Uber has long enabled customers to schedule rides but it didn’t lock in the fare. The app gave them an idea of what their ride might cost but if factors on the ground changed when they actually took the ride, they could end up paying more than what they had anticipated. Ahead of the holiday season when many people will be flying home and likely taking Ubers to reach their destination, the ride-hailing company has now introduced upfront pricing for scheduled rides.
When customers schedule an Uber an hour before their pickup time starting today, they will be shown the fare upfront. That amount will be what they would pay when they reach their destination, there aren’t going to be any surprises.
Customers will see a window pop up after they confirm their ride which will tell them that their ride has been scheduled. The window is also going to let them know precisely how much they would have to pay for the ride.
The app used to give an estimate of the fare previously so it wasn’t uncommon for customers to end up being charged more, particularly if surge pricing was in effect at that time.
Uber says that it has decided to make this change to ease the stress of travel for its customers. Many of its customers have had bad experiences when popular events or bad weather caused their fares to go up. It has finally addressed that pain point.