Understanding Uber’s Driver Bonuses

Uber’s driver bonuses are a great way to make more money, but they’re not available everywhere, and they’re not available to everyone. How many bonuses does Uber actually offer and how do you qualify for them?

Joe here with The Rideshare Guy, and today we’re going to discuss Uber’s most popular driver bonuses. Here are four of the most popular driver bonus programs that Uber offers: There’s their quest bonus. Then, there’s their boost bonus. Then, there’s consecutive trip boost bonus, and also sign-up guarantees.

The Uber Quest bonus

The comparable bonus with Lyft would be their power driver bonus. With quest, you’ll earn extra once you complete a set number of trips within a certain time period, typically within a week or weekend. For example, here you can see I have an offer of a $10 bonus if I complete five rides between five and seven on a Friday night.

And if I’m only able to complete four rides, I can earn an $8 bonus. That was an example of a daily bonus, but you may also receive larger quest offers during a multiple-day period. Here’s a look at an offer where if you drive 20 trips, you can make an extra $55. This runs from four in the morning on Friday through four in the morning on Monday. This driver also has the option, if they want to do 70 trips, they can make an extra $175.

The quest bonus offers that you receive are for you personally. Other drivers in your market may receive different quest bonus offers during that exact same timeframe. Also, with the quest bonus, Uber has moved away from acceptance rate requirements in most markets. You don’t have to maintain a certain acceptance rates to qualify for the quest bonus. Also, they don’t require peak rides. Like with Lyft, with their power driver bonus, some drivers are required to complete a certain amount of peak rides. Uber does not require that with their quest bonus.

Related: Understanding Lyft Driver Bonuses

The Uber Boost bonus

The comparable bonus with Lyft would be their power zones. With boost, you are essentially guaranteed a specified surge rate in certain geofenced areas during set times of the day. For example, here is an offer of a boost with a 1.4 multiplier from 3 to 7:00 PM with a geofence around the LA core area. The request must come from within that geofenced area to qualify for the boost multiplier.

For instance, if you are physically located inside of a boost area, but get a request that comes from outside of that boost area, that trip will not qualify for the boost bonus. This is different than Lyft’s power zones where if you are physically located inside a power zone and you get a trip from outside of that zone, you still qualify for their power zones.

The consecutive trip boost

Their next bonus they call consecutive trip boost. The comparable bonus with Lyft would be their streak bonuses. With consecutive trip boost, you are paid a bonus amount for completing a certain amount of rides, typically three in a row, during a specified time. The first ride you accept must come from a specified zone.The first ride you accept must come from a specified zone, and only the first ride must come from that zone. All following rides can originate from anywhere.

In order to qualify for a consecutive boost, you must complete the required number of rides without logging out, denying, or canceling a ride, and you must complete all rides within the specified time. If your last ride comes after the specified time, you will not qualify. For example, here’s an offer to earn an additional $11 for completing three rides in a row between 7 and 9 AM. And in order for this driver to earn the $11, again, they have to complete those three rides within the seven to nine time frame.

New driver sign up bonuses

Lastly, there are new drivers sign-up guarantees. You always want to try to use a sign-up code when applying to drive. Uber no longer offers sign-up bonuses, but they offer a guarantee of how much you can earn after completing a certain amount of rides after signing up.

For example, say you’re offered a guarantee of $1,025 in earnings for your first 150 trips, but say you only earn $950 of that in those 150 trips. Uber will then give you a bonus amount of $75 in order to get you to the guaranteed $1,025.

What you may want to do in order to maximize the bonus amount you receive for that sign up guarantee is target short rides, even minimum fare rides. If you have those minimum rides, chances are you’re not going to make that $1,025, and Uber’s just going to have to bonus you out in order to hit that 1,025.

Uber offers more bonuses after you’ve driven for them

And as far as some things to know, I personally found that Uber offers me bonuses after I’ve driven for them. Most of the time, I drive for Lyft, but I’ll complete an Uber destination ride every once in a while. Then, the following week, Uber will actually offer me a quest bonus or some boosts bonuses.

But outside of that, if I’m not completing trips for them, they typically won’t offer me those bonuses. You can see all bonuses that you are personally offered in the Uber Driver app in the earnings tab under promotions. And again, bonus amounts and ride requirements will vary by market and driver, and not all bonuses are offered in every market. Thanks again for watching and reading. Please like, comment, or subscribe, and drive safe.

Related: Why aren’t drivers offered the same bonuses?