Uber fares can cost anywhere between 15 cents to 45 cents per minute, according to RideSharingDriver. But to get more accurate figures, the Uber app has a fare estimator that provides an estimate based on location, distance and service.
There are, however, ways to get free Uber rides through various promotions.
If you’re a Capital One cardholder, you can get $15 in Uber credits for every nine rides in which you pay with your Quicksilver card. (This deal lasts through March 2017.) And if you’re a first-time customer, Uber will give you a free ride (up to $22) if you enter a promo code found on the company’s website. (The value can go up to $30 for certain payment methods.)
Secondly, riders who pay with plastic may have their Uber fare classified as a travel purchase, and these can lead to lesser-known benefits provided by a credit card issuer, such as travel discounts and ridesharing offers.
All this of course depends on your card issuer’s policies, but if you’re signed up for a card rewards program, check if Uber fares are classified as travel expenses. Most likely they are. According to a Dec. 2016 survey by Capital One, only 19 percent of credit card holders used travel perks such as hotel discounts and ride-sharing services, and 65 percent say they don’t believe they are knowledgeable about their credit card’s rewards program. The point is, Americans don’t maximize travel rewards that they’re eligible for.
There are other ways to get Uber credits even if you’re an existing customer.
You can simply share a ride with a friend or family member who is a first-time user. Have them download the Uber app and enter the promo code. And your (shared) ride then becomes free.
Another option is to use the “Free Rides” feature on the app where you can get your own promo code and referral link. When friends and loved ones use your promo code, you get Uber credits.
That’s how this Penn State student racked up $1,700 worth of credits. He printed out 438 fliers (that contained his promo code) and handed them out to other students. The effort led to 72 new customers for Uber and, in exchange, the company gave the student a large chunk of free credits (and free rides).
You can monitor Uber’s website for promotions in your city. The company frequently offers free rides or steep discounts for certain events and functions.
So by sharing rides with first-time users and by referring new customers to Uber, you can get tons of free trips.
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