Rideshare giant Uber is known for its reciprocal rating system, whereby passengers rate drivers, and drivers rate passengers. While many can appreciate the intent of this (to keep both parties well behaved), the rating system has also been controversial, and rubs many people the wrong way.
While it’s easy to see your overall Uber rating, many are surprised to learn that Uber lets you see a breakdown of your score (including exactly how many of each “stars” you received), though it takes some effort to find this information. In this post I wanted to provide a step-by-step guide to finding your detailed Uber rating.
In this post:
Finding your Uber rating: step-by-step guide
Uber makes it easy to see your average Uber rating. When you log into the Uber app, you’ll see it displayed immediately below your name, next to the star icon.
What many people don’t realize is that you can see a breakdown of this score, and how many drivers gave you each star rating. How many drivers gave you five stars, how many gave you one star, and how many gave you something between the two?
Getting this info takes a bit of work, though. Log into your Uber account, go to your account page (the button is at the bottom right of the screen), and then click on “Settings.”
From there scroll down and click “Privacy.”
On the next page click on “Privacy Center.”
On that page go down to the “Your data and privacy at Uber” section, and scroll until you see “Would you like to see a summary of how you use Uber?”
Then scroll down to the “Ratings” section, and click on “View my ratings.”
There you’ll see a breakdown of how many of each ratings you received over time (on a five star scale). Note that the score is based on your past 500 rides, so rides older than that are eventually no longer considered for your rating.
It’s interesting just how many steps you have to go through to see this info. It’s pretty clear to me that Uber has this breakdown feature not because it’s something the company wants to share with riders, but presumably it’s rather due to some regulatory requirement to share data that companies have on customers.
My take on Uber’s transparent rating feature
Uber’s rating system rubs a lot of people the wrong way. On the one hand, I do think the concept of a rating system leads to friendlier and more professional interactions on both sides. For example, think of the taxi industry before ridesharing was a thing, and what customer service was like. It was non-existent.
The ability to provide instant feedback is one of the things that made ridesharing so much more pleasant of an experience.
At the same time, this system annoys the heck out of some people. You can be perfectly well behaved and a driver can give you a low rating for whatever reason they’d like. As people look at their scores and see that they were given one and two star ratings for some rides, I’m sure they’re thinking back and wondering what the heck happened.
Conversely, let me of course also note that many drivers unfairly get low ratings from passengers. Some riders are just awful, and don’t like if the driver isn’t willing to break rules for them, and will then give them a low rating. So this goes both ways.
Back in the day I viewed having a high Uber rating as a badge of honor (sort of). Nowadays I don’t care. That’s not to say it has in any way changed my behavior, as I believe in treating people with respect. I never keep drivers waiting, I say “please” and “thank you,” and I don’t have many requests.
Rather I just really don’t care, because unless your rating is really low, it doesn’t impact your ability to get rides.
Bottom line
Many people don’t realize this, but it’s possible to see a detailed breakdown of your Uber rating. While you can easily see your average star rating on the main screen of the Uber app, there’s a way to see a detailed breakdown of how many of each star ratings you’ve received over time. The Uber rating system frustrates many people, but at the same time I think its existence does lead to more pleasant interactions between both parties.
If you checked your detailed Uber rating, were you surprised by it, or was it what you expected? What do you make of Uber’s rating system?
Thanks for this. Now I can see why I have a 4.96 rating despite over-tipping, being ready early, and keeping my mouth shut. My “Rider ratings” are:
5 stars 468
4 stars 0
3 stars. 0
2 stars 2
1 stars 3
I am stunned. Three drivers gave me 1 star??? I have had some really lousy and smelly drivers over the years, but I never downvote these poor people. I wish I could talk to those five people..
I presently rate 4.89 with Uber. I'll take trips to the vet, Walmart , and one hour trips to visit family further upstate. I'm always polite, quiet and respectful. I occasionally check my rating and was shocked to see that someone had given me one star.. but I think I know who it was. It was some young girl who was supposed to pick me up and take me to Walmart, but I could see...
