The definitive guide to Uber

Uber is an app that lets you order a taxi, food delivery or a parcel collection.

This guide will take you through how Uber works, including how you can become an Uber driver to earn a living; where Uber is legal in Australia; how much Uber costs; a short history of the ride-sharing platform; how surge pricing works; whether Uber is safe and the other services Uber offers.

You can also find out the latest news in ride-sharing and check out our tools, including a calculator to see how much you can make as an Uber driver.

Essential Uber guides

Calculate your Uber income

Use our Uber income calculator to work out how much you can really make as a driver.

Can you use Uber to pay off your car loan?

What happened when I signed up for Uber to help pay off my loan.

Save on your next Uber

Save on your next Uber trip with these up-to-date promo codes.

Uber Eats Melbourne guide

These are all of the restaurants in Melbourne that deliver through Uber Eats.

Uber Eats Sydney guide

Hungry? This is everywhere in Sydney you can order through Uber Eats.

How does ride-sharing work?

Using Uber is extremely straightforward:

First-time riders may be eligible for "new user" credit or a promotional sign-up offer. Make sure you check whether any Uber sign-up promo codes are available before you do. You'll then be prompted to sign up and download the app which is available on iOS or Android. You are required to provide your debit or credit card information so Uber can charge you for rides.

When you want to order an Uber, open the app and make sure your pick-up location is correct, then enter your drop-off point in the "Where to?" box. You'll then be shown your Uber options. Uber also gives you price estimates.

UberX is the most affordable option, while Uber Comfort, Exec, XL, Access and Assist will likely cost more.

Once you've entered your ride request, and an Uber driver accepts the trip, you'll be shown the name and licence plate of your driver as well as their location. The driver might call you if they need to check your pick-up. Uber sends you notifications when they are nearby.

You can track your ride when you're in the car and share your trip status with anyone you need to. The driver will be given a route to take, but you can ask them to take a different way. At the end of the trip, you don't need to physically pay as all payments are handled by the app. The last step is rating your driver out of 5 stars.

How do you become an Uber driver?

Minimum requirements for Uber driver (currently called a driver-partner) sign-up:

• You must be older than 21 years of age (Uber Eats says the minimum age is 18 years old).
• You need a full and valid driver's licence for your state or territory, and to have held the licence for at least a year in any Australian state or territory.
• You'll need to present all the correct documents for your state/territory.
• You'll need to be insured for the vehicle you want to use as an Uber.
• Vehicle must meet Uber's standards (see below).
• You'll need to pass a background check.
• You'll need Australian citizenship, residency or a suitable visa.

What documents will Uber ask to see?

• Your passport or a birth certificate
• A valid driver's licence
• A front-facing driver profile photo, similar to a passport licence photograph

Which cars meet Uber's requirements?

According to the brand's website, the requirements vary from city to city. For example, in Sydney, the conditions are:

• Your car must have a 5-star ANCAP rating (unless it is on the Uber exemption list)
• The vehicle needs to have 4 doors
• Needs CTP and rego
• The vehicle needs to be in excellent mechanical condition
• Including the driver's seat, it needs to have up to 8 seats
• Should pass a pink slip inspection
• Damage free (no hail damage, scratches, etc.)
• No external wraps or graphics

Uber vehicle eligibility list for Sydney

Need car insurance that covers Uber driving? Start your search here

Want to drive with Uber? Compare your vehicle options below

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Name	Product	Price Per Week (from)	Insurance Included?	Membership Fee	Excess Distance Cost
Splend Flexi		$188	Yes	$275 (26 week rental period)	$0.10 per km	Get access to fuel discounts, referral bonuses and member only benefits when you rent a rideshare car with Splend. Flexi and Flexi own options available.	More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
DriverLend		$77	No	$0	$0 per km	Driverlend is a finance broker. Lease or buy a car with Driverlend and you could get up to 20% discount on dealership prices for a new vehicle.	More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
DriveMyCar Uber Rentals		$160	Yes	$0	$0.10 per km	Get insurance, maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance in the all-inclusive price. Discounts available for longer rental periods.	More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Europcar Uber Rental		$195	Yes	$0	$0.25 per km	Benefit from 24/7 roadside assistance, a wide range of vehicles and no signup fee to start driving with Uber. A minimum four-week rental period applies.	More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hertz Uber Rental		$217	Yes	$0	$0 per km	Benefit from 24/7 roadside assistance, no lock-in contracts and no joining fees. Rego and comprehensive insurance are included in the cost.		Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Splend Flexi own		$319	Yes	$990 (Joining fee)	$0.10 per km	Rent a car and pay it off as you go with no lock-in contract, membership benefits and flexible rental options	More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Where is Uber legal in Australia?

