Uber Rewards replaced by Uber One subscription

Uber Rewards is shutting up shop globally, giving barely two weeks’ notice before members lose the ability to earn points and enjoy reward benefits. In its place, a new Uber One premium subscription will launch, costing $9.99 a month in Australia.

Uber Rewards was a loyalty program that offered up to 3 points per dollar spent on rides and UberEats orders. Customers could also progress up reward tiers from Blue to Diamond. Perks included 15% discounts on orders, bonus Qantas Points and locking in a fixed rate on a route you took often.

But the new Uber One subscription scraps all that, replacing it with a one-size-fits-all list of benefits including free delivery on some UberEats orders and discounts on Uber rides.

Thankfully, these changes are separate from the Uber-Qantas Frequent Flyer partnership. You’ll still be able to earn Qantas Point on rides to and from Australian airports. Earn rate as of March 2024 is as follows:

• 1 Qantas Point per $1 AUD for Uber Reserve trips to or from eligible Australian airports.
• 1 Qantas Points per $2 AUD for other Uber products to or from eligible Australian airports

Click here to learn more about these changes.

What is the new Uber One subscription?

Uber One packages four main perks into a monthly subscription fee of AU$9.99. For that price, you get:

• Free delivery on eligible UberEats orders over $20 (service fee still applies)
• Discounts of at least 10% off on Uber rides
• $5 credit if the ‘Latest Arrival’ estimate on your order is missed
• Access to top-rated drivers and premium support
• Special promotions on Uber Eats and Uber

What’s happening to Uber Rewards?

Uber Rewards is being shut down. The last day to earn points and use benefits is 31 August 2022. After that, you still have until 31 October (two months) to spend any remaining points for rewards. As a reminder, 750 Uber Rewards points can fetch you:

• 15% off UberEats orders or Uber rides over a three-day window (best value)
• 200 Qantas Points when converted
• other ‘seasonal’ rewards

Though we are Point Hacks, we do have to point out you’ll probably get more value with the 15% off perk over three days rather than just 200 Qantas Points.

Uber Rewards members can also claim one month of Uber One membership for free.

Can I still earn Qantas Points on Uber rides?

You’ll still be able to earn 1 Qantas Point per dollar spent on eligible airport rides to/from Australian airports. You just have to link your Uber account to Qantas Frequent Flyer.

You can easily link accounts from the Qantas App:

1. Go to the Qantas App, select ‘Book’ on the bottom bar, and then press on Uber.
2. Log in or sign up for Uber, then follow the instructions to link accounts.

Follow these steps to link your Qantas and Uber accounts through the web:

1. Visit Uber’s partner page on the Qantas website.
2. On the main banner, click ‘Link your Accounts’.
3. Log in or sign up for Uber, then follow the instructions to link accounts.

Summing up

In a disappointing twist for busy and hungry customers, the Uber Rewards program is being phased out. Some of the key benefits included 15% off over three days – and for Platinum members – the ability to fix a price on a specific route to avoid surge fares.

The new Uber One subscription has a $9.99/month fee to unlock free delivery on UberEats and at least 10% off Uber rides. In a way, you should be able to get more value than the monthly fee if you take a few Uber rides and make a few UberEats orders each month.

But it’s always disappointing to see a loyalty program swapped for a subscription, especially when the perks were arguably better with Uber Rewards.