I presently rate 4.89 with Uber. I'll take trips to the vet, Walmart , and one hour trips to visit family further upstate. I'm always polite, quiet and respectful. I occasionally check my rating and was shocked to see that someone had given me one star.. but I think I know who it was. It was some young girl who was supposed to pick me up and take me to Walmart, but I could see that her car was just sitting there. I messaged and asked if she was coming. She finally came and when I complained that her car was just sitting there, she said she had stopped at Walmart, herself, to get something. I don't think that's fair, especially since she accepted my ride request while she had stopped at Walmart. So I'm guessing that my expressed annoyance made her give me one star. :( Meanwhile, I felt I was in my rights to complain because she was stalled for about 10 minutes. It's not fair that her rating affects my overall rating and that I can't go back to adjust my own rating for HER. I'm pretty sure I gave her 3 stars and a 15% tip, despite her nonsense. Isn't there a way to contact Uber about drivers like this? :(
I was a 5 star passenger rating, but after traveling through Europe my passenger rating dropped substantially. Simply bc I have children. Some uppity Euro nations will give you 2 or 3 stars simply for your child talking or existing, and I have VERY good behaved kids objectively. You just have to not care. Everytime I travel the rating drops from whatever cultural norm in any other country.
I have a 4.87 rating that includes 3-4star and 5-3star ratings. I'm sure that most, if not all, of them were from before Uber started telling drivers how far and where they're going. I live in DC about five miles from DCA. On trips from the airport, I used to get a lot of drivers who were clearly unhappy when they learned my destination. More than one ranted all the way to my house about...
I have a 4.87 rating that includes 3-4star and 5-3star ratings. I'm sure that most, if not all, of them were from before Uber started telling drivers how far and where they're going. I live in DC about five miles from DCA. On trips from the airport, I used to get a lot of drivers who were clearly unhappy when they learned my destination. More than one ranted all the way to my house about the length of the ride - especially when I got an Uber Black driver on a regular ride. Now I just have to wait while the system tries to find a driver willing to take the short ride into DC. I know that's the problem because when I want a ride anywhere else -- around DC, to the airport or in another city -- I get a ride much faster than going home from the airport.
I think it would be interesting for OMMAT to delve into the interworkings of Uber.
For example, what exactly does a driver see before he/she accepts a fare? I had always understood that if one is on duty and accepts a fare, there is no turning back. But as I mentioned in my previous post, I recently had a driver that wouldn't accept a fare from a rider with a rating of less than 4.75....
I think it would be interesting for OMMAT to delve into the interworkings of Uber.
For example, what exactly does a driver see before he/she accepts a fare? I had always understood that if one is on duty and accepts a fare, there is no turning back. But as I mentioned in my previous post, I recently had a driver that wouldn't accept a fare from a rider with a rating of less than 4.75. In addition, the same driver told me that if the pickup or dropoff is in certain parts of the city, he wouldn't accept that fare either.
For example, last weekend, I needed a ride - 20 minutes or so. The app gives pricing with an estimated drop off time. I selected the pricing option. It looked for a car and gives all the messaging like 'finalizing driver details'. At the end, no car was found. How does Uber give an estimated drop off time initially when no cars are available? After 10 minutes of waiting, I canceled and tried again. The fare almost doubled, but I needed the ride. Same result however, an estimated dropoff time, but no actual cars found. I got a neighbor to take me to my destination.
In most markets, drivers receive the rating, the approximate pickup and drop off locations, and the fare they’ll be paid. Drivers are independent contractors and under no obligation to accept trips. For example, if you’re in a city center during busy hours on the weekend, you’re going to have a hard time getting someone to accept a trip that’s 45 minutes out to the suburbs. Drivers can also cancel trips after they’ve accepted them. You...
In most markets, drivers receive the rating, the approximate pickup and drop off locations, and the fare they’ll be paid. Drivers are independent contractors and under no obligation to accept trips. For example, if you’re in a city center during busy hours on the weekend, you’re going to have a hard time getting someone to accept a trip that’s 45 minutes out to the suburbs. Drivers can also cancel trips after they’ve accepted them. You didn’t get a ride because for whatever reason that trip wasn’t worth it to drivers.
If I received an individual rating of less than a 4, I'd like to know immediately so that I can analyze my behavior. Did I do something to offend the driver? Did I close (slam) the trunk lid? Etc.
In recent memory, I have always given 5s to the drivers, even if I thought he/she took the long way around or maybe the car wasn't in perfect shape. The Uber (and Lyft) driver is making...
If I received an individual rating of less than a 4, I'd like to know immediately so that I can analyze my behavior. Did I do something to offend the driver? Did I close (slam) the trunk lid? Etc.
