Uber has announced that it’s going to end its loyalty program this fall.
Uber Rewards program ends October 31, 2022
The Uber Rewards program will be ending as of October 31, 2022, as the ride sharing giant claims to instead be focused on its Uber One membership program.
Uber Rewards members can continue to take advantage of benefits and redeem points through October 31, 2022, but at that point the program will cease to exist. Uber is also offering many Uber Rewards members one free month of Uber One, with the catch that it will auto-renew, so presumably many people will forget to cancel it.
For those not familiar with Uber Rewards, the program offers 1-3x points for Uber spending, including on rides and food delivery orders. Those rewards can then be redeemed for certain perks, like discounts on rides, discounted food deliveries, etc. Uber Rewards also offers elite status, with perks like being matched with top-rated drivers, flexible cancelation, and more.
Uber had already devalued the program multiple times prior to this announcement of it being discontinued, so I guess this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
My take on Uber ending its loyalty program
First of all, I find it disappointing that Uber is ending its loyalty program with such little notice. Uber customers have been qualifying for “status,” which is supposed to offer value in the future, but now those perks are being taken away. It’s one thing to say that you can’t earn status in the future, but to take away status that has already been earned is disappointing. Unfortunately consumers probably don’t have much recourse here.
Second of all, loyalty programs generally work really well, which is why they’re so common, especially in retail and travel. On some level this probably reflects that Uber has limited global competition. Yes, in the US Lyft is a major competitor, but that’s not the case internationally. Outside the United States, Uber mostly competes with regional ride sharing apps.
Lastly, I hate to say it, but big picture I can kind of understand why Uber is ending its loyalty program. Uber is trying to promote the Uber One membership program. For $9.99 per month you receive many of the same perks that Uber Rewards potentially offers, including being connected with top-rated drivers, discounted food deliveries, discounts on rides, and more.
Uber is essentially going the Amazon route. Amazon doesn’t have a loyalty program, but the paid Amazon Prime service almost tries to accomplish the same thing, and makes people loyal. I can appreciate how there might be confusion between Uber One and Uber Rewards, especially when both have some overlapping benefits.
Bottom line
The Uber Rewards loyalty program will be ending as of October 31, 2022, so if you have any points, make sure you redeem them before then. I find it disappointing how Uber is going about this, essentially taking away the elite perks that people have earned.
The company is now shifting its focus to Uber One, as clearly the company thinks it can use its paid membership service to create loyalty among customers, rather than giving out rewards for “free.”
What do you make of Uber Rewards ending?
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