Uber to sunset free loyalty program in favor of subscription membership

The company is shutting down its free loyalty program in order to focus on its subscription-based service.

The rewards program was a sort of frequent flyer scheme that allowed riders to earn points for every dollar spent. Points can be used to get discounts on future rides. In November of 2021, the ride-sharing company began offering members perks like 5% off certain rides or delivery orders and free delivery on food orders of over $30, as well as unlimited delivery fees on food orders of over $30.

Users can still earn points through the legacy rewards program until the end of August, and they can redeem those points until October 31, according to the email. An update posted on the company's website states that the rewards program will cease to exist on November 1, 2022,

Users were able to earn points for every dollar they spent on the app. There are different levels of loyalty, from Blue to Gold to Platinum to Diamond, depending on the number of points members accumulate.

Diamond users will continue to have phone support, but only if they pay for a subscription. Existing rewards members will get a free one-month subscription, but will have to pay for it. If you order more than twice a month, you can easily break even with the One subscription, but not everyone will see the savings.

It wasn't immediately clear why the rewards program was being discontinued in favor of the one membership. It's possible that the company didn't see the returns and user loyalty that it would have expected from the program, and that a subscription offering will provide better returns.