Uber riders living in Dallas, New York, New Jersey or Phoenix might want to show up on time for their ride, or they will have to pay extra.
In the four aforementioned cities, Uber is now testing stricter penalties for customers who keep drivers waiting for more than two minutes or who cancel their rides after the two-minute grace period.
"Uber works better when drivers are driving more and waiting less," says Uber. "This week we're piloting two new features to make the Uber experience more productive (and less stressful!) for drivers and their passengers."
Arriving Late
Uber notes that if the driver arrives on time, it's only fair that they receive compensation if the passenger arrives late. With this in mind, the company is testing new fees that customers will have to pay if they keep their Uber driver waiting for more than two minutes.
Canceling Rides
Under this new testing program, Uber is also shortening the grace period during which customers can cancel their requested ride without paying a fee. Uber explains that when a driver is already on the way and you cancel the ride last minute, it can be a real headache. To avoid wasting the driver's time for nothing, customers will now have to either cancel their ride within two minutes of being matched with a driver or pay a fee if they cancel later on.
Uber's announcement doesn't specify just how much users will have to pay for canceling after the two-minute grace period, but it does say that it's a "small fee depending on the city."
Uber's support page, however, notes that the fees can range from $5 to $10, depending on the city. These fees do not apply if a customer is forced to cancel a ride because the app provided longer pickup times than expected.
The previous cancelation grace period was five minutes, but Uber now considers that two minutes is enough for a customer to decide if they still need a ride. The company's UberPOOL carpool service, meanwhile, already had the two-minute window.
If this test program proves successful and improves the experience for both Uber drivers and riders, the company will consider extending the scheme to more locations.
