Uber Price Cut in 48 Cities – Detailed Analysis – Jan 2015
So the big story last night was Uber cutting prices in 48 cities. You can read Uber’s blog post here about it. Their reasoning is that they want to lower prices during a historically slow part of the year to spur demand. If they wanted to spur demand, they would’ve called these price cuts temporary but they didn’t. As you can see from the list below, the percentages range from a low of 11% in Atlanta to 55% in Lexington. Many of these cities are now getting 24 hour guarantees, ranging from a high of $16-20 per hour during “peak” times (Friday and Saturday nights), $16 an hour during “regular” times, and then $12-$16 during non-peak times. Some cities only have two of these different guarantees (Peak and non-peak) while some cities have three (Peak, Regular, and Non-Peak).
The requirements are just one ride per hour and have to be online for 50 minutes of that hour to qualify for the guarantee, so make sure to work in whole hours, rather than anytime in the hour. Some drivers noted in the past about having difficulties with Uber honoring the guarantee but I personally never had an issue with them. Some of these drivers noted that Uber reported a lower acceptance rating, so they weren’t paid the guarantee, or miscounting the number of hours they were online for.
The price cuts went live in Nashville two days ago and even after the price cut, there were a ton of drivers still online and trying to get a fare. I would expect a similar trend in any of these cities. These drivers haven’t noted how well they are doing with the new guarantee.
I want to note that while these guarantees are not very good, Lyft used to do guarantees like this (and at similar prices) in their new cities when they first launched and tons of people did well with them. I am aware that there were less Lyfts during that time so people drove around less, so less cost to the driver. There were also ways to abuse the guarantee system as well.
Below is the data:
Uber X Fare Cuts (in Percentages)
| Base Fare | Minute | Mile | Average | |
| Albuquerque | 23% | 32% | 26% | 27% |
| Atlanta | 12% | 0% | 22% | 11% |
| Austin | 23% | 37% | 24% | 28% |
| Baltimore | 29% | 0% | 19% | 16% |
| Baton Rouge | 30% | 29% | 16% | 25% |
| Charlotte | 50% | 20% | 40% | 37% |
| Cincinnati | 30% | 28% | 16% | 25% |
| Cleveland | 40% | 36% | 20% | 32% |
| Columbus | 0% | 23% | 23% | 15% |
| Connecticut | 33% | 10% | 21% | 21% |
| Corpus Christi | 43% | 40% | 52% | 45% |
| Dallas | 0% | 12% | 25% | 12% |
| Denver | 0% | 0% | 30% | 10% |
| Detroit | 29% | 17% | 38% | 28% |
| Fayetteville, NC | 23% | 25% | 20% | 23% |
| Fresno | 50% | 32% | 45% | 42% |
| Grand Rapids | 46% | 0% | 38% | 28% |
| Hampton Roads | 33% | 25% | 50% | 36% |
| Indianapolis | 0% | 33% | 27% | 20% |
| Inland Empire | 50% | 28% | 12% | 30% |
| Jacksonville | 0% | 35% | 42% | 26% |
| Kansas City | 35% | 40% | 29% | 35% |
| Lansing | 29% | 10% | 0% | 13% |
| Lexington | 60% | 50% | 54% | 55% |
| Lincoln | 0% | 47% | 26% | 24% |
| Louisville | 23% | 25% | 39% | 29% |
| Madison | 31% | 40% | 16% | 29% |
| Miami | 17% | 20% | 24% | 20% |
| Milwaukee | 37% | 18% | 18% | 25% |
| Minneapolis | 0% | 26% | 21% | 16% |
| Modesto | 50% | 40% | 50% | 47% |
| Oklahoma City | 43% | 11% | 45% | 33% |
| Orlando | 20% | 0% | 38% | 19% |
| Palm Springs | 17% | 0% | 13% | 10% |
| Portland, ME | 14% | 22% | 8% | 15% |
| Providence | 33% | 25% | 38% | 32% |
| Raleigh-Durham | 35% | 20% | 38% | 31% |
| Richmond | 17% | 0% | 16% | 11% |
| Sacramento | 41% | 20% | 27% | 29% |
| Salt Lake City | 13% | 17% | 25% | 18% |
| San Antonio | 38% | 18% | 20% | 25% |
| San Diego | 33% | 10% | 20% | 21% |
| Santa Barbara | 60% | 28% | 39% | 42% |
| Spokane | 33% | 57% | 58% | 49% |
| Toledo | 0% | 47% | 53% | 33% |
| Tucson | 17% | 11% | 26% | 18% |
| Tulsa | 31% | 22% | 28% | 27% |
| Wilmington, NC | 26% | 25% | 20% | 24% |
Here are the list of cities and their fares but sorted per mile. The row on the far right side shows which cities had the price cut yesterday. You can see how many of the price-cut cities are now the lowest in the country by mile:
| Base Fare | Minute | Mile | Safety | Min Fare | Cancel | ||
| ‘Lexington’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.65 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Lexington |
| ‘Corpus Christi’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Corpus Christi |
| ‘Louisville’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Louisville |
| ‘Spokane’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Spokane |
| ‘Toledo’ | 1 | 0.16 | 0.7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Toledo |
| ‘Nashville’ | 1 | 0.14 | 0.73 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
| ‘Charlotte’ | 1 | 0.16 | 0.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Charlotte |
| ‘Detroit’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Detroit |
| ‘Jacksonville’ | 1 | 0.13 | 0.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Jacksonville |
| ‘Orlando’ | 1 | 0.13 | 0.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Orlando |