State	Is it legal?	Date legalised	Details/Levies
New South Wales		17 December 2015	$250 million of compensation was promised to taxi and car-hire plate owners and operators.
Australian Capital Territory		30 October 2015	Drivers need to meet criteria and may need to pay additional licensing fees to drive with Uber.
Victoria		25 August 2016	A $1 levy applies to taxi and ride-booking services in Victoria.
Queensland		5 September 2016	The government had previously issued a cease-and-desist notice to Uber.
Northern Territory		1 February 2018	The Government legalised Uber in 2017 but due to regulatory difficulties, the company was not set to launch in Darwin until August 2018.
South Australia		1 July 2016	Taxi drivers will be compensated and a $1 metropolitan ride levy applies.
Tasmania		8 November 2016	Initially only legalised until 2018.
Western Australia		December 18 2015	Ride-sharing services must operate with a Charter Vehicle Licence.

A short history of the world's largest ride-sharing platform

In 2008, a Canadian and American wanted to get a taxi in a wintery Paris, apparently they found no taxis due to the snowy conditions. This gave them the idea to launch UberCab in San Francisco – a smartphone app that let you hail a taxi with the press of a button. The first Uber ride took place on 5 July 2010, a cross-San Francisco trip.

In December 2011, Uber went international, launching in Paris where the idea for ride-sharing was first envisaged. In July 2012, US Uber users could order ice cream (but only in 7 cities). In the same month, UberX was announced, which aimed to use hybrid vehicles. In October 2012, Uber arrived in Sydney.

Uber has continued to expand internationally ever since. Uber now operates across 37 Australian towns and cities, from Adelaide to Wollongong.

How much will an Uber journey cost?

It depends on where you live, how far you are going and what time of the day it is (how busy the Uber network is).

You're charged a base fare, as well as a minimum fare. There are also additional fees depending on where you live.

In August 2021, to travel from Haymarket, NSW 2000 to Bella Vista, NSW 2153, the price is estimated as follows:

An UberX at 23:00 costs an estimated $84.40. Change that to later in the evening, then there may be things like surge pricing in play and the trip could cost more.

The Uber website has a fare price estimate calculator.

Is Uber safe?

Uber has put in place safeguards to protect both riders and drivers.

The app provides a lot of the safety features. It includes an emergency assistance button. You can also press a button to discretely report non-emergency issues during the trip to Uber, which aims to follow this up within 24 hours. There's also a function that shares your trip with one of your contacts. Phone numbers are censored through the app, protecting your details. If a trip has an unexpected stop for a length of time, Uber will check to see what's happening.

When you accept a ride, you'll see the registration plate information of the Uber driver's vehicle, as well as a profile photo they've supplied. You can view past reviews they've received, their rating and how long they've been an Uber driver-partner.

The drivers are required to pass background checks, including criminal screening, before they sign up. There are also limits on the hours they can drive, speed limits built into the app and yearly vehicle inspections.

Granted, there are incidents and Uber last published safety statistics in 2019. The company said at that time that between 2017 and 2018, 2.3 billion Uber trips were made in the US. They found that 99.9% of the rides were incident-free. Of the 0.1% that weren't, 0.0003% of the rides had a "critical safety incident".

There were 19 fatal physical assaults. 7 of those deaths were drivers, 4 were third parties and 8 were Uber riders. There were 107 fatalities in crashes that were categorised as Uber-related, or around 1 in 20 million rides.

There were incidences of sexual assault, which varied depending on the crime committed. It should be noted that riders accounted for 45% of the accused parties across all categories of sexual assault.

Uber says that as of 2019, 40,000 drivers had been removed due to continuous screening. When investigating sexual assaults, Uber states:

When we receive a report of sexual assault, a trained safety support agent begins by identifying the accused party and their associated Uber account. We immediately remove the accused party's access to the Uber app so that they cannot take trips while we complete a review. If the accused party is a guest rider, we attempt to identify whether they have their own Uber account and, if they do, we restrict it. If the guest rider cannot be identified, or if they do not have an Uber account, we may restrict the account holder's access to the Uber app since they are responsible for their guest riders' actions while on a trip.

