Introducing Upfront Fares: Know Before You Go

At Uber, we always try to give our riders the most seamless riding experience possible, from the moment they request a ride to the time they’re dropped-off at their destination. We’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out upfront fares in Cebu, starting Friday, January 27th.

Simply enter your pick-up and drop-off locations, and you’ll be able to get a quoted fare before you even request a ride.

Upfront fares will be calculated using the trip’s expected time and distance, and will take into consideration the traffic situation and availability of drivers at the time of the request. When fares go up due to increased demand, instead of surge notifications and estimated fares on uberX, riders will be quoted the actual price of the trip, so they are informed of what they will pay before they request.

Now, you can know before you go, so you can always decide what works for you and your budget.

If you have multiple stops or have to change your destination mid-trip, don’t worry! Fares will simply fall back to the original time and distance rates. When this happens, the final fare to be charged will differ from the upfront fare quoted at the start of the trip.

FAQs

What if a rider changes their destination, has multiple destinations or makes extra stops?
An upfront fare may not be honored if a rider makes significant changes to their trip route. In these cases, we’ll fallback to the original time and distance rates.

Can my Upfront Fares change even if I don’t change my destination?
Our upfront fare calculation is based on predicted traffic conditions between your pick-up and drop-off point. However, as you may know, the driving situation in Cebu can sometimes be is erratic and unpredictable. As such, we’ve engineered some backend measures to ensure that the partner-drivers who provide you with the quality service are compensated fairly, which can sometimes result in the fare of a trip to fallback to the original time and distance calculation.

Surge icons and surge screens no longer appear for upfront fares – Why?
This new way of showing fare accounts for surge, but provides the rider with more precise information upfront. For example, instead of seeing that a fare will cost 1.5x, the rider would see that the trip will cost ₱150. This is aimed at providing riders with more information immediately, so they decide what works for their needs and budget.

Will surge pricing be included in the upfront fare?
Yes. If there are more people requesting rides than drivers available to give them, fares will increase via surge pricing. The price the rider is shown will make it even easier for riders to decide whether or not they should take the ride. With upfront fares you cannot book a car without approving the cost beforehand.

What are Rider Fees?
These are costs that are applied to a ride if a trip has a toll due to the use of a certain route. To give our riders the most convenient experience, that cost is already included in the upfront fare.

Is the upfront fare completely inclusive (i.e. includes the booking fee, toll charges etc.)?
Generally yes. There are some instances when the final fare could be lower than the fare given upfront (for example, if the user has a promo code applied) — or higher, such as if the rider changes the destination of the trip.

When I schedule a ride, will I get an upfront fare?
Upfront fares will not be applicable for scheduled rides. You will still be getting a fare estimate when you schedule your ride, and you’ll be charged the time and distance rates.