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Metro
06-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
Uber makes major change to how customers pay for rides in UK first
Since it first hit British roads in 2012, Uber has been a digital-only service, with ordering, tracking and payment all taking place on the company's app. Now though, a major part of this process is going analog, as the ride-sharing firm has announced it's accepting cash for the first time ever. Following trials in Birmingham, Stoke, Nottingham and Leicester, cash payments have been extended to all UK cities except London, where the move is being reviewed by authorities. Customers can select cash as their payment option on the app, requesting rides as normal but handing over physical money at the end of the journey instead of the usual automatic card transaction. However, drivers can choose to opt out of this payment method altogether – for example, if they're worried about the safety of carrying notes and coins or the potential for passengers to attempt to evade fares by running away (known as 'bilking'). For those that do take cash, they'll log and rate the trip on the app as usual – and if they don't have enough change, it will be credited to the customer through their Uber account. It comes after a report from the Treasury Committee suggested vulnerable people are at risk of social exclusion as the country transitions further towards a cashless economy. More Trending While it stopped short of recommending a change in the law, it said 'there may come a time in the future' where cash acceptance is mandated, 'if appropriate safeguards have not been implemented' for those who cannot pay by card. Committee chair, Dame Meg Hillier, commented: 'The Government is in the dark on how widely cash is being accepted and that is completely unsustainable… this needs to be a wake-up call.' Ron Delnevo from the Payment Choice Alliance claimed Uber's latest move 'demonstrates that they now believe in the future of cash in the UK', bringing its operations into line with other countries where it allows cash payments. View More » A spokesperson for the company echoed this in a statement, saying: 'We believe that movement should be accessible to everyone, so following successful pilots in some UK cities over the last 18 months, we have decided to give passengers outside of London the option to pay for trips with cash.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Uber rolling out payment change across UK this week in major shake-up
The 18-month pilot trials took place in Birmingham, Stoke, Nottingham and Leicester. Customers told Uber that they liked the option being there, as some preferred paying in cash, while others didn't have a bank card they could link to the app Uber will this week allow passengers to pay with cash as part of a major shake-up to its payment system. Following trials in several UK cities, the new option will be rolled out to the majority of the country this week. However, the payment option will not be extended to London, as it is still being reviewed. Uber has dominated the ride-hailing market for the last decade and has now expanded to other transport sectors. Since its launch, it has been completely cashless, with customers only able to pay through the app with a linked credit or debit card or through PayPal. The option to pay in cash will now appear on the Uber app. However, drivers can opt out of accepting notes and coins if they can't provide change or if they fear for their safety by carrying money. If drivers are unable to provide any change, Uber will credit the customer's account on the app. The 18-month pilot trials took place in Birmingham, Stoke, Nottingham and Leicester. Customers told Uber that they liked the option being there, as some preferred paying in cash, while others didn't have a bank card they could link to the app. Authorities in London are reviewing the cash option, and remains unavailable for Uber Eats or booking other forms of transport through the Uber app. The firm has not confirmed when a decision could be made on including the capital in the shake-up. A spokesman for Uber said: "We believe that movement should be accessible to everyone, so following successful pilots in some UK cities over the last 18 months, we have decided to give passengers outside of London the option to pay for trips with cash." Sign up to Mirror Money's newsletter for the latest advice and news From universal credit to furlough, employment