Hot off the heels of Lyft, Uber has launched a "subscription" pass called Ride Pass. It differs a little bit from Lyft's model in that it's a subscription for discounts, not rides.
Starting at $14.99, Ride Pass allows for a 15% discount across all UberX, Uber Pool and Uber Express Pool rides in a given month. Only in Los Angeles does the service cost $24.99 per month.
(In Los Angeles, Ride Pass "will [soon] get additional benefits on e-bikes and scooters... for no additional cost.")
The service is being unrolled in five cities:
- Austin
- Denver
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Orlando
The package is meant to protect riders against surge pricing more than anything else, which only seems a bit meh to us. Paying for a "discount" is not really a discount.
Obviously, it is meant to incentivize riders to at least meet the savings threshold, and therefore, ride more. Given that surge pricing is completely unpredictable, it doesn't seem like a smart thing to sign up for if the goal is to save money.
By comparison, Lyft's $299 monthly subscription plan includes 30 rides, capped at a $15 value.
