Help
Questions people
actually ask.
If something here is unclear, or the answer you need is missing, write to us. The address is at the bottom of this page.
Getting a ride
Is this a taxi service?
No. Partners are people making their own journey to work in seats they weren't using. They are not professional drivers and nobody dispatches them to you. They choose whether to take you.
What if there's no Partner on my route?
Then there's no ride that morning. Supply is other people's routes to work, so a thin corridor or an unusual hour may genuinely have nobody going your way. A Pod is designed to make your week more predictable by holding the same Partner and group, but no plan can promise a car that isn't travelling.
Can I book the same journey every day?
Yes, and that is what Commute is built for. Route lets you book the corridor on the days you need it. Pod is the recurring plan: the same Partner and the same small group, week after week. Subscription and cancellation rules are being finalised for the pilot.
How do I know who I'm getting in the car with?
You see their name, photo, rating, completed trips and vehicle before you request anything, and you pick the person yourself. More detail is on the safety page.
Offering seats
Do I have to accept everyone who asks?
No, and this is central to how UpRide works. You're asked, not dispatched. You see the detour a Commuter costs you before you answer, and declining costs you nothing.
Will Commuters see where I live?
No. Your corridor is shown as an approximate line with deliberately blurred endpoints. No map in the app or on this site puts a pin on your home or your workplace.
Do I earn anything from this?
You can. Commuters pay for a seat on your corridor, UpRide takes a share of that and the rest goes to you. What it comes to depends on your route, how many compatible seats are actually taken and how often you take part, so we don't publish a figure and nobody should promise you one. What it is not is a second job: the drive is one you were making anyway.
Do I need commercial insurance or a special licence?
Requirements are being finalised for the pilot, and we would rather say that than give you an answer that turns out to be wrong. Whatever is required will be listed during onboarding before you carry anyone. In the meantime, if your own insurer has questions, ask them directly.
Money and products
How much does a trip cost?
Two things set it: how far you travel, and which Commute plan you're on. Not the Partner, not the car, and it never surges. We haven't published figures yet because they're still being validated against the pilot, and a price that moves later is worse than no price now.
Are there premium or comfort options?
There are no vehicle classes and you never pay more for a nicer car. There are two Commute plans: Route, which is the flexible one, and Pod, which costs more because it gives you the same Partner and the same group of commuters every week. The premium is for predictability, not upholstery.
What is Trek?
UpRide for scheduled intercity journeys, and a different product from the daily commute. A Partner posts a run with a fixed departure and a fixed number of seats, and you reserve one. You pick a departure, not a person.
Where things stand
Are the apps available yet?
Not in the stores yet. UpRide is running a pilot, and the survey on this site is how we work out which corridors have enough people on them to open first.
When will my route open?
When enough people who travel it have told us they'd use it. That's the honest answer, not a stalling one. There's no launch date we're holding back.
Still stuck