In December 2021, the UK High Court ruled that all Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) Operators in London - such as Uber - are required to contract directly with passengers, rather than operating as an ‘agent’ between the driver and passengers.
To be compliant with the High Court ruling, we are making some changes to the Uber app from 14th March 2022 at 23:59.
Under the new business model, you will now pay Uber directly instead of paying the driver. This means that from 23:59 on 14th March 2022, Uber’s T&Cs will be updated to reflect that we are a reseller - or merchant - of transportation services. We contract directly with riders, selling them trips and paying drivers to fulfil them. The amount riders are charged does not pass directly to drivers.
For example:
Before 14th March 23:59: A rider requesting a trip will pay directly to the driver and then drivers will give a certain percentage to Uber (service fee).
After 14th March 23:59: A rider, who uses Uber, will pay Uber directly for the trip and Uber will pay the driver for providing the transportation service to Uber.
You will continue to see an upfront price at the time of requesting a trip which is inclusive of any estimated tolls, surcharges, and fees. Wait time fees will be added to your fare based on actual waiting time. Please read here for more information.
You can find FAQs about this change on t.uber.com/rider-terms-faq.