Uber's expanded rewards program offers Apple Music and HBO Max perks
You also have more flexibility in redeeming those points.
Uber’s rewards program is becoming much more flexible than it was back in 2018. The ride- and food-ordering company has overhauled the program to not only let you redeem more often, but choose from a larger pool of options. To start, you no longer have to wait to earn exactly 500 points to claim a perk — you just need enough points to redeem a given reward. You also have six months to redeem a reward instead of the previous 28 days.
You’ll have many more rewards to consider, too. The program now offers 30-plus rewards ranging from 100 points to 8,000 points, including from partners. You can use 500 points for four months of free Apple Music (sorry Spotify fans), burn 1,000 points for 30 days of HBO Max, or get a free month of Rosetta Stone language learning for 1,250 points.You can donate to groups like Operation HOPE, Eat Okra and World Central Kitchen for 200 points each, or claim a free Starbucks coffee through Uber Eats at 250 points.
Uber’s in-house offerings are more varied, too. Riders can use 250 points to get 10 percent off their next trip, score a free UberX trip for 2,000 points or get four free trips for that previously mentioned 8,000 points. With Uber Eats, the discounts range from 40 percent off a pickup order (500 points) all the way to 50 percent off every order in a month (8,000 points).
The expanded offerings apply to people at any tier of the program and should roll out across the US in the “next few months.”
The company described the changes as its “way of saying thanks” as people keep using its services despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also a way to help those services stay afloat, though. Uber was quick to admit that its ridesharing business is still struggling, even as Uber Eats thrives. Wider rewards won’t get you to hail rides like you did in the Before Times, but they might encourage you to hail cars more often for those essential grocery runs.
