Uber Just Released This Feature That Regular Riders Have Been Waiting For
Uber goes all in the family.
Uber has borrowed from the cell phone industry with a new feature that will make paying for somebody else’s ride — something that comes up often for regular customers — much easier.
Today, Uber announced a slow rollout of its “family profiles,” which allows one head of a household or business or whatever group you want to foot the bill for up to 10 other users. Atlanta, Dallas, and Phoenix are the first to test the new feature before the company potentially opens it up in other cities.
Uber suggests businesses could use it as a perk to employees. When employees have to work late nights, often the boss will pay for the taxi ride home, so this concept would certainly simplify the process. Still, Uber says the feature gets its name due to parents who might want to pay for their kids rides while they’re off in college or away on a trip.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, in 2013, 28.7 million people admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol. Concerned parents might be hoping that by eliminating the cost barrier to ride-sharing, their child will be less likely to get behind the wheel while under the influence.
Uber also points to elderly people who may want to retain a sense of independence, even if a supervisor is supporting the bill.
Users in the select cities need only navigate to the left sidebar, go to settings and swipe down to “add family profile” to include the contacts vouched for under the plan.
