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UberX to implement fixed fares in Manila – Hungry Geeks

Too scared to book an UberX because your fare might be so expensive? Well, Uber’s got some good news for you. You’ll now enjoy the fare system found in UberPool!

Starting, October 12, all UberX riders will have fixed fares or Upfront Fares as the company dubs it. With this, you won’t get just an estimate of your fare but you’ll have the exact amount before booking.

Uber will automatically calculate your fare with various elements such as expected time, distance, surge, tolls and traffic. They will also be removing the Surge notifications as you’ll already see the exact amount before booking. Imagine the same system that GrabCar is implementing.

There’s no math and no surprises, so you can always decide what works for you and your budget.

FAQs

Q: How will the upfront fare be determined?
A: We estimate the upfront fare by considering a variety of factors that typically affect a fare, including surge, traffic, and tolls. We’re able to use past data to estimate the likely cost of the trip, and can present that price to a rider before they request. With upfront prices you cannot book a car without approving the cost beforehand.

Q: What if a rider changes their destination, has multiple destinations or makes extra stops?
An upfront fare may not be honored if a rider makes significant changes to their trip route. In these cases, we’ll fallback to the original time and distance rates. Riders are notified that fares will change at a few points before and during the trip. All riders are shown this copy on the requesting screen (wait time copy only applies to cities that charge for wait time).

Q: Surge icons and surge screens no longer appear for up front fares – Why?
A: This new way of showing fare accounts for surge, but provides the rider with more precise information up front. For example, instead of seeing that a fare will cost 1.5x, the rider would see that the trip will cost ₱150. This is aimed at providing riders with more information immediately, so they can choose the product that best meets their needs and budget.

Q: Will surge pricing be included in the upfront fare?
A: Yes. If there are more people requesting rides than drivers available to give them, fares will increase via surge pricing. The price the rider is shown is guaranteed upfront — this will make it even easier for riders to compare the cost between a shared ride and a solo journey. With upfront fares you cannot book a car without approving the cost beforehand.

Q: Is the upfront fare completely inclusive (i.e. includes the booking fee, toll charges etc.)?
A: Generally yes. There are some instances when the final fare could be lower than the fare given upfront (for example, if the user has a promo code applied) — or higher, such as if the rider changes the destination of the trip.

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