Uber One Membership Is Your Ticket to Cheaper Rides and Food Delivery
Uber and Uber Eats have become integral to our daily lives. Whether we’re catching a ride to the airport, commuting to and from work or going out for a night on the town, Uber offers a convenient way to travel safely. And its food delivery arm, Uber Eats, has become a popular way to get dinner delivered straight to our doors, amid our hectic lives.
The problem? The service is expensive. Regular Uber users could stand to save a lot of money, however, by signing up for Uber One.
Why Is Uber So Expensive?
What happened to those sweet Uber deals where the price of getting from here to there beat every other mode of transportation except walking? The pandemic, that’s what happened.
In the initial aftermath of the 2020 lockdowns, when people felt safe hopping in rideshares again, prices for an Uber ride more than doubled in some parts of the country. By 2021, Rakuten Intelligence reported that average prices for Uber and Lyft were 92% higher than they were in 2018. They continued to spike in 2022 and 2023, keeping pace with inflation.
Last year, Uber and Lyft even implemented fuel surcharges to help drivers pocket more money amid rising fuel prices. Though the surcharge has since been retired, passengers are still feeling the squeeze when booking a rideshare — because Uber’s latest tactics to remain profitable have included raising prices and cutting driver earnings.
Are you tired of high prices for Uber and Uber Eats but still find yourself drawn to the service? Uber One could be the key. Possibly. Let’s explore the benefits of membership.
What Is Uber One?
Uber One is a subscription service for both Uber and Uber Eats that gives subscribers perks like discounted rides and free food delivery. Previously, the rideshare company operated separate services: Uber Pass (for rideshare) and Uber Eats Pass (for food delivery).
Uber One is an affordable option — just $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year (about $8.33 a month). For reference, Uber Pass used to cost $24.99 a month, though the benefits were admittedly more attractive back then.
Assessing the Benefits of Uber One
So what do you get for $9.99 a month to make Uber One worth the cost? Here are four things to consider:
1. Uber One Includes Members-Only Discounted Rides
In general, you will save 5% on Uber rides. This is an objectively worse deal than the 10% to 15% discounts members previously got with Uber Pass, depending on the ride type (Economy vs. Premium). However, subscribers also spend $15 less each month for Uber One.
At 5% off rides, you would need a monthly Uber ride expense of about $200 to recoup your $9.99 monthly fee. Spend a cent more, and it’ll have already paid for itself.
But discounted rides are not the only perk of Uber One.
2. Uber One Gets You Free Food Delivery From Your Favorite Restaurants
The big difference between Uber Pass (discontinued at the end of 2021) and Uber One is the emphasis on UberEats. Uber One is way more attractive if you regularly get takeout through the service, a reflection on our post-pandemic eating habits.
Perhaps the biggest selling point of Uber One then is the $0 delivery fee on UberEats (with a $15 minimum order) at participating restaurants. That’s right: You’ll just pay the cost of the food.
Keep in mind: UberEats allows restaurants to set separate menu prices in the app, and most opt for slight increases — so you still may spend more money than you would if you picked the food up yourself.
Maybe that’s why Uber One also gets members up to 10% off their Uber Eats order totals. (Discount amounts can vary by restaurant.)
And remember: Delivery may be free with Uber One, but don’t forget to tip your driver.
3. Uber One Even Includes Free Grocery Delivery
The “up to 10%” member discount on orders doesn’t apply to grocery totals; instead, Uber One subscribers get 5% off orders and free grocery delivery at participating stores through Uber Eats.
You’ll just need a minimum grocery order of $30 for the free delivery — not hard to do with grocery prices still leading the inflationary charge.
4. Uber One Offers Additional Perks
Uber One also promises members additional perks, like access to top-rated drivers, elevated member support and the Uber One Promise.
According to Uber, the Uber One Promise means that members will receive $5 in Uber Cash if Uber’s Latest Arrival estimate is wrong. Users can see the Latest Arrival estimate after placing their order; it represents Uber’s calculation for the latest possible delivery of a member’s food.
And while Uber keeps it vague in all of the marketing materials, Uber One members do get exclusive access to additional perks like “invite-only experiences” and “special offers and promotions.”
Should I Get Uber One?
If you don’t have a car and depend on Uber for regular errands, like groceries (whether buying in person or having delivered), doctor’s appointments and nights out on the town, it could be a worthy investment. And if you regularly order fast food from Uber Eats or competitors like DoorDash, the $9.99 Uber One plan ($8.33 if paying annually) could be even more valuable for you.
A subscription to Uber One gets you a lot of perks, but for most average Uber users, it may not be worth the monthly fee.
If you sign up for Uber One and determine it’s not worth the $9.99, Uber lets you cancel anytime; you won’t be locked into a contract. Just make sure to actively cancel — it’s designed to auto-renew.
How Do I Get Uber One?
Open the Uber app on your phone, tap over to your account using the bottom menu and you’ll see a one-month free trial of Uber One. If you previously used Uber Pass or UberEats Pass, you may not be served the same free month trial, but you should still see an invite to the service within the app.
Uber One vs. Uber Rewards
You may have heard of Uber Rewards, a loyalty program that comes with its own perks, but it’s important to note that this is different from Uber Pass.
Unlike Uber One, Uber Rewards is free to join. Open the Uber app, tap over to your Account and find the button to join near the top.
There are four levels of Uber Rewards. You level up by taking more and longer rides.
For every dollar you spend on UberPool, Express Pool or Uber Eats, you’ll earn one point; for every dollar you spend on UberX, UberXLand Uber Select, you’ll earn two points. And for every dollar you spend on Uber Black and Uber Black SUV, you’ll earn three points.
Uber Rewards Levels
- Blue: From 0 to 499 points, you are considered a Blue member. There are no real perks at this level.
- Gold: From 500 to 2,499 points, you are considered a Gold member. You’ll get priority support and flexible cancellations.
- Platinum: From 2,500 to 7,499 points, you are considered a Platinum member. You’ll get all the perks of Gold, plus favorite route point boost (earn 10 reward points for every dollar when you take a specific route, like your commute to the grocery each week) and priority airport pickups.
- Diamond: At 7,500 points, you will top out as a Diamond member. You’ll get all the perks of Platinum, plus premium support, highly rated drivers, premium rides point boost and double points on Uber Eats. Uber also promises complimentary upgrades as available.
Uber One vs. Uber Pass
Uber Pass is no longer available in the United States. Instead, Google offers the Uber One program. The cost is lower, but the perks are less beneficial (and more focused on food delivery).
Contributor Timothy Moore is a writer and editor in Cincinnati. He focuses on banks, automotive, insurance and a variety of lifestyle topics for The Penny Hoarder. His work has been featured on Debt.com, The Ladders, Glassdoor, WDW Magazine, Angi and The News Wheel.
