Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley said reliable transport should be accessible to as many people as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many Kiwis, cash still plays a practical role in how they budget, pay for everyday essentials, or manage day-to-day spending,\u201d Foley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntroducing cash as a payment method gives riders another way to pay for Uber trips, alongside digital options such as credit and debit cards, and helps reduce barriers to getting where they need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uber New Zealand said while the digital experience continues to be at the core of the platform, a cash experience can also be digital first.<\/p>\n
Uber Australia and New Zealand\u2019s managing director Emma Foley says the change is about making transport accessible to as many people as possible.<\/p>\n
Like all traditional Uber trips, riders will see upfront pricing before they confirm their trip, so they know exactly how much cash they\u2019ll need on hand for payment upon arrival.<\/p>\n
In the rare situation where a rider might not have enough cash upon arrival, a rider can pay the driver with however much they have on hand. <\/p>\n
Uber will then ask the rider to repay the remaining balance in the app before they are able to request their next trip, allowing a one-off form of ride-now-pay-later.<\/p>\n
One aspect introduced by having a cash option is the need for change. For those situations where a driver partner does not carry enough change, Uber will automatically credit the difference directly to the rider\u2019s account as Uber Cash.<\/p>\n
Riders also have the option to switch to a support bank card or digital payment at any point during their trip if they realise mid-journey they don\u2019t have enough cash on hand.<\/p>\n
Drivers on the platform have been given the option to accept cash trips through a simple in-app opt-out feature.<\/p>\n
Uber as a cash payment will roll out nationwide across Uber trips in New Zealand from late July within the Uber app, although it will not be available for Intercity, Pool, Courier and Teens trips.<\/p>\n