Ride-hailing giant Uber is shutting down its free Uber Rewards loyalty program to focus on its Uber One subscription membership.
Uber first launched the rewards program in 2018 as something of a frequent flyer scheme that allows passengers to earn points for every dollar spent on Uber Eats rides or deliveries. These points can then be used to get discounts on future travel or supplies. In November 2021, Uber began rolling out Uber One, which for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year allows members benefits such as a 5% discount on certain rides or delivery orders and unlimited $0 delivery fees for food orders over $15 and grocery orders over $30.
In an email sent to customers that was picked up by On the edgeUber said users can still earn points through the legacy rewards program until the end of August and that they can redeem those points until October 31. Uber Rewards will officially stop on November 1, 2022, according to update published by the company.
The Uber Rewards Program allowed users to earn 1x point per dollar spent on Uber Pool, 2x per dollar spent on UberX and 3x per $1 spent on Premium. The number of points accumulated would place members in various loyalty castes, from Blue to Gold to Platinum to Diamond, the latter of which comes with benefits such as access to highly rated drivers, free delivery on three Uber Eats orders, access to better service at customers and free upgrades.
While phone support will continue for Diamond users, now the only way to get additional benefits with Uber will be to pay for a subscription. Existing Rewards members will receive a free one-month subscription to Uber One, but will be charged for access after that. If you’re someone who orders Uber Eats more than twice a month, you can easily break even with an Uber One subscription, but many users may not see the money-saving benefits of making the switch.
Uber did not immediately respond for clarification on why it was suspending the rewards program in favor of the Uber One membership. Perhaps the company hasn’t seen the returns and user loyalty it would expect from the program and feels that a subscription offering will provide a better return.