Uber Announces Uber Shuttle, Uber Caregiver, Costco Benefits

Uber on Wednesday announced several new product updates at the company’s annual Go-Get showcase in New York that aim to help customers save money on rides and food.

The product updates reflect Uber’s continued drive to drive growth and demand in its mobility and delivery business segments. The new features could help the company attract more riders and users to its app.

Here are the main new offerings the company announced:

Uber Shuttle

Passengers looking for a more affordable way to get to the airport, work, and live events like sports games and concerts can book Uber Shuttle seats.

Uber partners with local transportation services who will pick up the riders and take them to their destination. Uber said the ride-hailing service employs commercially licensed drivers, and users can tip and rate them directly in the Uber app.

The shuttles will have between 14 and 55 seats. Users can book up to five seats as early as seven days in advance and will receive a ticket with a QR code. Passengers can track the location of their shuttle within 25 minutes of the departure time.

The company said the shuttle will be “part of the price” of an UberX ride. Travel will not be affected by the price hike.

Uber will begin rolling out the feature at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and at select concert venues in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Charlotte, North Carolina, this summer. Uber said it will expand the offering in the future.

Uber carer

Users who rely on caregivers for support in their daily lives can add them directly to their profiles starting this summer. This will allow caregivers to book transportation for people they care for and order medical supplies and groceries on their behalf.

The feature will also allow three-way chats between drivers, riders and carers.

Uber said the user’s insurance benefits may apply where applicable to minimize out-of-pocket costs. Uber Caregiver will initially support Medicaid recipients, customers 65 and older with Medicare Advantage and customers with commercial insurance from their employers.

Caregivers can sign up to be notified when other insurance providers are added.

Costco on Uber Eats

Uber said Costco will be available as an on-demand option on Uber Eats in select U.S. locations starting Wednesday.

Users can order products from Costco even if they are not members, but Uber said members will save between 15% and 20% compared to non-members.

Costco members can enter their membership numbers in the Uber Eats app and are eligible for a 20 percent discount on Uber One, the company’s subscription membership.

Schedule an UberX Share

Uber said it launched a new feature on Wednesday that allows users to schedule a ride in advance. The feature will save users about 25% on average compared to a typical UberX ride, the company said. Riders can plan their trips as soon as 10 minutes in advance.

Scheduled rides with UberX Share initially launch in cities with some of the highest rates of returning to the office. This includes New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and San Diego. Uber said more locations will follow.

Uber One for Students

Uber will offer its Uber One membership program at a discount for students. The program normally costs $9.99 per month, but will be available to students for $4.99 per month.

The company said students will also get access to free items and special deals, such as daily discounts on their orders from Taco Bell, Domino’s and Starbucks.

Uber One Student Plan launched in the US in May. It will be released in Canada, New Zealand, Mexico and Australia in July, as well as in Japan and France in September.

Uber Eats Listings

Uber is introducing a new feature called ‘Lists’ to Uber Eats that allows users to curate and share lists of restaurants and places to visit. The company shared examples such as “date night desserts” and “toddler-approved” meals.