In recent memory, I have always given 5s to the drivers, even if I thought he/she took the long way around or maybe the car wasn't in perfect shape. The Uber (and Lyft) driver is making a living and generally granting me a convenience.
And were you aware that a driver can chose not to pick you up if he/she does not like your rating? A recent driver told me that he will not pickup anyone with a rating of less than 4.75.
I am a Driver and absolutely hate the rating system I keep a very clean car, am a good driver and polite respectful person. But have been given 1 stars for the navigation of map, being wrong or drop off being to far away, stupid stuff that's technically beyond my control if you don't tell me other wise as the passenger that the map is wrong or drop off is wrong all I have to go by is what the map says.
It’s not beyond your control. It’s called knowing your job, and sadly it doesn’t seem you know yours very well.
I am a Uber driver. Because of the rating system I can no longer work after midnight. The drunk people after midnight will give you bad ratings if you don't kiss their ass. I was threatened to be fired because of my ratings and I quit working after midnight and my ratings went right back up to 4.98. if you're experiencing a shortage of drivers after midnight that's probably why. Most people are very kind...
I am a Uber driver. Because of the rating system I can no longer work after midnight. The drunk people after midnight will give you bad ratings if you don't kiss their ass. I was threatened to be fired because of my ratings and I quit working after midnight and my ratings went right back up to 4.98. if you're experiencing a shortage of drivers after midnight that's probably why. Most people are very kind and very pleasant to work with. But drunk people create a lot of havoc and they have the right to rate a driver poorly just because they don't like something he did. So when you're walking home after drinking at the bar because there's no cabs available anymore understand the rating system has made the driver stopped working then. Oh and I should say I was a cab driver for 30 years and never had a problem. Because the company had my back. I took pride in getting drunk people home even with their obnoxiousness. Now I can't do that anymore.
There is a faster way to find this info. Tap the rating under your photo. Brings up the so called last 500 ratings in driver app.
my rating is 4.97 over my last 500 rides with three one-star ratings. this is, in turn, out of thousands of rides overall...
unsure this is meaningful. it has become so difficult to get pickups here that I now use Lyft
This was interesting. I use Uber in Miami, DC, Dayton, Houston, and Denver; but Lyft in California due to terrible availability on the Central coast between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
I couldn't care less what my rider rating is and don't know why others would either.
I am paying someone to perform a service. In addition to the payment, I am polite, respectful and quiet. I say hello when I get into the car, confirm my name and destination, sit quietly and stare out the window and then thank them for the ride when we reach the destination. Beyond giving them a bunch of flowers...
I couldn't care less what my rider rating is and don't know why others would either.
I am paying someone to perform a service. In addition to the payment, I am polite, respectful and quiet. I say hello when I get into the car, confirm my name and destination, sit quietly and stare out the window and then thank them for the ride when we reach the destination. Beyond giving them a bunch of flowers as a gift, or hand waxing their vehicle afterwards, there isn't much more I can do to be a pleasant passenger.
If the driver somehow believes that behaviour is so appalling it warrants one star, perhaps they should seek other employment where they don't have to be around the general public.
Can you imagine a waitress leaving you a rating after you've paid the cheque at a restaurant? No, because it would be absurd.
I'm sort of surprised they do provide such a breakdown. Essentially, if you check the number of stars you have after each trip you will know exactly how many stars you got from your last driver, which I thought goes against the whole anonymous ranking concept..
That’s not true if you have hundreds and hundreds of rides under your belt.
There is no utility to the ratings and there hasn’t been in many years. you can safely ignore your rating as it will impact nothing unless perhaps you get multiple 1* ratings for disgusting behavior. at that point you’ll be contacted by Uber not by a driver
I've got a 5 Star rating baby!
Granted, my first ride on my own account with Uber was 6 months ago, and I've only taken 8 rides with Uber, and 7 of those drivers rated me, but it's still 5 stars, so it's still the badge of honor phase for me :)
Do you still have 5 stars over a year later? I started "strong", too, early in my Uber experience. You can be the "best" passenger, but it will mean nothing if your driver is having a bad day or you complain because they were rude, etc., and they decide to take it out on you.
"presumably it’s rather due to some regulatory requirement to share data that companies have on customers."
I doubt that. If that were the case, Lyft would be required to do the same breakdown.
I think they just wanted customers to know.
