Uber Unveils an Attractive Alternative to Event Shuttle Service

April 18, 2019

Uber is making it easy for corporations to pick up the tab for employees, clients and partners — and opening up new realms of possibilities for event transportation — with its new Uber Vouchers feature.

Rather than hiring a van or shuttle service for small groups, you can offer them the convenience and flexibility of car service. Some applications for planners that immediately spring to mind are airport transportation, customer dinners and getting staff to wherever they need to go, on time.

From the attendee perspective, this means no longer having to wait for a bus that only runs every 30 or 60 minutes, and only between certain locations. It also cuts down on the transit time, eliminating the multiple stops that are common on shuttle routes. And for the planner, this means no more worrying about over- or under-ordering buses, or paying for shuttles that only a handful of attendees use.

“With the introduction of vouchers, Uber’s goal is to unlock an additional growth lever for businesses by creating an innovative way to bring customers to their door or wherever they need to go,” said Ronnie Gurion, general manager and global head of Uber for Business. “As companies look for new technology and novel ways to engage with consumers, Uber Vouchers provide a perk that businesses know their customers will use.”

Developed on the Uber for Business (U4B) platform, Vouchers are available in the majority of cities where Uber is present — which means international reach.

Companies can create customized Voucher campaigns and programs within a specified budget, set pick-up and drop-off locations, and an established time for an offer. All details can be tailored to an event, promotion or service. And U4B’s guest services team is available to support businesses as they put Vouchers to use.

Businesses can send vouchers to their customers through email, social media and mobile messaging. Customers who receive a Voucher can apply it directly to their existing Uber account or will be prompted to download the app to redeem the discounted trip. When a rider redeems a Voucher, it is added automatically into the Payment section of the rider’s Uber app until it expires.

A dedicated dashboard shows businesses how many Vouchers are redeemed and allows them to export anonymized trip information to streamline reporting and billing. And in addition to a web-based tool, there is also an Uber Vouchers API available for integration with existing systems.

Uber officials say that the feature delivers “a real-time and seamless solution to provide consumers with additional choice and flexibility in their transportation, while also reducing operational processes and costs for their business.” Seems like a win-win to us.

Businesses can sign up for Uber Vouchers here.

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