| ‘Providence’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.75 | 1 | 3 | 10 | Providence |
| ‘Raleigh-Durham’ | 1 | 0.16 | 0.75 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Raleigh-Durham |
| ‘Hampton Roads’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Hampton Roads |
| ‘Indianapolis’ | 1.25 | 0.18 | 0.8 | 1 | 2.25 | 5 | Indianapolis |
| ‘Oklahoma City’ | 1 | 0.16 | 0.8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Oklahoma City |
| ‘Fresno’ | 1 | 0.17 | 0.85 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Fresno |
| ‘Kansas City’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.85 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Kansas City |
| ‘Modesto’ | 1 | 0.15 | 0.85 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Modesto |
| ‘Chicago’ | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1 | 2.7 | 5 | |
| ‘Dallas’ | 0 | 0.15 | 0.9 | 1 | 4 | 6 | Dallas |
| ‘Milwaukee’ | 1.1 | 0.18 | 0.9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Milwaukee |
| ‘Montreal’ | 2.75 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Ottawa’ | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1 | 3.3 | 5 | |
| ‘Toronto’ | 2.75 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1 | 3.75 | 5 | |
| ‘Atlanta’ | 1.15 | 0.16 | 0.95 | 1 | 5 | 6 | Atlanta |
| ‘Denver’ | 1 | 0.16 | 0.95 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Denver |
| ‘Edmonton’ | 2.75 | 0.3 | 0.95 | 1 | 3.75 | 5 | |
| ‘Miami’ | 1 | 0.16 | 0.95 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Miami |
| ‘Sacramento’ | 1 | 0.16 | 0.95 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Sacramento |
| ‘Cleveland’ | 1.2 | 0.16 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Cleveland |
| ‘Columbus’ | 0.5 | 0.17 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Columbus |
| ‘Grand Rapids’ | 1.5 | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Grand Rapids |
| ‘Lincoln’ | 0 | 0.16 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Lincoln |
| ‘San Diego’ | 1.4 | 0.18 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | San Diego |
| ‘Baltimore’ | 1.25 | 0.15 | 1.05 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Baltimore |
| ‘Cincinnati’ | 1.4 | 0.18 | 1.05 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Cincinnati |
| ‘Madison’ | 1.2 | 0.18 | 1.05 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Madison |
| ‘Salt Lake City’ | 1 | 0.15 | 1.05 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Salt Lake City |
| ‘Tulsa’ | 1.2 | 0.14 | 1.05 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Tulsa |
| ‘Houston’ | 1 | 0.15 | 1.1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| ‘Inland Empire’ | 0.8 | 0.21 | 1.1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Inland Empire |
| ‘Los Angeles’ | 0.8 | 0.21 | 1.1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘New Jersey’ | 1.25 | 0.18 | 1.1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Orange County’ | 0.8 | 0.21 | 1.1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Santa Barbara’ | 1.2 | 0.18 | 1.1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Santa Barbara |
| ‘Boston’ | 2 | 0.21 | 1.2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | |
| ‘Fayetteville, NC’ | 1.5 | 0.15 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Fayetteville, NC |
| ‘Fort Myers-Naples’ | 1.25 | 0.13 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Omaha’ | 0.5 | 0.25 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Phoenix’ | 2 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | |
| ‘San Antonio’ | 1 | 0.18 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | San Antonio |
| ‘Sarasota’ | 1.25 | 0.13 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Tampa Bay’ | 1.25 | 0.13 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Wilmington, NC’ | 1.45 | 0.15 | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Wilmington, NC |
| ‘Worcester’ | 2 | 0.21 | 1.2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | |
| ‘Athens’ | 1.3 | 0.16 | 1.22 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |
| ‘Bakersfield’ | 1.9 | 0.25 | 1.25 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Knoxville’ | 2.2 | 0.2 | 1.25 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Pittsburgh’ | 2 | 0.3 | 1.25 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘South Bend’ | 1.9 | 0.25 | 1.25 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| ‘Tucson’ | 1.45 | 0.16 | 1.25 | 1 | 2.45 | 10 | Tucson |
| ‘Ventura’ | 1.61 | 0.29 | 1.25 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Washington D.C.’ | 2 | 0.25 | 1.25 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Albuquerque’ | 1 | 0.17 | 1.3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Albuquerque |
| ‘Ann Arbor’ | 1.3 | 0.18 | 1.3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Austin’ | 1 | 0.19 | 1.3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Austin |
| ‘Minneapolis’ | 0.6 | 0.17 | 1.3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Minneapolis |
| ‘San Francisco’ | 2.2 | 0.26 | 1.3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Baton Rouge’ | 1.75 | 0.25 | 1.35 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Baton Rouge |
