often. If you’re worried about adding yet another subscription fee to your monthly payments, use the half-payment method. This strategy helps you save money for recurrent payments.

Follow Uber on Social Media to Access Uber Deals

This company has a strong social media presence. Following them on Facebook and other popular social channels costs nothing and can enable you to find additional deals.

For example, you could access a discount via Facebook. That is usually available for your first ride. To benefit from it, you need to use messenger to contact Uber. Different special promotions are also available on social platforms. The company might only use these channels to announce some of its deals. For this reason, it’s always worth following them to stay up to date.

Use UberPool to Save Money

UberPool is Uber’s carpooling service. That service can help you save money on Uber rides. The reason is that you will share your rides with other passengers and pay less. If this doesn’t bother you, take advantage of this option. You can book a ride via UberPool from airports, for example, to save money on longer distances like these. Here are the main advantages of UberPool

• You can share the cost with other available passengers.
• You will see the expected time of arrival.
• These rides cost less than regular ones.

Sometimes, people book UberPool rides and don’t show up, but you can still take advantage of the lower fee.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I save money on Uber by avoiding surge prices?

Surge is Uber’s pricing policy in cases of high demand. For example, higher prices may be charged after events, during rush hours, or when there’s bad weather. That is when many people book Uber rides. To avoid the high prices, avoid the crowd. If you walk for 10 minutes, you’ll be further from the buzz. Book a ride from that location, and pay a lower fee.

How can someone save money on Uber with discounts?

Do you often wonder why you can’t save money? The reason might be you don’t take advantage of discounts. Uber offers plenty of these as cashback rewards. To access them, you just have to join the service’s free rewards program from the app.

Can I find out how to save money on Uber with a family profile?

This type of account helps you earn more rewards. Everyone who’s included in the profile will pay with the same card. As a result, you’ll gain more cashback on your rides. That means more Uber rewards for you and your family.

How can I save money for Uber by budgeting?

If you need Uber rides, you might want to ensure a budget for this expense. Budgeting helps you put money aside for necessities. It’s a good idea to have a firm monthly budget for each type of expense. The main steps of budgeting are

1. Calculate your income.
2. Determine your expenses.
3. Deduct your expenses from your budget.
4. Allocate the rest of your budget to different spending categories and/or savings.

Two popular budgeting strategies are the 50-30-20 method and the digital envelopes system. Both help you divide your budget into several categories. Once you have clear expense categories, allocate a strict amount of money to each. Then, only spend that amount.

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