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That's certainly true - things like Pool make it easier to obfuscate the cut Uber takes. But still, price rises don't just have a potential to alienate passenge

That's certainly true - things like Pool make it easier to obfuscate the cut Uber takes. But still, price rises don't just have a potential to alienate passengers, but drivers as well. If anything, drivers may well be more fickle than passengers, since someone who takes Uber once or twice a week has less to lose than someone driving for them 8 hours a day.

dismantlethesun 9y ago
True but a 6% increase overboard is practically invisible. Will you notice if you pay $7.51 one day, and 7.96 the next day? What with all the surge pricing, route changes, time of day pricing, and other schemes Uber throws at you, you're lucky to get the same price day to day.
- samastur 9y ago
  If they are so invisible not to matter, then why aren't they higher already? Why would Uber lose money if they didn't feel like they have to?
  - muse900 9y ago
    I think there is always the factor of other apps and e.g google maps making prices easily available for comparison etc. If Uber increases from $7.51 to $7.96 you might not see the difference in your head, but then if for example lyft is offering $7.80 for the same ride, whats more likely for you to choose? I think they'd be very careful with increasing prices and wait their competitors to increase prices first so they can follow up, or else they might run themselvs out of business.
- celticninja 9y ago
  To be fair if you take an uber regularly on a regular route you know how much it is going to cost. Sure they could bump up prices when a user takes a journey they don't usually take but it is noticeable when your regular ride cost increases.
  - mgkimsal 9y ago
    they can 'simply' (probably not that simple, of course), introduce higher fares for new users. never used uber myself, and if i did, I'd have little to compare the cost to. That 6% they need could easily be 7, 8, 9 or 10%, and I wouldn't know.
    - davidf18 9y ago
      In my case, at least, living in NYC, I compare prices with what I pay for standard Yellow Cabs. Sometimes the Uber prices are not that much lower for routes that I know. In NYC, the Uber and Yellow Cab rates are almost the same. Compare that with Chicago which has far more reasonable rates. All of the inputs (car cost and operations, gas, labor of driver) is the same in NYC and Chicago, yet NYC is far, far more expensive for users. Gett and Via (the later is a carpooler) has much better rates. For the rates Uber charges in NYC (UberX) Base Fare: $2.55. (NYC Yellow Cab - $2.50) Per Minute: $0.35. (Yellow - $.50) Per Mile: $1.75. (Yellow - $2.50) Cancellation Fee: $5 (Yellow -- no cancellation) Service Fees: $0 Minimum Fare: $8. (Yellow - no minimum) Chicago: (Uber X) Base Fare: $1.70 Per Minute: $0.20 Per Mile: $0.95 Cancellation Fee: $5 Service Fees: $1.40 Minimum Fare: $4.40

dismantlethesun 9y ago

True but a 6% increase overboard is practically invisible. Will you notice if you pay $7.51 one day, and 7.96 the next day? What with all the surge pricing, route changes, time of day pricing, and other schemes Uber throws at you, you're lucky to get the same price day to day.

samastur 9y ago
If they are so invisible not to matter, then why aren't they higher already? Why would Uber lose money if they didn't feel like they have to?
- muse900 9y ago
  I think there is always the factor of other apps and e.g google maps making prices easily available for comparison etc. If Uber increases from $7.51 to $7.96 you might not see the difference in your head, but then if for example lyft is offering $7.80 for the same ride, whats more likely for you to choose? I think they'd be very careful with increasing prices and wait their competitors to increase prices first so they can follow up, or else they might run themselvs out of business.
celticninja 9y ago
To be fair if you take an uber regularly on a regular route you know how much it is going to cost. Sure they could bump up prices when a user takes a journey they don't usually take but it is noticeable when your regular ride cost increases.
- mgkimsal 9y ago
  they can 'simply' (probably not that simple, of course), introduce higher fares for new users. never used uber myself, and if i did, I'd have little to compare the cost to. That 6% they need could easily be 7, 8, 9 or 10%, and I wouldn't know.
  - davidf18 9y ago
    In my case, at least, living in NYC, I compare prices with what I pay for standard Yellow Cabs. Sometimes the Uber prices are not that much lower for routes that I know. In NYC, the Uber and Yellow Cab rates are almost the same. Compare that with Chicago which has far more reasonable rates. All of the inputs (car cost and operations, gas, labor of driver) is the same in NYC and Chicago, yet NYC is far, far more expensive for users. Gett and Via (the later is a carpooler) has much better rates. For the rates Uber charges in NYC (UberX) Base Fare: $2.55. (NYC Yellow Cab - $2.50) Per Minute: $0.35. (Yellow - $.50) Per Mile: $1.75. (Yellow - $2.50) Cancellation Fee: $5 (Yellow -- no cancellation) Service Fees: $0 Minimum Fare: $8. (Yellow - no minimum) Chicago: (Uber X) Base Fare: $1.70 Per Minute: $0.20 Per Mile: $0.95 Cancellation Fee: $5 Service Fees: $1.40 Minimum Fare: $4.40