Uber is rolling out a new way to get free rides by dining out
On Tuesday, the ride-hailing startup is launching Local Offers, a way for users to get free rides by using their Visa card at "hundreds" of local restaurants and retailers. The offer will roll out in San Francisco and Los Angeles with plans for expansion to other cities.
Users can sign up for Local Offers through the Uber app. After adding a Visa credit card to their account, users can then enroll in any offers they like, like Peet's Coffee or San Francisco burger joint Super Duper. For every dollar spent at those places, users will receive one point - after tallying up 100 points, users will receive a free ride from Uber (up to $10). Offers can only be used once, so users won't be able rack up points at one retailer only.
"One of the most frequent requests we get from riders is more ways to earn discounts and free rides, so that's the focus here," Drew Quinn, a product manager at Uber who works on Local Offers, told Business Insider. "I think something that's cool about this is that because users do use Uber already to explore their city and the shops and restaurants there, it gives them a way to get rewarded for doing that."