We’re introducing upfront fares in your city from 17 September. With upfront fares, riders are shown their exact fare before they request a trip. This change will give riders more certainty and a simpler experience. And, we know that when it’s simpler for them, it means more business for you.
In fact, riders in most Australian cities have been shown upfront fares for the past year, which has contributed to an increase in trips.
That’s why we are expanding upfront fares to the rest of Australia, from 17 September.
How upfront fares work
Before a rider requests a trip, they’re shown an upfront fare. This upfront fare is calculated using the expected time and distance including the impacts of local traffic and how many riders and nearby drivers are using Uber at that moment (e.g. surge).
In most cases, drivers are paid the upfront fare, minus Uber’s service fee, at the end of the trip.
| Rider app without upfront fares | Rider app with upfront fares |
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When upfront fares are adjusted
The upfront fare will be adjusted to reflect the actual time and distance of a trip when:
- The pickup or drop-off location changes significantly – for example, if a rider edits their original pickup points or destination.
- There’s an unexpected detour that makes the trip much longer.
- The trip takes significantly longer than expected – for example, if there is unexpectedly heavy traffic and it was not factored into the original fare calculation. Please note that traffic patterns are factored into the upfront fare calculation.
- The rider adds or removes a stop while on trip.
Driver earnings with upfront fares
In the 20+ other cities where we’ve launched upfront fares in Australia, driver earnings on average haven’t changed. With that said, we have seen riders request more trips, which means more business for driver-partners.
Frequently asked questions
- How do upfront fares work with surge?
Upfront fares do not change the way surge works. The trip fare shown to the rider will continue to vary depending on the number of riders and nearby drivers using Uber at that time. At the end of each trip, you’ll get the trip fare, minus Uber’s service fee.
- How do tolls work with upfront fares?
You’ll still be reimbursed for tolls.
When a route includes a toll road, the upfront fare shown to the rider includes the estimated toll amount. If the route changes to no longer take you on a toll road (for example, if the rider requests a different route), the upfront fare paid by the rider will be adjusted to no longer include the toll amount.
- What if a rider wants to add a stop(s)?
Riders are able to add multiple stops to their trip directly in their app. When this happens, the upfront fare will be adjusted to reflect the new route’s time and distance. We’re educating riders about how to use this feature, and you can too!
- What if a rider changes their destination?
If a rider wants to change their drop-off location, they can do so directly in their app. Once again, the upfront fare will be adjusted to account for this scenario.
- Why are you launching upfront fares?
Upfront fares help create certainty for riders. From launching upfront fares across other Australian cities, we’ve seen that riders are more likely to request a trip when they are shown an exact fare (like $15) rather than an estimated range (like $12 – $20). More certainty means more trip requests and more business for driver-partners.
- Will all ride options have upfront fares?
Yes, all ride options will have upfront fares.
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