Uber Pro – Uber’s Best Rewards Program Ever!

It’s clear that companies face struggles. Even Uber, one of the largest ridesharing companies in the world, is not immune.

Uber has a high turnover rate. Only 4% of its drivers make it through the first year.

As a result, Uber Pro was developed in the past few years to help Uber incentivize driving and keep drivers. The program comes with many benefits that can have a significant impact on your work.

Keep reading to learn more about these rewards and how you can get them.

What Is Uber Pro?

Uber Pro is a rewards program offered to outstanding drivers. It’s designed to help the company’s best drivers continue to give their best and retain the people who are the biggest assets to the company.

The program allows drivers to get rewards and earn more money. Drivers who give great customer service and perform their jobs well are allowed to join the program.

Uber Pro rewards are tier-based, meaning as you earn more points, you reach new reward levels.

How the Company Describes the Program

Finally, Uber has seen the light and has created a program that has some real tangible benefits for drivers.

In announcing Uber Pro, Uber said:

“Millions of people drive with Uber across the globe. They drive for different reasons and come from different walks of life: entrepreneurs, parents, immigrants, students. Some drive to earn on the side, while others drive to support their families, their ambitions, or both.”

And they have developed a genuinely solid program that will do just that – help people from all walks of life.

If you’re an immigrant, they have a lot of things that can help you.

If you’re young and trying to get ahead and want to further your education, they have a completely free college-degree program.

And for immigrants, this program has English classes where you can improve your English no matter what level you’re starting at.

If you’re older, as many drivers are, and aren’t interested in a college degree, the free degree program is transferable to any of your relatives or dependents.

Imagine driving for Uber and being able to give your son or daughter a free college education!

Uber says

“Drivers have also told us they take tremendous pride in the work they do and the service they provide, because they know that in many ways their riders – and families – are depending on them. But we’ve also heard that they would like to be recognized for their commitment to quality service – and to Uber – by helping them build toward the future.”

And they have in fact, come up with a program that looks like it really could help drivers build toward the future.

How Does Uber Pro Work?

Uber Pro works differently than some reward programs.

You don’t accumulate a never-ending supply of points. Instead, there are fixed earning periods and certain times of day when you can earn more points.

With the Uber Pro program, you earn points on a fixed schedule.

Each earning period lasts three months. You can accumulate as many reward points as you can, and after the time is up, the points will reset.

In the beginning, you’ll get your reward status based on the points you earned in the previous three months.

However, if during any session you earn enough points to move to a higher status, then you can start enjoying the rewards immediately.

As an Uber driver, you earn points every time you complete a ride. You can earn one point during standard periods and five points for every ride you give during peak hours.

By keeping an eye on the Uber driver app, you can see how many points you can earn for each ride you complete.

Who Is Eligible for Uber Pro?

All drivers are eligible for Uber Pro.

You just need to ensure that your star rating is at least 4.85 or higher and that you have a low cancellation rate.

Uber requires that you keep your cancellation rate under 4%.

At the end of each three months, it’ll be determined what status you’ll enjoy in the Uber rewards program.

What Are the Different Statuses of Uber Pro?

Uber offers four tiers of rewards. The more points you earn in a three-month session, the higher your tier.

As you move up in tiers, you get the chance for more rewards, benefits, and even the possibility to earn more money.

The benefits and point requirements vary by area, so check the Uber driver app to see what’s available for you.

1. Blue

All Uber drivers start at Blue status. You will be on the Blue tier no matter what your star rating or cancellation rate is.

With Blue status, you’ll get cash back incentives on necessities like fuel and discounts on car maintenance.

How Do You Qualify?

You don’t have to do anything to achieve Blue status.

As a driver partner, you’ll automatically receive these rewards.

2. Gold

With Uber Pro Gold status, you’ll enjoy each perk you get with Blue, only with better discounts and higher cash back incentives.

You’ll also get Quest Promotions and you’ll be allowed to see trip duration and direction for long trips.

Priority support and roadside assistance will give you additional help if you have issues.

How Do You Qualify?

First, you’ll need to achieve and maintain a 4.85-star rating.

You’ll also require a cancellation rate under 4%.

The number of points required will vary by market, but it’s typically around 500 points.

3. Platinum

Platinum status is the next level up.

Drivers get the same perks as Blue and Gold status, but the benefits get much more appealing at this level.

You’ll get higher cash-back incentives on fuel, especially when using a selected gas station.

