A new feature called Upfront Fares is set to be rolled out by Uber, the company announced on Friday. According to the mobility as a service provider, the feature has “completely reimagined the way drivers accept rides.”
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This is what Uber had to say about the new feature, “Our new trip request screen makes it easier for drivers to decide if a trip is worth their time and effort by providing all the details—including exactly how much they’ll earn and where they’re going—upfront.”
The San Francisco company had initially piloted the new feature in a few U.S. cities and said that drivers “loved” the ability to make better choices about the kinds of trips that were being offered up. It also said that ride experience benefited with “higher trip completion rates and lower wait times.”
Uber also announced the new “Trip Radar” feature which will show drivers the trip requests being made in their area. According to the company, “Drivers will still get individual trip requests like before, but with Trip Radar they have the ability to pick another trip that might work better for them.”
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Both of the new features, which are set to be rolled out in the coming months have the potential to benefit drivers as it will allow them to be more discerning about what trips are profitable.
Along with the announcement, Uber released a support document outlining the Upfront Fare feature. The document says that the fee is calculated based on “several factors, including base fares, estimated trip length and duration, pickup distance, and surge pricing.”
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Additionally, the company outlined that some kinds trips would be worth more to a driver, while others had their value decreased. Trips that are long but free of traffic, as well as trips to high-demand areas will see a decrease in the pay out to the driver. On the other hand, drivers will earn more on trips to low-demand areas, traffic-laden routes, short trips and rides which have a far away pick-up destination.
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The upcoming features are for U.S. drivers. The company has not said when they will be made available across the world.