Does Amex Platinum make Uber trips more expensive?
Jun 29, 2017, 9:47 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 396
Exactly. Happened four times over the last two weeks. Usual ride to my office is $14 and it went to $19-20.
Last edited by sfcaFLYER; Jun 29, 2017 at 9:48 am Reason: More info
Jun 29, 2017, 10:39 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NYC
Posts: 427
Just tested this out, same phone, just switching payment option -- Amex Plat $17.30 Chase Reserve $16.45.
I find it strange that just by changing payment method, it recalculates the total. Why is that necessary if the pickup/dropoff points did not change? Seems like this pricing scheme is not a glitch.
I find it strange that just by changing payment method, it recalculates the total. Why is that necessary if the pickup/dropoff points did not change? Seems like this pricing scheme is not a glitch.
Jun 29, 2017, 10:44 am
#18
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...willing-to-pay
The new fare system is called “route-based pricing,” and it charges customers based on what it predicts they’re willing to pay. It’s a break from the past, when Uber calculated fares using a combination of mileage, time and multipliers based on geographic demand.
Jun 29, 2017, 10:46 am
#19
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
Is it possible they are adding the merchant fee they have negotiated with each Network (Visa, MC, Discover, Amex) to the normal ride fare??? This would also be bad, as no one can notice it and there are states where you can not charge more for using one or another type of card, starting with Debit, prepaid and credit cards differentiation. Just a thought, but I only use CSR on Uber, so looks like I should be getting lower priced trips, LOL.
Jun 29, 2017, 11:08 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Jun 29, 2017, 12:01 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 207
The issue with this is... uber would still (or should) know about the linked amex even if you are not using it to pay. Would this affect the algorithm.
Last edited by gsxsilver; Jun 29, 2017 at 12:07 pm
Jun 29, 2017, 12:11 pm
#25
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SFO
Posts: 266
i'm testing this tonight. My wife's uber account never had a single AMEX attached to it. Mine has my plat and other "premium" cards on it. I'll do a simultaneous test. In fact, I'll give AMEX the benefit of the doubt and use the AMEX uber booking first, i.e. remove one potential supply out of the population.
Jun 29, 2017, 12:40 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SAN
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, American Air, National Car
Posts: 1,131
Is it possible they are adding the merchant fee they have negotiated with each Network (Visa, MC, Discover, Amex) to the normal ride fare??? This would also be bad, as no one can notice it and there are states where you can not charge more for using one or another type of card, starting with Debit, prepaid and credit cards differentiation. Just a thought, but I only use CSR on Uber, so looks like I should be getting lower priced trips, LOL.
Jun 29, 2017, 12:43 pm
#27
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SAN
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, American Air, National Car
Posts: 1,131
I had a similar substantial price shift happen last night - I was looking at a ~$8 ride , and then changed the setting to use AMEX points (they buried this setting selection in the current app, it used to be very easy to which between the two) ... and trying to use points it turned into a $10+ ride ... doubt there was surge pricing a minute later at that time of night ... anyway I got pissed and decided to drive myself
Jun 29, 2017, 4:17 pm
#30
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Maybe this Uber arrangement was part of Amex's way to fund the Uber "benefit" it marketed to try to sell the Platinum card cost increases customers are facing.