| ‘Memphis’ | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.35 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Richmond, VA’ | 1.25 | 0.2 | 1.35 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Richmond |
| ‘Seattle’ | 1.35 | 0.24 | 1.35 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Tacoma’ | 1.35 | 0.24 | 1.35 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Akron’ | 2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Dayton’ | 2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Honolulu’ | 2.15 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Charlottesville, VA’ | 2.75 | 0.25 | 1.5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Connecticut’ | 2 | 0.18 | 1.5 | 1 | 5 | 10 | Connecticut |
| ‘Piedmont Triad, NC’ | 1.95 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| ‘Roanoke-Blacksburg’ | 2.75 | 0.25 | 1.5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Tallahassee’ | 2 | 0.15 | 1.5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Annapolis’ | 2.76 | 0.19 | 1.52 | 1 | 5.6 | 5 | |
| ‘Portland’ | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.55 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Vancouver, Wa’ | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.55 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Auburn, AL’ | 1.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Chattanooga’ | 1.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Des Moines’ | 1.75 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Flint’ | 2.8 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| ‘Kalamazoo’ | 2.8 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| ‘Lansing’ | 2 | 0.18 | 1.6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Lansing |
| ‘Tuscaloosa’ | 1.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Fayetteville, AR’ | 2.5 | 0.2 | 1.65 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| ‘Jackson’ | 2.5 | 0.2 | 1.65 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Little Rock’ | 2.5 | 0.2 | 1.65 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Wichita’ | 2 | 0.2 | 1.65 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Flagstaff’ | 2 | 0.18 | 1.7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Amarillo’ | 1.9 | 0.25 | 1.75 | 1 | 5.7 | 5 | |
| ‘Boise’ | 2.5 | 0.25 | 1.75 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Charleston, SC’ | 1.95 | 0.2 | 1.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘College Station’ | 1.9 | 0.25 | 1.75 | 1 | 5.7 | 5 | |
| ‘Columbia, SC’ | 1.95 | 0.2 | 1.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘El Paso’ | 1.9 | 0.25 | 1.75 | 1 | 5.7 | 5 | |
| ‘Eugene’ | 3 | 0.3 | 1.75 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| ‘Greenville, SC’ | 1.95 | 0.2 | 1.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Lubbock’ | 1.9 | 0.25 | 1.75 | 1 | 5.7 | 5 | |
| ‘Maui’ | 2.15 | 0.3 | 1.75 | 0 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Myrtle Beach’ | 1.95 | 0.2 | 1.75 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| ‘Palm Springs’ | 2.5 | 0.2 | 1.75 | 1 | 6 | 5 | Palm Springs |
| ‘Salem’ | 3 | 0.3 | 1.75 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| ‘Waco’ | 1.9 | 0.25 | 1.75 | 1 | 5.7 | 5 | |
| ‘Central Atlantic Coast, FL’ | 2 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Columbia, MO’ | 1.75 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Florida Keys’ | 4 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 0 | 8 | 5 | |
| ‘Gainesville’ | 2 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Ocala, FL’ | 2 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Panama City, Fl’ | 2 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Pensacola, FL’ | 2 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Asheville, NC’ | 2.2 | 0.2 | 1.85 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Las Vegas’ | 2.4 | 0.3 | 1.85 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Portland, ME’ | 1.5 | 0.18 | 1.85 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Portland, ME |
| ‘Reno’ | 2.4 | 0.3 | 1.85 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Santa Fe’ | 2.35 | 0.3 | 1.85 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Oxford’ | 2 | 0.25 | 1.9 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Green Bay’ | 2.15 | 0.3 | 1.95 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Burlington’ | 2.15 | 0.3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Cedar Rapids’ | 1.75 | 0.2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| Manchester, NH’ | 1.75 | 0.23 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘Anchorage’ | 2.5 | 0.25 | 2.1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | |
| ‘New York City’ | 3 | 0.4 | 2.15 | 0 | 8 | 10 | |
| ‘Philadelphia’ | 3 | 0.3 | 2.25 | 1 | 7 | 10 | |
| ‘San Luis Obispo’ | 3 | 0.15 | 2.45 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| ‘New Jersey (Shore)’ | 5 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 1 | 12 | 10 | |
| ‘Hamptons’ | 10 | 1 | 3.35 | 0 | 25 | 15 |
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