Skip to main content
Uber logo

Earn on your own schedule

Sign up to driveSign up to drive

Earn on your own schedule

Sign up to driveSign up to drive
Drive, Driver products

Introducing Cash Trips: A New Way for Riders to Pay and for You to Earn

March 6 / US

At Uber, we believe transportation should be accessible to everyone. However, not all riders have easy access to a bank account or credit card. In fact, about 15% of US households are considered underbanked and often rely on other payment methods—especially cash. Some riders simply prefer using cash as well.

To ensure payment isn’t a barrier to transportation and to give you more earning opportunities, we’re introducing cash trips as a new payment option for riders in select cities.

How Do Cash Trips Work?

Cash trips function just like any other Uber trip, with a few key differences:

  • You’ll know upfront when a trip is cash-based.
  • At the end of the trip, you’ll collect the fare directly from the rider in cash.
  • Your earnings summary will reflect cash payments differently than digital transactions.

Let’s walk through what this means for you

1. Verified Riders & Trip Offer Card

Only verified riders can use cash as a payment method. These riders have passed certain identity checks, such as sharing a government-issued ID with Uber.

Before you accept a trip, your offer card will display:

  • A “Verified” badge showing the rider’s identity has been confirmed.
  • A “Cash” badge so you know upfront that the trip will be paid in cash.
  • The rider’s rating for additional peace of mind.

📌 Note: Cash trips will only be available between 6am and 10pm, local time.

Image

2. Ending the Trip & Collecting Payment

At the end of a cash trip, tap “Collect Payment” in the app. You’ll see the expected fare amount, and you’ll enter the exact amount the rider hands you—even if they overpay or underpay.

⚠️ Important: For your safety, never argue with a rider about payment. If there’s an issue, Uber will handle the remaining balance. See the FAQ section for more details on overpayment or underpayment.

ImageImage

3. Trip Receipts & Earnings Balance

Once a cash trip is completed:

  • Your Trip Receipt will show how much cash you received. This amount will appear as a negative payout since you’ve already collected it directly from the rider.Image
  • In your Earnings Summary, cash payouts will be listed as negative amounts. If your balance is negative at any point, it’ll be adjusted with future earnings from digital payments.

Image

4. How to opt out

If you don’t want to accept cash trips, you can opt out anytime in Preferences. All eligible drivers are automatically opted in when the feature launches, but opting out takes just a few taps. You can opt back in whenever you like.

Image

Prioritizing your safety: 

We understand that handling cash comes with additional safety considerations. That’s why we’ve designed this feature with your security in mind. Here are a few important safety recommendations:

✔️ Never argue over payment. If a rider doesn’t have enough cash, collect what they can pay, and Uber will cover the rest. You’ll always receive what you’re owed.

✔️ Whether you carry cash for change is up to you. You can tell any rider that Uber will provide their change as Uber Cash in the app

✔️ Store cash securely. Keep it out of sight from riders and others.

✔️ Deposit regularly. Minimize the amount of cash you carry by making frequent deposits.

✔️ Cancel if you feel unsafe. You always have the option to cancel a trip before pickup.

✔️ Cash trips will only be available between 6am and 10pm, local time.

✔️ Use Uber’s in-app safety features, including:
– Live Help with a Safety Agent
– Record My Ride, which lets you record audio and video for added security
– 24/7 Safety Incident Reporting

For more safety tips, check out the Learning Center in the Uber Driver app.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You’ll know you are part of the local cash trip Uber experience if you receive an announcement email and you are able to opt out  in the Preferences section of your Uber app.

  • On your offer card, you will see the rider’s “Verified” badge. You’ll also see their rider rating and a “Cash” badge to let you know before you accept whether  the rider will pay in cash. We would also recommend you to confirm with the rider before you start the trip by asking the rider, “Is this a cash trip?”.

  • Never dispute transactions with riders. Safely finish the trip, collect the payment the rider is able to make, and Uber will handle the collection of any remaining funds directly with the rider.

  • You are not required to give change to the rider.  You can keep the extra cash, and we will make a negative deduction from your Uber account balance to cover for the extra change you received. Uber will then credit that same amount in Uber Cash to the rider as change.

  • While a rider will not be able to leave a tip in-app, they can still tip directly with cash. The rider must let you know the amount they are tipping, and you will subtract it from the total fare the rider has given you for the trip. 

  • Uber prohibits cash payments for non-cash trips. If a rider wants to pay cash at the end of a trip, but it’s not indicated to you as a cash trip, you should kindly refuse to take the cash. Uber will ensure you are paid for the ride. 

  • Any tolls you've been charged during the trip will be included in the fare that the rider will pay you in cash at the end of the trip.

  • There are no additional fees for cash trips, and if your rider is using a promotion or has another discount, this will not affect how much you should earn for that trip.

Posted by Mishu Baldwa

Get a ride when you need one

Start earning in your city

Get a ride when you need one

Start earning in your city