You’ll get to see trip duration and direction on all rides.

With Platinum, you’ll also get 100% tuition coverage when attending Arizona State University.

You’ll need to enroll in the ASU online program and can choose your major.

If you’re not interested in a degree, Uber will let you apply the benefit to a family member.

Finally, you’ll get up to 3% more on your time and distance rates.

This extra percentage can give you a significant pay increase.

How Do You Qualify?

As with Gold status, you’ll need to keep your 4.85-star rating and your cancellation rate under 4%.

Again, point requirements will vary by market, but you can usually unlock platinum status at 1000 points.

4. Diamond

Diamond status is the highest you can achieve with Uber Pro.

You’ll have all of the rewards from previous tiers, including ASU online tuition. In addition, you will receive higher cash back incentives and earn up to 6% extra for time and distance rates.

That is a valuable boost to your income.

You’ll get dent repair, which is nice because your car is bound to get some dents when you’re driving so much.

You’ll get airport priority pickup, meaning you won’t have to wait in long lines when picking up passengers at the airport.

How Do You Qualify?

First, you’ll need to maintain your 4.85-star rating and less than a 4% cancellation rate.

You’ll usually need to earn 1500 points to achieve Diamond status, but requirements will vary based on where you live.

What Do You Get From Uber Pro?

You can get a lot of rewards when driving with Uber Pro. Below, we’ll delve deeper into some of these rewards and how they can benefit you.

1. Priority Airport Pickups

If you’ve had to pick up a passenger at the airport, you know that you waste a lot of time waiting in line for them.

That’s valuable time that you could be driving and earning money.

With priority airport pickups, you can move to the front of the line and do your job more efficiently.

2. Uber Debit Card Gas Savings

With the Uber debit card, you can get cash back on purchases, particularly on gas.

You’ll get up to 5% cash back at any gas station and up to 6.5% when you use Exxon or Mobil stations.

Your rate is based on your status.

3. Roadside Assistance

If your car breaks down, the roadside assistance benefit can help.

You’ll have free access to Urgent.ly, a program that will help you find the nearest service center and get you back on the road faster.

4. Discounts on Car Maintenance

As an Uber driver, your car gets a lot of wear and tear, so maintenance is a must.

You’ll get up to 25% discounts at major auto stores.

5. Free College Tuition

Uber understands the importance of education and will pay your tuition at ASU online once you’ve reached the Platinum level.

Probably the most eye-opening reward is the free college tuition.

To put that free college tuition into perspective, ASU’s online estimate tool puts full-time tuition and fees for an undergraduate degree of 12 hours per semester between $12,480 – $17,472 per academic year for non-Arizona residents.

That’s between $49,920 –  $70,000 for a four-year degree!
And the best part is, in case you don’t need it or want it for yourself, you can transfer it to someone else.

A brother or sister, son or daughter, mom or dad, and any legal dependents – even if they’re not related to you!

There are more than 80 undergraduate degrees to choose from and the school is online.

So you will not only have flexibility in your working time but in your class time as well.

The big problem with free education is that people may not fully appreciate its value.

And since it’s online instead of in-person, they may not have the persistence to follow through with it and complete the degree.

But if you have the drive and desire, Uber is going to make it very easy for you.

We see this perk as especially awesome for immigrants who want to integrate and work their way up out of low-skill jobs. 

And we see it great for all the retired drivers who may have family members it would be a huge benefit to that they could transfer this reward to.

6. Free Coffee

Uber has partnered with certain gas stations to give you free coffee.

This freebie is perfect for long days on the road when you need to stay alert.

7. Discounted Tires

With all the driving you’re doing, you’ll need to replace your tires more often than usual.

When you purchase tires at partner stores, you’ll get up to a 25% discount.

8. Discounted Business Resources

Uber doesn’t see their drivers as employees but as entrepreneurs running their own businesses.

Thus, they give Uber Pro drivers access to business resources to help them with stuff like accounting and budgeting.

9. Accident Replacement Vehicles

If an Uber driver is involved in a wreck, they don’t just lose their car—they lose their livelihood.

Uber recognizes this and will help you get a replacement vehicle while yours gets repaired.

You don’t have to worry about losing out on income.

How To Redeem Uber Pro Rewards

Some of the rewards will be applied automatically, while others can be redeemed inside the Uber driver app.

Be sure to check your app to see the process for redeeming your rewards.

Is The Higher Levels Actually Achievable?

