MoneyDec 13, 2024
Users Allege that Uber and Lyft Are Charging More to Users With Credits, Gift Cards, and Promos — Here’s How to Fight Back
Price Discrimination
Noah Weidner
Discover
Thanks to its widespread use by fast food chains, grocery stores, and concert ticketing platforms, “dynamic pricing” has become public enemy #1 in the eyes of many consumers. Despite this, rideshare giants Uber and Lyft, who helped popularize surge pricing over a decade ago, are reportedly finding new ways to use this unpopular tactic — potentially affecting their most loyal customers.
Better safe than sorry: Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire — reports of these practices have become more common in recent months. Even if they’re just anecdotal, there are ways to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth on rideshare platforms. For one, customers who rely on credits should spend them early in the month on items with fixed prices, like Uber Eats pickup orders. Those who use gift cards should add them only when ready to apply them to past rides.
While these tactics aren’t a foolproof defense against dynamic pricing, they’re one way of fighting back against corporate penny-pinching.
