For a long time, Uber’s catchphrase was “Your private driver,” which does a pretty good job of explaining the service’s premise. Uber is a car service made up of independent contractors who transport you using their personal vehicles. It’s similar to a taxi or private driving service, except that the drivers work for themselves and you can request the rides on-demand, at any time, using a smartphone.
Uber also uses GPS and digital mapping technologies to allow you to track the progress of your ride and estimate your arrival time. All payment is handled through the Uber mobile app, ensuring that you never have to worry about having cash or letting a stranger handle your credit card.
Uber was founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, and the service launched in San Francisco in 2011. The company was originally intended as a service to hire high-end “black cars” at a cheaper price than traditional private driving services. Uber expanded its services in 2012 to include UberX, which allowed owners of non-luxury vehicles to drive for Uber after passing a background check and meeting the company’s other requirements.
UberX is now the company’s flagship service, though they have since expanded into food delivery and a variety of other rideshare options that we’ll discuss later in this article. The company is now run by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
With transport ordered directly from your smartphone and paid for automatically, Uber makes getting around your city as easy as tapping a button—literally. Whether you’re taking your first Uber ride or your hundredth, we’ve put together some Uber rider tips for first-timers and veterans alike to make sure your ride experience, from request to drop-off, is as smooth as possible.
Enable location services
In order to request your ride, whether it’s your first time taking an Uber ride or not, you need to enable location services on your device. Uber uses your device’s location services to make it easier to get a ride when you need one. Location data helps improve our services, including pickups, navigation, customer support, and more.
How do ETAs work?
Before your ride starts, the Uber app will provide an ETA for when your driver should arrive at your pickup location. Please note that ETA times are estimates and not guaranteed. A variety of external factors like heavy traffic or road construction can impact travel time. If the ETA you see in-app is too high, check again after a few minutes to see if there is a change.
How does dynamic pricing work?
There are times when so many people are requesting rides that there aren’t enough cars on the road to help take them all. Bad weather, rush hour, and special events, for instance, may cause unusually large numbers of people to want to ride Uber all at the same time.
In these cases of very high demand, fares may increase to help ensure those who need a ride can get one. This system is called dynamic pricing, and it allows you to find rides on the app at a time.
Whenever there is a price surge, we let riders know in the app. Some riders will choose to pay, while some will choose to wait a few minutes to see if the rates go back down to normal.
How to request a ride on the Uber app
If you’re a new Uber user needing advice on your first time taking an Uber ride, don’t worry—it’s not complicated. Here’s the simple step-by-step on how to use Uber for the first time:
Open and log into the Uber app on your device
Type your destination into the “Where to?” section
Select the type of vehicle you would like at the bottom of the screen.
Tap “request” and then confirm the pickup location
Wait for your request to be accepted by a driver and check the estimated time of arrival
Just wait for your driver to arrive. You can check their location on the in-app map and you will be notified when they are close to the pickup location
If you want to know more about how to use the Uber app or how to request a ride on the Uber app, check out the in-depth Uber tutorial for riders and advice on the website.
If you’re new to Uber, the many ride options can be pretty confusing. If you’re not sure which ride is right for you, find out all about the options here.
Uber’s Economy Options
UberX
The standard Uber option is UberX. You along with up to three others with you ride door-to-door alone in a sedan. If you’re bringing a car seat with you, it could add up to $10 to your fare.
UberXL
This option is similar to UberX, except that instead of a sedan you’re getting picked up in an SUV or van. You can also bring along five other people in the car for a total of six.
Uber Select
You and up to three of your friends get a low-cost ride in a higher end sedan or SUV with what Uber describes as a highly-rated drivers.
The prices on UberSelect are cheaper than Uber’s luxury options. UberSelect cars include everything from Kias and Hyundais to Audis and BMWs, and all cars should have leather seats.
Express Pool
The newest and cheapest option offered by Uber. With Express Pool, you have to walk to pickup and dropoff points if you want to catch a ride, which you’ll share the car ride with Uber customers. When you select Express Pool, the app shows you the pickup spots nearby but doesn’t show you the dropoff points before you request a ride. Uber Express Pool Is Just Like Taking the BusUber Express Pool Is Just Like Taking the BusUber Express Pool is an extension of the existing Pool service. And while it could save you even more money, the downside is its similarity to taking the bus.
This option is only available in the following cities: San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Pool
With Uber Pool, you still share rides with up to three other Uber customers, but unlike Express Pool, you get door-to-door service.
Uber’s Luxury Options
UberSUV
What sets UberXL and UberSUV apart? The type of car you’re being picked up in. You’re going to pay a little extra to ride in a luxury SUV and be picked up by a professional driver.
Uber’s professional drivers are licensed chauffeurs who have had background checks. Their cars are also inspected once a year to earn their vehicle for hire certification.
UberBLACK
Uber’s answer to a town car service, UberBLACK is like UberX, but instead of a regular sedans you’ll be picked up in a black luxury car and get where you’re going with a professional driver.
Uber’s Other Options
UberWAV
If you need access for motorized wheelchairs or scooters, you can order a wheelchair-accessible ride with UberWAV. According to Uber, drivers picking up UberWAV customers “are certified by a third party in safely driving and assisting people with disabilities.”
