Uber is stating a loyalty program in nine cities across the U.S. to get customers to come back more frequently.
Just this week, Lyft announced a similar program, but Uber's is already live. The program, called Uber Rewards, allows users to earn points for every dollar they spend on Uber services including its food delivery app Uber Eats and its flagship ride-hailing app. The points can be traded for credits, which can be spent on rides or food orders. It takes 500 points to earn $5. The points can also bump users into new membership tiers, unlocking benefits like flexible cancellations, surprise upgrades, and priority pickup that reduces wait times, among others.
Once in the program, users earn one point for every dollar spent on UberPool and Uber Eats orders; two points for deluxe rides like UberX and UberXL; and three points for luxury Uber Black and Black SUV.
The program starts in nine cities to start: Miami, New Jersey, Denver, Tampa, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta and San Diego.
Lyft Rewards, which starts in December, allows riders to earn points. These points accumulate over time and can be used for upgrades or discounts on future rides. Lyft didn't divulge many details this week, but did say it's considering how to offer other perks such as access to more experienced drivers and double-points days. The company says the program will launch in December 2018 _ available to some riders in various cities to start _ before taking more riders in next year.
