Well here’s something I’ve never seen before (though after learning about the backstory, it makes more sense)…
Uber’s cheapest Munich fares are UberXpensive
I’m in Munich, and this morning I opened up the Uber app, which was our first rideshare of the trip (since the city has good public transportation).
I looked at the options for the ride, and saw that the cheapest was… UberXpensive?! Indeed, Uber advertises its cheapest fare in Munich that way, with a euro symbol pointing upward, and a note about how Uber has “higher prices, mandated by the city.”
Okay, clearly Uber has some beef with local regulators, which is hardly anything new for the rideshare giant. However, there’s a certain irony and strange psychology to telling your customers that your cheapest option is expensive. And it’s especially strange when all the other options are more expensive than the “UberXpensive” fare.
What’s Uber’s beef (or Wurst) with Munich?
Obviously Uber is no stranger to regulatory battles, since there are plenty of governments that take issue with the impact that Uber has on local transportation, including the local taxi industry.
Based on reading about this online, it appears that this is an especially timely issue for Uber, as the city is on the verge of introducing a minimum fare for rideshare traffic, including Uber. A new vote is expected on this in the coming week, on July 29, 2025.
Essentially, Ubers have historically been categorized as rental cars rather than taxis. So while taxi fares have been regulated by the government, Ubers have been able to charge whatever they want, and of course this threatens the livelihood of traditional taxis.
The local government believes that growing rideshare traffic threatens public transport interests, and believes that setting minimum prices will level the playing field, and ensure things like an appropriate minimum wage.
I’m not a fan of overregulation, so I don’t generally like these kinds of restrictions that force companies to raise their prices. Affordable rideshares are important, so that people can economically hail a ride if they’ve had too much to drink, if they don’t feel comfortable taking public transportation at a certain hour of the night, etc.
At the same time, I get why this is being addressed. Taxis spend a lot of time waiting for passengers, don’t have the ability to adjust pricing based on demand, can’t reject rides, etc. So at some point, the very existence of the taxi industry is threatened. But yeah, Munich isn’t the first place where something like this has been challenged, and it won’t be the last.
Bottom line
It’s not often you open the Uber app and see the cheapest fare being called “UberXpensive,” so that caught me off guard in Munich. As it turns out, Uber is trying to create awareness around impending legislation that could change the ridesharing scene in the region.
Has anyone seen this UberXpensive branding used elsewhere?
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