Introducing the Driver API

By Chris Saad

The Uber Developer Platform has had a series of important milestones. From its initial launch of the Rides API to the release of the Ride Request endpoint, the Trip Experiences API and most recently the UberRUSH API. In each case, we’ve tried to push the boundaries of what’s possible for developers and offer meaningful opportunities to build moving experiences.

Today, we are pleased to announce another powerful new capability: the Driver API.

More than 1.5 million people across the globe drive on the Uber platform. Hundreds of engineers, product managers, and designers at Uber are working hard every day to make the experience more enjoyable and rewarding for drivers from all walks of life — whether they drive just a few hours or five days a week.

With demand for flexible, on-demand work on the rise, we also see an extraordinary opportunity for developers. By leveraging driver profile data, trip data, earnings, and more, developers can create new apps and services that make driving with Uber more productive and fun.

As part of this release, we’re also making Driver Ratings available. This valuable reputation data can be used to bootstrap trust when users first join a new app or reward great customer service.

We’re starting with a few powerful new endpoints:

As always, driver-partners will be in complete control and will have to authorize each app or service that would like access to their data.

We’ve already seen some exciting integrations of the Driver API with our launch partners including…

Jobcase brings together a community of more than 50 million people pursuing new career opportunities. Jobcase recognized that demonstrating great customer service while driving with Uber can be an important differentiator in a competitive job market. Using the /me endpoint, Jobcase lets their users share their Uber experience and rating right on their profile. This helps them stand out to prospective employers and find other Uber partners to chat with as they look for the next step in their career. Learn more.

Sears Holdings wants to be the first choice when driver-partners choose where to shop — whether they’re looking for a new appliance at Sears, a new outfit at Kmart, or in need of a tune-up at a Sears Auto Center. Sears uses the /trips endpoint to stay top-of-mind, rewarding drivers-partners with Shop Your Way loyalty points for their completed trips. In addition, Uber partners verified through the API get 50% off oil changes and 30% back in points on all labor at Sears Auto Centers. That means less money spent on car maintenance and more to spend on the things they want — with an added incentive to make their money go further by shopping at Sears, Kmart, Lands’ End, or shopyourway.com. Learn more.

Sherpashare gives driver-partners suggestions to maximize their earnings using trip data from the Driver API. The Sherpashare Compass feature uses the /trips endpoint to identify hotspots and understand driving patterns. Compass uses these inputs to generate an optimal route that helps Uber driver-partners get additional ride requests, making more money in less time. Learn more.

Stride helps driver-partners reach their income goals by helping with financial management and maximizing take-home pay. Stride uses the /trips and /payments endpoints to help partners identify the deductions they can take. After connecting their Uber account to Stride, drivers receive a report that gives them a breakdown of their income, expected taxes, and personalized recommendations on how much to set aside each week. Learn more.

Activehours builds on Instant Pay by giving even more drivers immediate access to the money that they’ve earned. Using the /me and /payments endpoints, Activehours verifies that the driver is on the Uber platform and calculates earnings to distribute funds on-demand. Activehours does not charge any interest or fees; instead they make money by asking customers to pay what they think is fair for the service. Learn more.

Initially the API will only be available to a limited set of developers, as we’re still in the early stages of learning how these endpoints might be used. However, in the interest of maintaining maximum transparency, we’ve documented it on developers.uber.com. Anyone who’s interested can check it out. If you have an idea for something unique or impactful you’d like to build, please apply for access.

Many drivers say they choose Uber because they want to be their own boss and get work at the touch of a button. It’s work that fits around your life, and not the other way around. But we know we can always do better, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with other innovators and entrepreneurs to help make the Uber experience more empowering for everyone who drives with our platform.

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