Uber New Driver App Changes Surge Pricing
Historically on Uber, the entire area surged together. This could be good for high demand areas in the city where it may not be as high due to the entire city averaging one surge pricing. However, if you’re far away from downtown, suddenly your fare is a lot higher thanks to all the people downtown (assuming the surge is coming from downtown). Well this will all change:
This was the email I received a few hours ago. This may give Uber customers more insight about how surge pricing now works. I will see this week during the work commute (morning and night) to see if this has any large effect on the daily Uber commute. I’ll keep an eye on it over the weekend. I expect that some rides will be way more expensive while some will be less expensive. On average fares will probably stay the same.
The app will now also show drivers how much your trip is being surged at. Before, I had to hunt down the fare on the regular UberX app and estimate how much the fare is being surged. Also, there is some notification of what kind of fare it is, Black or SUV. This would only be useful for SUV drivers.
Thanks as always for partnering with Uber! We wanted to let you know about a couple new app features that will start on Tuesday, January 21st.
- Surge pricing by location and new maps
- Request screen with vehicle information
- Heatmaps removed temporarily
SURGE PRICING BY LOCATION
During times of high demand, surge pricing will be in effect. Currently, the whole coverage area surges exactly the same. Starting tomorrow, our surge mechanism to allow different parts of the city to surge differently depending on demand. Instead of surge rates the same across the region, rates could be higher in one area compared to another.
This should ensure that you receive surge pricing whenever cars are scarce in your neighborhood, whether you’re in Downtown, or the near suburbs.
Red = Surge pricing
- The busiest area, where fares are raised to match demand.
Tapping the “i” button in the bottom right corner brings up more options to toggle Heat Maps on and off as well as viewing the Waybill and other information.
VEHICLE & SURGE INFO ON REQUEST
At all parts of the trip, you will now see the vehicle that your client requested. So if you drive an SUV, it is easier to see if they requested BLACK vs SUV.
If your client requested during surge times, we will show the surge multiplier for the trip. You will see the surge amount during all points of the trip, from the request screen through the rating screen.
GENERAL HEATMAPS REMOVED TEMPORARILY
For the next few weeks, you will not see heatmaps. We will be bringing them back shortly with some major improvements. You will still be able to see specific areas that are surging, which will show you the busiest areas at the busiest times.
- New Uber Drivers will get up to a $800 bonus after signing up: Sign up for Uber.
- New Lyft Drivers will get up to $800 if you sign up here using this link.