Good driving
Helpful info...bummed my ratings include a 1 star rating from someone who hacked my account and ordered a ride in Montreal. Uber reversed the charge but not the rating.
Agree with everything you said Ben. I am comfortable that I have never been impolite to a driver, I never made a driver wait (with the exception of one who was literally already two doors down the street) , never made a mess and definitely never had drunken/aggressive conversations with a driver, so if a random person decides that they don't like me - so be it.
My only comment is about how hard...
Agree with everything you said Ben. I am comfortable that I have never been impolite to a driver, I never made a driver wait (with the exception of one who was literally already two doors down the street) , never made a mess and definitely never had drunken/aggressive conversations with a driver, so if a random person decides that they don't like me - so be it.
My only comment is about how hard it is to find this information. I honestly don't think it is intentional - I doubt Uber is trying to hide the information. I honestly think it is good old fashioned incompetence - the Uber app is terrible - just very poorly designed.
A driver couldn't have written this because your rating does affect the ability to get a ride and or in a timely fashion. Passengers with really low ratings may have longer wait times because we don't accept those rides. In the driver's app under opportunities, there will be a boat load of trips daily just sitting waiting for drivers to accept. 99% of them are passengers with low ratings. That low rating indicates something is...
A driver couldn't have written this because your rating does affect the ability to get a ride and or in a timely fashion. Passengers with really low ratings may have longer wait times because we don't accept those rides. In the driver's app under opportunities, there will be a boat load of trips daily just sitting waiting for drivers to accept. 99% of them are passengers with low ratings. That low rating indicates something is going on during the ride and most drivers don't want to take a chance with you. So yeah, your rating does matter.
Ben 4.89 rating is not bad at all . Dogs and Uber ratings are a good judgement of character. I’ve been an Uber driver for like 8 years. The meter turns off whenever there’s a good air fare or first class award availability. Well done.
I've only used Uber about 50 times ... got one 1-star. I think I know who gave that 1 start rating. It was a driver taking me to a hotel in an area of Houston that had a number of one-way streets and there was road construction and a traffic accident at that time. He tried three different ways to get to the hotel and each time it didn't work due to the maze of...
I've only used Uber about 50 times ... got one 1-star. I think I know who gave that 1 start rating. It was a driver taking me to a hotel in an area of Houston that had a number of one-way streets and there was road construction and a traffic accident at that time. He tried three different ways to get to the hotel and each time it didn't work due to the maze of one way streets - he ended up getting frustrated and ranting loudly. By the time we made it to the hotel, he was yelling f-bombs and said it was the worst ride he ever drove. Not my fault, but I'm sure he gave me a 1-star. I gave him 5-stars because he really tried hard to complete the ride.
Rating: 4.82⭐️
1,698 rides
[9] one star ratings
I’m not surprised. I have had to report some drivers who refused to take me to destination, some who cancelled but kept answering my other requests, and two that had a FILTHY car and I cancelled right infront of them.
Have had the Uber app 3007 days. 13 trips; 11, 5 stars; 1, 1 star; Don't know about the "other' 13th trip.
Can't believe I got a one star. Me? Now my feelings are hurt.
@Woderightv
The driver may be having a bad day. Maybe you made them wait 5 minutes , maybe you weren’t going far , maybe you suggested a different route , maybe you took a phone call and speak loudly (that is a huge caveat for me. )
As an Uber driver Sometimes I rate a passenger 1 star and then they tip me $8. I feel shitty about that.
How is suggesting a different route a reason for a lower rating.
The uber app isn't perfect in routes, and you get paid/adjusted for the route taken.
@Mh
That’s subjective. Depends how and when you ask for a different route . It can be distracting and confusing if your driver has committed to making a right hand turn in a matter of seconds and then you were to shout “go straight go straight “ as opposed to getting into your Uber and asking the driver to “take 105 to 405 instead of pch please “ which is better. if that makes sense.
Thanks for this info, Ben. 1, 1* dragging down my overall rating & I remember her well…brought her crying kid to work with her in the passenger seat & I took issue. It would be nice if Uber allowed a rider/driver to throw out 1 bad rating after so many rides/yrs of riding/driving if they otherwise have a rating of at least X, I think that would be fair.
I have 6 1-star ratings after close to 500 rides. I imagine those were rides after nights out with some rambunctious friends.
