Uber now lets you book rides on WhatsApp in Lucknow — slated to roll out in more Indian cities soon

• Uber rides can now be booked via WhatsApp in India through a chatbot.
• Users will get all the necessary information including trip receipts, and driver details.
• The service is available first in Lucknow with plans of rolling it out to more cities later.

Uber has started rolling out ride booking via WhatsApp in India through Uber’s official chatbot on the messaging platform. The new service is first available in Lucknow, and it will roll out to more cities in the future. WhatsApp users will be able to book rides, and get trip receipts through the messaging app. This is the first time that Uber has incorporated its ride hailing service through a messaging app.

WhatsApp users can book an Uber ride by messaging Uber’s business account number, scanning a QR code or by clicking a link to open the chat. Through this service, WhatsApp users can register on the platform, book a ride, and get the trip receipt as well. Users will have to provide the pickup and drop off locations after which Uber will show the upfront fare information and the driver’s expected time of arrival.

The same safety features and insurance protections available on the Uber app will be available on the WhatsApp service as well. Users will also get to see the name of the driver and licence plate, and the location of the driver en route to the pickup point. Uber is also giving users the option to speak to the driver anonymously through a masked number.

The Uber chatbot on WhatsApp will inform riders about the safety guidelines, and emergency features which can be accessed directly from the app. Uber’s safety helpline number will also be available until 30 minutes after the trip ends.

As for drivers, it won’t affect their experience on the app. So users don’t need to have the Uber app on their phone to book rides. Booking an Uber ride via WhatsApp is currently available only in English, and in Lucknow. Uber plans to add support for more languages and more cities as well.

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