What other services does Uber offer?

Uber has branched out from ride-shares to offer several other services:

• Uber Eats. Uber Eats is an app produced by Uber that lets you order food. You can have the food delivered, collect it or dine in. Uber Eats not only offers meals from your favourite restaurant, but you can also order groceries and even alcohol. Like ordering a normal Uber, you can watch your food make its way to you, plus you can leave helpful delivery notes and requests via the app. Uber Eats allows you to tip your delivery driver too.
• Uber Pool. Uber Pool is currently suspended temporarily, due to COVID-19. When available, Uber Pool allows you to share a ride with other Uber users, so you can split the bill. Because of the way the service works, you might have to walk a little to meet up with an Uber already underway. Uber Pool might not be an option at quieter times, though.
• Uber Connect. Formerly Uber Rush, Uber Connect provides a way for customers to send packages through the Uber network, with same-day delivery taking only as long as the time it takes to drive to the recipient. It's on-demand and convenient. You just properly prepare your delivery, whether it's business contracts or a gift for a friend, and then request a delivery through Uber Connect in the app. There are restrictions on what can be shipped (under 20kgs and no more than $100 value, for a start), but your driver will then meet with the recipient and hand over the parcel directly to them.
• Uber Rent. Uber Australia also allows users to rent a vehicle. Currently (August 2021), they are running a 10% cashback offer and a $10 contribution to the Uber trip on the way to pick up your rental car.
• Uber for Business. This service allows you to manage your employee's bookings for rides, meals and deliveries around the world. Organisations using Uber for Business includes the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
• Gift Cards. You can gift someone a digital or physical card for Uber trips or Uber Eats deliveries.
• Around the world, Uber also operates Uber Freight and Uber Health, but these are yet to come to Australia.

What is the Uber Marketplace?

Uber's Marketplace connects Uber drivers with vehicle lease deals, including short-term rentals and rent-to-own plans. The marketplace lists offers from businesses like Splend. Helpfully, it shows a lot of the costs upfront.

What are the benefits and features of the Marketplace?

Some of the benefits and features included with the Uber Marketplace include:

• You immediately have access to a variety of providers. There are many providers to choose from that are partnered with Uber, including Hertz, Splend and Thrifty, plus more. These appear to have Uber-specific packages available which include roadside assistance, registration and comprehensive insurance covered in the fee you pay, and you also have access to scheduled maintenance.
• Immediately see the costs. Once you choose the option that you want, you can find lenders immediately and see their prices. This can help you to select a vehicle that matches your budget.
• Learn about the terms available. You also have immediate access to the terms of the lender and what the joining fees and exit fees are. Some lenders have minimum terms of 5 days for short-term contracts. However, this varies from provider to provider.
• Learn what cars are on offer. The lenders will also show what kind of vehicles are on offer, such as new or almost new models, or a specific kind of car that is available, such as a late-model Camry hybrid or Corolla.

What's the difference between using Uber's Marketplace and using a vehicle rental?

By using Uber Marketplace, you have access to a variety of trusted lenders who offer Uber-accepted vehicles. This means that with some lenders, roadside assistance is available as well as replacement cars and unlimited kilometres, in order to keep you on the road and earning with Uber trips. This is not often the case when using a vehicle rental service, as some lenders might offer a replacement car, but it might not meet Uber's requirements.

What else do I need to know about the Marketplace?

Using Uber Marketplace immediately puts you in touch with ride-sharing and Uber-recognised rental vendors.

It's vital to consider your budget and your earning potential with Uber before making any decisions. There are also eligibility requirements you need to meet in order to get a vehicle with these lenders, and fees on top. It's also important to remember that you are responsible for running costs associated with the vehicle, such as fuel, unscheduled maintenance and tyres. Some lenders might include scheduled maintenance, and handle the registration fees and insurance costs.

Getting a vehicle through the Uber Marketplace is something to consider if you're wanting to get on the road quickly and want a vehicle that is accepted by the company. Make sure that you get advice from a qualified person before committing to any agreements.

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Picture: Supplied