Uber Rewards Is Being Shut Down on Nov. 1

Uber has announced that it’s shutting down its rewards program on Nov. 1.

The aptly named Uber Rewards was introduced(Opens in a new window) in 2018 and expanded(Opens in a new window) in 2020. Participants are given “points” in exchange for booking a ride or placing an order through Uber Eats. Points confer a variety of perks, such as better support or access to highly rated drivers, and can also be redeemed for “rewards” that are found within a dedicated section of the Uber app.

Uber says(Opens in a new window) in a support article that Uber Rewards is going to be shut down on Nov. 1. People who’ve already signed up for the program will continue to earn points until Aug. 31, the company says, and will have until Oct. 31 to redeem those points. (Uber says it will continue to offer phone support for Diamond users—people who have accrued at least 7,500 points—after that date.)

The company also makes it clear that it wants Uber Rewards users to consider Uber One(Opens in a new window) instead. “Nothing is replacing Uber Rewards,” Uber says. “However, we’ve built out a great membership program called Uber One, so if you’re interested in perks like $0 Delivery Fee on Uber Eats, 5% off eligible rides, and more, you can learn more about [the service].”

It’s not hard to guess why. Uber Rewards might have incentivized people to use the company’s services more often, but they weren’t paying extra for the perks they unlocked. Uber One, meanwhile, costs $10 per month. Why eat the cost of rewarding people for spending money they probably would have spent anyway when you can make an extra $10 per month instead?