Inside Uber for Business: a ride for every occasion

Not every business ride looks the same. A sales rep going to a client meeting, an executive heading to the airport before a board offsite, and an engineer commuting to the office all have different needs. Each one calls for a different vehicle, support level, and policy setup.

In a recent AMA session, Uber for Business product managers Zach Chandler and Thiago Pesuto broke down the full range of ride options on the platform. They also covered what makes the premium products different and how admins can configure access for different employee groups. Here’s a summary of their discussion.

What’s the difference between all the ride options?

Uber for Business provides ride options for a variety of needs:

UberX is the standard baseline option for everyday use cases
Uber Electric offers affordable rides in electric vehicles
UberXL is ideal when you need to accommodate up to 6 passengers
Uber Business Comfort and Uber Comfort Electric, which are exclusive to business riders, feature newer vehicles, extra legroom, top-rated drivers, priority pickup, the option to set preferences for temperature and conversation and, in the case of Uber Comfort Electric, elevated zero-emission rides
Uber Business Black and Uber Business Black SUV are premium options with elevated service, including all the benefits of the previous tier, plus extended phone support and on-time pickup protection with Uber Reserve,¹ ideal for client-facing situations, top executives, or high-profile travel
Uber Elite is the newest and most premium option, with professional chauffeurs and luxury-class vehicles²

What does Uber Business Black look like for executive travel?

With premium vehicles and dedicated support, Uber Business Black is designed to make an impression. Executives gain access to higher-rated drivers and the same preference controls available in Uber Business Comfort, with a more elevated experience. If they need help during a trip, premium phone support means a real person picks up when they call.

For Reserve trips, Uber Business Black also includes on-time pickup protection. This means you’ll get up to $50 in Uber Cash if your ride is late and up to $120 if you aren’t matched with a driver within 8 minutes of the scheduled pickup.¹ For busy executives with limited schedules, that reliability removes a major source of travel stress.

How can admins control which ride types employees can access?

From the dashboard, admins can set up travel programs. This allows you to customize when, where, and how your team can request and expense trips. You’re able to configure these programs with rules, which include location restrictions (e.g., to or from the office for commute programs), spending allowances (full or limited coverage), time and date restrictions, and ride-type permissions (limiting Uber Business Black to executive use only, for example). Once you have your programs in place, you can add groups to that program. For example, maybe your executives have different travel programs than standard employees commuting to your corporate office.

Building individual programs allows you to address different teams’ specific needs. A few examples of possible program use cases:

A daily commute program that subsidizes a percentage of the ride cost
A client-meeting program that unlocks premium ride types for customer-facing travel
An airport rides program helps your team start (and end) travel days with reliable rides and less stress

Uber for Business also features AI tools to help admins configure these programs or answer any questions they may have along the way.

How do you schedule rides in advance for executive travel?

Uber Reserve lets travelers book rides up to 90 days in advance through the mobile app or the web booking platform. This is especially useful for executive assistants who can use delegate profiles to request and monitor rides for their executives, either in advance or on demand.

Booking in advance also comes with other added benefits. Pricing gets locked in at the time of booking, which helps avoid surge pricing and keeps spending within policy.³ For Uber Business Black trips, additional wait time is also available, useful for situations like running between meetings or clearing customs on international trips.⁴ Travelers booking airport trips can also input their flight details up front, and if the flight is delayed, Uber for Business automatically adjusts the reservation.⁵

Find the right ride for your business

Uber for Business gives organizations control over which rides employees can book, ensuring that they get the right level of comfort and reliability for each trip type. Play the full webinar for more insights from Zach and Thiago.

For more help configuring your program, visit the Help Center, or connect with our Sales team for a personalized demo.

Looking for more guidance on executive travel? Check out our companion piece on best practices.

¹Our on-time pickup protection applies exclusively to Uber Business Black reservations made through the Uber app or website. If the driver arrives more than 5 minutes after the scheduled pickup time, $50 in Uber Cash will be automatically applied to the rider’s Uber Wallet (does not apply to airport pickup reservations). If a match with a driver is not made within 8 minutes after the scheduled pickup time, $120 in Uber Cash will be automatically applied to the rider’s Uber Wallet. Compensation will be credited to the rider’s Uber Wallet within 72 hours of the delayed or unfulfilled trip. Terms vary by region. Conditions subject to change at any time.

²Available in select locations. See app for details and availability near you.

³Your upfront price may change due to factors such as adding stops, updating your destination, significant changes to the route or duration of the trip, or passing through a toll that was not factored into the upfront price.

⁴The 15 minutes of complimentary wait time is limited to Uber Business Black trips that are scheduled in-app through Uber Reserve. Uber Business Black trips that are requested on demand include 5 minutes of free wait time; after the driver has waited more than 5 minutes, per-minute wait-time charges may apply. Wait times vary at airports. See fare breakdown in-app for more details.

⁵Uber doesn’t guarantee that a driver will accept your ride request. Your ride is confirmed once you receive your driver details. Uber Reserve is available in select cities.