With the points program, drivers can “unlock rewards like higher earnings and savings” to help them make more every day.

And to help lessen some of the stresses drivers are always under.

Let’s take a quick look at how many trips that translates into per day.

First, there are 12.85 weeks in 90 days.

So, let’s you say you take two days off each week and drive the other five.

That’s approximately 25 days off and 65 days on.

To reach Diamond status, you’ll need to earn 1,800 points in 65 days of driving.

1,800 points converts into 600 trips (if you work only during 3-point times) which comes to just over 9 trips per day. That’s totally doable!

Uber says this will work best with drivers who put in 30 hours a week.

On a busy day, you can usually do about two trips an hour so 9 trips would only take 4.5 hours.

And you can see that you could easily work longer and get in a lot more than 9 trips per day.

Here is a chart showing dedicated 3-point hour times:

As you can see, you will need to complete a lot of trips to take advantage of the higher reward tiers, but if you’re a full-time Uber driver, this is definitely worth it.

Uber Pro Reward Levels Explained in Detail

You’ll be able to track your progress and see what level you’ve reached so far in the rewards section of the driver app.

Uber will also begin displaying your level to passengers after you’re matched with them.

There will be four levels of Uber drivers and three reward levels including: Partner, Gold, Platinum and Diamond.

Here are how many points you need to reach each tier:

Partner
All Participating Cities: active driver partners invited to join the Program who do not meet requirements for Gold, Platinum or Diamond Tiers are placed into the Partner Tier.

Gold
Seattle, Chicago: 600 Points or more (in the applicable Program Period) New Orleans, Phoenix, Denver, entire state of New Jersey, Orlando, Tampa: 300 Points or more (in the applicable Program Period)

Platinum
Seattle, Chicago: 1,200 Points or more (in the applicable Program Period) New Orleans, Phoenix, Denver, entire state of New Jersey, Orlando, Tampa: 600 Points or more (in the applicable Program Period)

Diamond
Seattle, Chicago: 1,800 Points or more (in the applicable Program Period) New Orleans, Phoenix, Denver, entire state of New Jersey, Orlando, Tampa: 1,200 Points or more (in the applicable Program Period)

And here is what each reward tier gets you:

We’re delighted to see some really decent rewards here. 

We’ve highlighted the ones we think are especially awesome in bold. 

As far as day-to-day earnings go, the faster pickups at airports on the Diamond level is a huge benefit.

In addition to earning 6% extra on time and distance rates with the Diamond level, you’ll also get faster airport pickups and that could add up to a lot of extra earnings. 

Imagine being able to swing into the airport and get a pickup within just a few minutes.

And to know it’s guaranteed – removing all the doubt about wait times that drivers suffer through now.

Our Take: Why Uber Pro is Necessary

Uber says their “mission is to ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion.”

But this has not always meant igniting opportunities for drivers. They may move the world but it has always been at the driver’s expense.

But now Uber says they are continuing the commitment that began with 180 Days of Change with a new benefits package they call Uber Pro.

And at long last, it seems they have realized the need to reward the contributions of their most dedicated, hard-working and highly rated drivers.

When I started with Uber five years ago, the first year was pretty decent.

But after that, they began slashing rates and flooding the streets with more drivers than necessary.

I remember one particular day when I got really fed up and banged my hand on the dashboard exclaiming, “Why don’t they pay their best drivers a little more?”

What prompted my outburst was an email I received the day before congratulating me on being in the Top 1% of drivers in New York based on my passenger rating.

The next day, that nice recognition didn’t go far as I sat for a whole hour waiting for another trip.

Forget the email congratulations. We don’t need that. We need more money. We need more trips. That whole hour was wasted.

I made less than $0 because I was still driving around, consuming gas and incurring expenses, in a vain attempt to get another trip.

I just didn’t understand, if Uber really wants us to put our hearts into it and give them our best, why in the world aren’t they rewarding those who are doing an outstanding job?

No other company would treat their best workers that way.

Most companies are smart enough to know that in order to keep their best workers, they have to reward them.

But in those early days, Uber seemed completely oblivious.

Uber Pro FAQs

Do you still have questions about the Uber Pro program?

See below for answers to some of the most common questions.

Wrapping Up

If you’re an Uber driver, it only makes sense to try to earn rewards through Uber Pro.

You only have to maintain a star rating and a low cancellation rate, which are things you should already be doing.

Uber Rewards helps you to save money and can even help you earn more and get a college degree.