Earn on your own schedule

Bakersfield Drivers: Set your own fares when you drive with Uber

June 9, 2020 / California

Starting today, drivers in Bakersfield will be able to set their own fares for trips from Bakersfield. Over the coming months, we will monitor driver response and feedback, as well as how well the new feature is working. We will use this information to make product improvements and determine how to use the new feature moving forward.

As usual, riders will be able to see an upfront fare estimate of what their trip will cost before they request. However, if they are matched with a driver whose fare is set higher than the upfront estimate, they will have the option to accept or decline the offer and search for other drivers in the area.

What’s changing?

Using ‘Auto-pricing’

In the ‘Driving preferences’ section of the Driver app, you’ll have the option to continue using default time and distance rates, including higher fares for Surge, when it’s in effect.

To only use default time and distance rates, just make sure ‘Auto-pricing’ is toggled ON in the preferences section of the app.

If you choose to turn off ‘Auto-pricing’, you’ll be able to set your fare multiplier for eligible trip types, including UberX, UberXL, Comfort.

Setting your trip fare

If you want to set a fare multiplier on default time and distance rates, you can turn off ‘Auto-pricing’, then set your desired multiplier. This new fare will apply to your next trip.

The fare multiplier can be adjusted in real time, ranging from 0.5x to 3.0x in increments of 0.1. You can update your fare multiplier anytime, and it will be applied to your next completed trip.

You will only receive trip offers that meet your fare settings, which includes the multiplier you set and your Surge preferences.

NOTE: Setting higher fares may result in fewer trip offers. Riders will also have the opportunity to decline your offer if they think the offer is too high.

The upper bound of the fare multiplier range is subject to change. You can always find the most up-to-date upper bound in “Fare Preferences” in your driver app.

Opting in to Surge fares

If the current Surge is higher than the fare you’ve chosen, you will still have the opportunity to charge the higher rate. By toggling ‘Surge fares’ ON in the ‘Driving preferences’ section of the app, you can receive trip offers at rates above your specified rate when the market is surging and fares in your area are higher.

For example, if your fare multiplier is set at 1.1x but the current Surge in your area is 1.4x, you will receive trip requests at 1.4x rates. If your ‘Surge fares’ is toggled OFF, you will only receive trip offers at the 1.1x you’ve set.

The surge heatmap, will be replaced by a map that shows where wait times are shorter.

NOTE: By having ‘Auto-pricing’ toggled ON you will always follow current Surge levels.

Posted by Priscilla Kong

Category:

Drive