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. The people driving are commuters making their own journey to work, with seats they were not using. They are not professional drivers and they are not being dispatched to you — they choose whether to take you.
What if there is no driver on my route?
Then there is no ride that morning. Supply is other people's commutes, so a thin corridor or an unusual hour may genuinely have nobody going your way. We would rather say that than imply somebody is always available.
Can I book the same journey every day?
Yes — a trip can be a one-off, scheduled in advance, or a recurring weekly plan for a route you travel every weekday.
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 are asked, not dispatched. You see the detour a passenger costs you before you answer, and declining costs you nothing.
Will passengers 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.
Am I earning money from this?
No, and it is not designed to. You receive a share of what the journey costs to run — fuel and wear — split between everyone in the car, and you always carry your own share. It brings the cost of your commute down; it does not turn it into income. That cap is what keeps you inside ordinary private motor insurance.
Do I need commercial insurance or a licence?
Not for this. Because what you receive is capped below your own costs, you are sharing a journey rather than operating a service. If your own insurer has questions, we would rather you ask them than guess.
Money and products
How much does a trip cost?
It depends on how far you travel and nothing else — not the driver, not the car. We have not published figures yet because they are still being worked out against real fuel costs, and a price that moves later is worse than no price now.
Are there premium or comfort options?
No. There is one price per trip and no vehicle tiers. You are choosing a person, not a product.
What is Trek?
Scheduled intercity travel, and a different thing from the daily commute. A driver 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. 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 would use it — which is the honest answer, not a stalling one. There is no launch date we are holding back.
Still stuck