rights, travel updates and emergency financial aid - we've got all of the big financial stories you need to know about right now. Ron Delnevo, chair of the Payment Choice Alliance, told the BBC that Uber's decision "demonstrates that they now believe in the future of cash in the UK" and called on government to go one step by further by making it a law for shops and services to accept cash. The move follows a Treasury Committee report that suggested that all shops and services must be forced to accept cash in the future to help protect vulnerable people who rely on it. The report, which looked into cash acceptance, highlighted various groups who relied on cash, including some people with learning disabilities and those who use cash to keep to a budget. Among those reliant on cash - and who gave evidence to the committee - were victim-survivors of domestic and economic abuse. The report said the government had to improve its monitoring of cashless businesses. However, ministers have said there are no plans to introduce blanket rules for cash acceptance.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Uber announces major shake up to the way customers can pay for rides
Uber has announced a major shake up by allowing customers to pay for their rides by cash. The app-based firm said it wanted to make transport more accessible for its passengers as it announced an 18-month trial in several cities would be extended across Britain, apart from in London. Uber's pilot scheme in Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham and Stoke found that some customers had preferred to use cash when it came to paying for their rides. The cash option will now show on the app, but drivers can opt out of accepting notes and coins if they can't provide change or if they fear for their safety by carrying money. If drivers are unable to provide any change then Uber will credit the customer's account on the app. The option of paying by cash is still under review by local authorities in the capital and can't be used for Uber Eats or any other form of transport on the app. The move has been heralded by campaigners as Uber now 'believing in the future of cash in the UK' and comes on the back of the Treasury Committee finding that a growing number of retailers and services are rejecting cash payments. The cross-party committee warned the country could become a 'two-tier society' unless the problem was tackled where vulnerable groups become excluded from community spaces. A spokesman for Uber said: 'We believe that movement should be accessible to everyone, so following successful pilots in some UK cities over the last 18 months, we have decided to give passengers outside of London the option to pay for trips with cash.' Ron Delnevo, chair of the Payment Choice Alliance, told the BBC that Uber's decision 'demonstrates that they now believe in the future of cash in the UK' and called on government to go one step by further by making it a law for shops and services to accept cash. The Treasury Select Committee last week urged the public to hoard cash for cyberattacks and blackouts. The Treasury Select Committee mooted the drastic advice as it warned over the growing shift away from coins and banknotes. The MPs said businesses might have to be forced to accept hard currency to stop the UK sleepwalking to becoming a cashless society. One in two shoppers have recently been somewhere that did not accept, or discouraged the use of, cash, according to research from ATM network Link published last year. Around a fifth experienced this in a cafe, restaurant or when paying for parking, and one in ten on public transport or in a pub. Charities also told the Committee that local government funded services, such as leisure centres, are increasingly cashless. Vulnerable groups who rely on cash, including elderly people, those with learning disabilities and domestic abuse victims, told the Committee that they are forced to pay more for essential goods and services because the number of places where they can spend cash is reduced. The Committee suggested the Government could recommend that households hold cash in case of a national emergency. 'In discharging its responsibility for national security and resilience, HM Treasury must consider the value of physical cash in emergency preparedness,' the report said. 'This may include recommending that cash is held by individuals in case of emergency, and considering what role cash distribution might play in a severe payment systems outage.'
Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Uber now takes cash payments … but not in London
Uber passengers in the UK can now pay with cash anywhere but London after an 18-month trial in several cities. Having previously required cashless payments via its app, Uber said the move was part of its efforts to make transport more accessible. Pilot schemes in Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham and Stoke found that some passengers preferred or relied on using cash. The option to allow cash payments for Ubers in London remains under review by local authorities. ALAMY The news comes after a report from the Treasury select committee warned that the rise of card-only services risked marginalising vulnerable groups who rely on cash to budget. 'There may come a time in the future where it becomes necessary for HM Treasury to mandate cash acceptance if appropriate safeguards have not been implemented for those who need physical cash,' the report said. Dame Meg Hillier, chair of the Treasury committee, said the findings should be a 'wake-up call' to the government after the report warned the shift to cashless payments could create a 'poverty premium' for those without digital access. 'A sizeable minority depend on being able to use cash,' she told the BBC. 'The government is in the dark on how widely cash is being accepted and that is completely unsustainable.' Uber said: 'We believe that movement should be accessible to everyone, so following successful pilots in some UK cities over the last 18 months, we have decided to give passengers outside of London the option to pay for trips with cash.' • I was scolded by my driverless Uber taxi Passengers can select cash as their payment option on the Uber app. Drivers can opt out and if any cannot provide change then Uber will issue a credit to the customer's account. The option only covers car journeys and not other services available on the app such as Uber Eats food deliveries or rail and coach trips. Ron Delnevo, chair of the Payment Choice Alliance, said Uber's decision 'demonstrates that they now believe in the future of cash in the UK', bringing the firm in line with its operations in many other countries. He urged the government to go further and introduce a legal requirement for all shops and services to accept cash. While ministers say there are no current plans for such legislation, the Treasury committee's report highlighted that many vulnerable groups still rely on cash, including those with learning disabilities, and others use it to manage tight budgets. The committee also heard testimonies from survivors of domestic and economic abuse, some of whom rely on cash to avoid being tracked by the perpetrators. In certain cases, buying a train ticket could alert an abusive partner if it were done via card or app. 'It really is a matter of life and death,' said Sam Smethers, chief executive of the charity Surviving Economic Abuse. Without cash, she said, people 'find themselves monitored daily, with every transaction'.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Digital powerhouse Uber now accepts cash for fares
Taxi app giant Uber is now allowing passengers across most of the UK to pay in cash. Following trials, the cash payment option was this week extended to all UK cities, except London, where it is being reviewed. But individual drivers can still opt out of accepting notes and coins, partly if they are worried about safety of carrying them in their vehicles. The move came as a major report suggested shops and services might need to be forced to accept cash in the future to protect those who rely on it. On Wednesday, the Treasury Committee of MPs stopped short of recommending mandated cash acceptance now, but said its report was "a wake-up call" to government on the issue. Uber has become a huge company and dominates the global ride-hailing market, as well as operating in a host of other transport sectors. Its rapid ascent has come with controversy and protests from other taxi providers. Its success has been based around new technology, but meant customers needed cashless payments to use its services. Following pilots in Birmingham, Stoke, Nottingham and Leicester, Uber said it has now extended the option of paying in cash to other UK cities, because some people preferred paying in cash or did not have a bank card. "We believe that movement should be accessible to everyone, so following successful pilots in some UK cities over the last 18 months, we have decided to give passengers outside of London the option to pay for trips with cash," a spokesman said. Passengers can select cash as their payment option on the app. Drivers can opt out in preferences on their own app. If they do not have enough change, that is given as a credit to the passenger by Uber. The cash option is being reviewed by authorities in London, and remains unavailable for Uber Eats or booking for other forms of transport via the Uber app. Cash campaigner Ron Delnevo from the Payment Choice Alliance said Uber's move "demonstrates that they now believe in the future of cash in the UK", and brought the company's operations in the UK in line with many other countries. He called on the government to introduce a law that would force all shops and services to accept cash. Ministers have said there are no plans to introduce such rules. However, the Treasury Committee's recent report did highlight various groups who relied on cash, including some people with learning disabilities and those who use cash to keep to a budget. Among those reliant on cash, and who gave evidence to the committee, were victim-survivors of domestic and economic abuse. Many face the dangers of being traced by their abuser via the payments they make. Buying a train ticket, for example, could only be done with cash in order to avoid an abusive partner becoming aware of their movements. "It really is a matter of life and death," said Sam Smethers, chief executive of the charity Surviving Economic Abuse. "Without it they find themselves monitored daily, with every transaction." Joint bank accounts and mortgages had also been used as a way to impose coercive control over somebody, she said. And cash could be used as an eventual escape route. "One victim-survivor said she hid pockets of cash around her house until she had enough to flee her abuser," she said. The charity would like to see cash acceptance backed by law, but Ms Smethers said she welcomed the focus the committee's report had put on the plight of those facing economic abuse. 'I'm trapped in a joint mortgage with my abuser' 'My cafe takes cash to help those on low incomes'