The way if finding this info is out of date. I have driven 2000 rides over 4 years on Uber( similar stats on Lyft) pre and post pandemic. My rating is 4.96, 495 5 star, 1 - 4 star, 1-3 star and 3- 1 star. The 1 stars are all retaliatory. These were verbally abusive passengers that I kicked out of my car, or never wanted to see again. A driver has to rate the...
The way if finding this info is out of date. I have driven 2000 rides over 4 years on Uber( similar stats on Lyft) pre and post pandemic. My rating is 4.96, 495 5 star, 1 - 4 star, 1-3 star and 3- 1 star. The 1 stars are all retaliatory. These were verbally abusive passengers that I kicked out of my car, or never wanted to see again. A driver has to rate the passenger immediately when the ride ends to start the next. It never has to do with tips. Only 20 to 30% of passengers tip. Some days more, some less. Hope this clears some misconceptions up.
I am at 4.82 after about 300 rides. I would like to see the 3 people who gave me a 1
If you check it daily, you should gave a good idea. Even though I can't SEE who gave me less than 5 stars I have a pretty good idea based on experiences. They mean less the more rides you do, as your rating is based on your last 500 rides. Before you reach that amount it will have a slightly higher significance. Hang in there, treat people well and be safe. You'll be fine.
I'm also a 4.82 (after ~1,600 rides). I have 9 one-star ratings and I really want to know why I got them.
@JJ @Eliyahu
Definitely not for safety reasons it can just be driver preferences. Read some of my other comments.. My most common 1 star ratings to a passenger is when they shout loudly on a phone call or don’t at a minimum say hello and thank you. AMA
300 5 stars and one 1 star for me. Uber should employ statistical methods to remove outliers.
It would be great if there was a way to see the reasons driving the low ratings.
I’m sure uber doesn’t want any conflict! Because i would get in the car and say
SO.. you gave me a 1 star rating November 2019 HUH..
My rating is exactly the same as Lucky's, 4.89.
What are the chances of that? I guess 100%
Totally disagree with the ability for drivers to rate you. If your behavior is bad you should be banned from Uber.
I'm sure drivers provide bad ratings for tips they do not feel are high enough or for other random reasons.
I have some low ratings and would love to know why, I bet I can guess 1 or 2. GPS gave wrong directions and when I tried to provide the correct instructions I was screamed at.
I HATE Uber and try to avoid it when i can.
Is it possible for a driver to rate you poorly for not tipping (enough)? Nowadays it asks you to tip while you are driving and afterwards you have a long window to still tip. means if a driver doesn't get a tip right away, or even while you are on the ride, would he know and rate you low?
Possibly, but not likely. Sometimes people tip during, right after, or even next day. I can't go back and change rating after I submit it. If I gave a bad rating, I would have to make up a reason for a 3 star or lower as Uber wants an explanation. I also would never get matched up with them again! That's taking money out of my pocket. I like and appreciate tips, but they are never required.
@tj
No. I can tell if a passenger won’t tip and maybe give 4 stars. No way 1 star because you’re not a tipper. At the end of the day we are strangers who want to get from point A to B safely.
Of course. It's up to the driver how they rate, and they know exactly what tip they got for a fare as it shows in their accounts.
I am not an uber driver but from what I understand you are not correct.
My understanding is that tips are released after the driver rates the passenger, or at a later time after the rating windows has closed (usually after the next ride).
Drivers are unable to base their rating on the tip or lack thereof.
It is possible that uber changed their system, but that's at least what I was told...
I am not an uber driver but from what I understand you are not correct.
My understanding is that tips are released after the driver rates the passenger, or at a later time after the rating windows has closed (usually after the next ride).
Drivers are unable to base their rating on the tip or lack thereof.
It is possible that uber changed their system, but that's at least what I was told by a number of drivers.
For the record - I have never ever tipped an uber driver and my rating is 4.91.
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve always wondered. I also find the rating system so flawed and based on items beyond the passenger/driver’s control. I’m pretty quiet guy so if I’m not talkative does that mean I deserve a 1 Star rating? Or if I take an extra minute to find the car do I deserve a lower rating?
I'm only as talkative as the passenger wants. I only get paid for a ride I cancel if I wait 5 minutes. So if they can't make it in 5 minutes or less they should not have ordered it. I will make $3.50 to $5 +depending on how far and long the pick up was.