Answers ( 3 )
What Is Uber?
For a long time, Uber’s catchphrase was “Your private driver,” which does a pretty good job of explaining the service’s premise. Uber is a car service made up of independent contractors who transport you using their personal vehicles. It’s similar to a taxi or private driving service, except that the drivers work for themselves and you can request the rides on-demand, at any time, using a smartphone.
Uber also uses GPS and digital mapping technologies to allow you to track the progress of your ride and estimate your arrival time. All payment is handled through the Uber mobile app, ensuring that you never have to worry about having cash or letting a stranger handle your credit card.
Uber was founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, and the service launched in San Francisco in 2011. The company was originally intended as a service to hire high-end “black cars” at a cheaper price than traditional private driving services. Uber expanded its services in 2012 to include UberX, which allowed owners of non-luxury vehicles to drive for Uber after passing a background check and meeting the company’s other requirements.
UberX is now the company’s flagship service, though they have since expanded into food delivery and a variety of other rideshare options that we’ll discuss later in this article. The company is now run by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
Tips for how to use Uber for the first time
With transport ordered directly from your smartphone and paid for automatically, Uber makes getting around your city as easy as tapping a button—literally. Whether you’re taking your first Uber ride or your hundredth, we’ve put together some Uber rider tips for first-timers and veterans alike to make sure your ride experience, from request to drop-off, is as smooth as possible.
Enable location services
In order to request your ride, whether it’s your first time taking an Uber ride or not, you need to enable location services on your device. Uber uses your device’s location services to make it easier to get a ride when you need one. Location data helps improve our services, including pickups, navigation, customer support, and more.
How do ETAs work?
Before your ride starts, the Uber app will provide an ETA for when your driver should arrive at your pickup location. Please note that ETA times are estimates and not guaranteed. A variety of external factors like heavy traffic or road construction can impact travel time. If the ETA you see in-app is too high, check again after a few minutes to see if there is a change.
How does dynamic pricing work?
There are times when so many people are requesting rides that there aren’t enough cars on the road to help take them all. Bad weather, rush hour, and special events, for instance, may cause unusually large numbers of people to want to ride Uber all at the same time.
In these cases of very high demand, fares may increase to help ensure those who need a ride can get one. This system is called dynamic pricing, and it allows you to find rides on the app at a time.
Whenever there is a price surge, we let riders know in the app. Some riders will choose to pay, while some will choose to wait a few minutes to see if the rates go back down to normal.
How to request a ride on the Uber app
If you’re a new Uber user needing advice on your first time taking an Uber ride, don’t worry—it’s not complicated. Here’s the simple step-by-step on how to use Uber for the first time:
If you want to know more about how to use the Uber app or how to request a ride on the Uber app, check out the in-depth Uber tutorial for riders and advice on the website.
Happy riding!
If you’re new to Uber, the many ride options can be pretty confusing. If you’re not sure which ride is right for you, find out all about the options here.
Uber’s Economy Options
UberX
The standard Uber option is UberX. You along with up to three others with you ride door-to-door alone in a sedan. If you’re bringing a car seat with you, it could add up to $10 to your fare.
UberXL
This option is similar to UberX, except that instead of a sedan you’re getting picked up in an SUV or van. You can also bring along five other people in the car for a total of six.
Uber Select
You and up to three of your friends get a low-cost ride in a higher end sedan or SUV with what Uber describes as a highly-rated drivers.
The prices on UberSelect are cheaper than Uber’s luxury options. UberSelect cars include everything from Kias and Hyundais to Audis and BMWs, and all cars should have leather seats.
Express Pool
The newest and cheapest option offered by Uber. With Express Pool, you have to walk to pickup and dropoff points if you want to catch a ride, which you’ll share the car ride with Uber customers. When you select Express Pool, the app shows you the pickup spots nearby but doesn’t show you the dropoff points before you request a ride.
Uber Express Pool Is Just Like Taking the Bus Uber Express Pool Is Just Like Taking the BusUber Express Pool is an extension of the existing Pool service. And while it could save you even more money, the downside is its similarity to taking the bus.
This option is only available in the following cities: San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Pool
With Uber Pool, you still share rides with up to three other Uber customers, but unlike Express Pool, you get door-to-door service.
Uber’s Luxury Options
UberSUV
What sets UberXL and UberSUV apart? The type of car you’re being picked up in. You’re going to pay a little extra to ride in a luxury SUV and be picked up by a professional driver.
Uber’s professional drivers are licensed chauffeurs who have had background checks. Their cars are also inspected once a year to earn their vehicle for hire certification.
UberBLACK
Uber’s answer to a town car service, UberBLACK is like UberX, but instead of a regular sedans you’ll be picked up in a black luxury car and get where you’re going with a professional driver.
Uber’s Other Options
UberWAV
If you need access for motorized wheelchairs or scooters, you can order a wheelchair-accessible ride with UberWAV. According to Uber, drivers picking up UberWAV customers “are certified by a third party in safely driving and assisting people with disabilities.”