Uber drivers can set their driving preferences on the app. They can choose their area preferences and the services they wish to offer, such as UberX, Uber Pet, Uber Comfort, or Uber Exec.
Services:
Uber offers different types of rides and services, and the ones you’re eligible for depend on the type of car you use and whether you meet certain criteria. By default, UberX/Pool and Pet are available to all drivers. However, there are additional services that you can offer if you meet the eligibility criteria. The links below will provide you with details on the ride type criteria and eligible vehicles:
To access the list of rides you’re eligible for, simply open the Uber driver app and tap the ‘Driving Preferences’ button. From there, you can view the different ride types that are available to you when they’re turned on.
How to Use Service Preferences
If you’re eligible for ride options beyond the default, you can increase your earnings by switching between them and selecting the option that offers you the most money. For example, if you qualify for Comfort, it’s worth switching off UberX and seeing if you receive better ride offers for Comfort. During quieter times, leaving all options switched on might be more useful, as you don’t want to wait too long for a ride offer from Uber.
Another useful way to use ride options is during consecutive ride promotions when you have set your destination. If you receive a ride that takes you to your destination point or nearby but don’t want to lose your destination, you can uncheck all the services except for the one that is more rare and increase your destination timer to, say, two hours. For instance, if you’re eligible for Uber Exec or Comfort, switch off everything except for Uber Exec or Comfort. This way, your destination will still remain even after you’ve reached it. As soon as you move away from your destination area, you can revert back to your usual ride options.
Area preferences:
Another trip filter you can add is ‘area preferences’. Depending on your location, you can select specific areas in which you want to drive. When you select these areas, Uber will only offer you rides in your selected zones. Keep in mind the following points when selecting your areas:
- You have a daily limit of 8 hours to use this trip filter.
- You can stop or change areas as many times as you want.
- You must add the area you are currently in when choosing your preferences, but you can change it when you move out of that area.
- You can combine service (ride types) and area filters.
- You cannot use the ‘set destination’ feature when using area preferences.
- Generally, your waiting time between rides will be higher when using this filter.
How to select your area preferences?
To use the area preference filter, go to the Driving Preferences section in the Uber driver app and look for the toggle switch at the bottom of the page.
Once you’ve enabled the switch, you’ll see a map of the location options. For drivers in London, for example, will see a map of London with five different areas to choose from: Congestion Charge Zone, West London, East London, North London, and South London.
To select an area, you can either tap on the corresponding section of the map or use the check boxes next to each area name. It’s important to note that the area you’re currently in will be labelled as “Your location” and cannot be unchecked.
How to use the area preferences?
As an Uber driver, by setting your area preferences, you can choose where you want to receive ride requests from and avoid areas that may result in additional fees or take you too far away from your desired locations. Here are some ways you can use area preferences to improve your driving experience:
- Drive Locally: If you want to drive in specific areas or neighbourhoods, you can use the area preferences feature to set your preferred driving locations. This allows you to receive ride requests from passengers in your preferred area, which can help you stay within the areas you’re most familiar with and comfortable driving in.
- Avoid Congestion Charging Zone: If you’re driving in a city like London that has a congestion charging zone, you can use the area preferences feature to avoid picking up or dropping passengers within that zone. This can be beneficial because driving within a congestion charging zone will result in additional fees that you’ll need to pay. By setting your area preferences to exclude the congestion charging zone, you can avoid incurring these extra fees.
- Doing Promotions but Don’t Have Destination Feature: If you’re participating in consecutive ride promotions, you may want to use area preferences to get shorter rides if you don’t have the destination feature.
- Getting Too Many Long Ride Offers and Too Far Away from Your Home or Busy Areas: If you’re getting too many long ride offers or getting requests from areas that are too far away from your home or busy areas, you can use the area preferences feature to adjust your ride requests. You can set your area preferences to exclude areas that are too far away or that you’re not comfortable driving in. This can help you receive ride requests from areas that you select which may be busier or close toy your home.
- Selecting Busier Areas: If you want to increase your chances of receiving more ride requests, you can use area preferences to select the busiest areas in your city.
In conclusion, the Uber Driver App provides a ‘Driving Preferences’ feature which allows drivers to customize their service options and set their area preferences. By selecting service preferences, drivers can increase their earnings by choosing the option that offers the most money. With area preferences, drivers can avoid areas that may result in additional fees and select areas that they are familiar with, which can help them maximize their earnings and make their driving experience more efficient. Overall, these features can help Uber drivers have more control over their ride requests and earn more money.