4 Uber Rides in 24 Hours

Sign up for Uber and get a $10 Uber credit on your first ride (link)

During my weekend in Seattle for FTU Seattle, I had the pleasure to try Uber 4 different times (within 24 hours).  For those unfamiliar with Uber, it is an on-demand taxi service, meaning you can request a taxi ride whenever and wherever (Uber is supported).  You need a smartphone and the Uber app needs to be installed.  Once you load the Uber app, it finds your current location and shows you all drivers nearby.  When you are ready to be picked up, just set your pick up location and the nearest available Uber driver will come pick you up.  The Uber app shows you where the car is and who the driver is along with the make of the car and their license plate.

When you get picked up, Uber keeps track of the distance driven, length of ride, and you are charged when you are dropped off.  The app handles the payment and tip, so you never have to get cash or credit cards out of your wallet.  Payment is entirely electronic.  At the end of the ride, you can leave a comment for the driver (optional), rate the driver, and click Submit.

You can use any major credit or debit card and set your preferred payment method.  Uber even supports PayPal, which I tried on my 4th trip.  If you have an Uber credit (sign up bonus from Uber), that will be used first automatically and then use your primary payment method.

A few minutes after being dropped off by my Uber driver, I received an email showing the route that the Uber driver drove (great way to see if they took the most direct route) and a breakdown of the fare.  Very transparent payment process.

Uber ride #1: going from Seattle Airport Marriott to restaurant.

Uber ride #2: going from restaurant back to the Seattle Airport Marriott, with a pit stop at the Seattle Airport Hilton.

Uber ride #3: going from the Seattle Airport Marriott to the Thai restaurant.

Uber ride #4: going from the Thai restaurant back to the Seattle Airport Marriott with another stop at the Seattle Airport Hilton.  This driver wasn’t as good as the other 3, he had to make a few U-turns.  I think the reason the location isn’t as accurate is because his iPhone was on 3G, so the GPS location isn’t as accurate as 4G/LTE service.

With my last Uber ride, I wanted to test out the PayPal payment method.  You have to authorize Uber to withdraw funds from your PayPal account before you use Uber.  The authorization is valid until you disable the authorization (setting in your PayPal account).

Overall, I loved the technology and mobile payment aspect of Uber.  I love using credit cards or PayPal to pay for things and being able to use Uber completely cash free is awesome.  Uber is in most big cities and some small cities across the United States.  They are spreading across the country and have already started Uber service in a few foreign cities in Europe.  There is some competition with Uber in the form of Lyft and Sidecar.  If you see these services in your city, they should work just like Uber, but they might be a few bucks cheaper.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for Uber and get a $10 Uber credit on your first ride (link)