Uber Eats drivers: How to switch to Uber rideshare!

Let’s say you are a delivery driver with Uber Eats, but you want to start giving rides to passengers on Uber’s rideshare services. What’s the process?

There is no official, easy, one-click process to switch from delivery to rideshare.

To start giving rides, you have to contact Uber and ask to enable ridesharing on your driver profile.

Read on to learn the complete process and what to expect from your new gig as a rideshare driver.

Check if you meet age & vehicle requirements for Uber

You must be 21 or older to drive for Uber ridesharing services. If you’re under 23, you must have 3 years of driver’s license history.

The vehicle requirements for UberX and other Uber rideshare services are more strict than Uber Eats. Vehicles must be newer (generally 10-15 years old) and have 4 doors with 5+ seatbelts.

Check this Uber vehicle eligibility tool to see if your vehicle qualifies. If it does, your next step is to contact Uber and ask to be added to rideshare services.

Read More

• Uber Vehicle Requirements: Does Your Car Qualify?
• How Much Uber Drivers Make
• How Much Uber Eats Drivers Make

Contact Uber and ask to be added to rideshare services

If you believe your vehicle qualifies, contact Uber and ask to be added to rideshare. Currently, there is no online request form or button to click. You have to contact Uber to make the switch to rideshare.

Call Uber driver support at 1-800-593-7069. Tell the customer support rep that you are an Uber Eats delivery driver and want to do Uber ridesharing services.

Be warned; this could be a frustrating process with long wait times and unhelpful reps. Do your best to follow all of the instructions provided by Uber. Be persistent and clear in what you want: To do Uber rideshare rides!

Consider visiting an in-person support hub if you’re having trouble with phone support.

In-person reps are typically better prepared to deal with your issue in one visit. Make sure to bring: Driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance.

• How drivers can contact Uber support

Check if you’ve been successfully added to rideshare: UberX will appear under Driving Preferences in the driver app.

Open Driving Preferences by swiping up in the bottom of the driver app, then tap the icon with two lines.

Once UberX appears in driving presences, you’re all set to start receiving ride requests. Make sure that UberX is set to On, then go online!

Doing rideshare & delivery at the same time

You can receive delivery requests and rideshare requests if you enable both in Driving Preferences. If you only want to do rideshare, turn off delivery. If you only want to do deliveries, turn off rideshare.

Special rules for rideshare drivers

As an Uber rideshare driver, some unique rules and requirements may not have applied to you as an Uber Eats driver.

Vehicle inspection: Many cities require that Uber drivers complete a vehicle inspection at a state-certified facility. The inspection covers basic safety components like the condition of tires, brakes, seatbelts, glass, etc.

Uber will notify via the driver app app or email if you are required to do a vehicle inspection. Uber may link you to free inspection locations.

• Our Guide to the Uber Vehicle Inspection

Trade dress: Have you ever seen an Uber sticker on a car? That is called trade dress, and it helps passengers identify that a vehicle is in service with Uber. Some cities require you to display trade dress at all times. Others don’t.

Uber will notify you if you need to display trade dress, and send stickers in the mail. Some drivers use a plastic sleeve or tape to take the trade dress down when they aren’t driving.

Airport placard: As an Uber driver, you may be able to pick up and drop off passengers at your local airport. Many airports require a special permit or placard, so keep an eye out in your driver app for any links to request an airport placard.

Other requirements and regulations: Each city and state may regulate rideshare differently, so keep an eye out for any message from Uber about local requirements. You may need a special business permit, for instance.

You should also be aware of Uber’s service animal policy. Federal law requires you to give rides to passengers with service animals.

Rideshare insurance: Uber provides insurance for drivers, but your auto insurance company may not cover rideshare activity and could deny your claim if they find out you are driving passengers for Uber.

The good news is that most insurers now provide affordable rideshare insurance policies that allow you to drive for Uber.

• See which insurance companies offer rideshare insurance in your state

Learning the job: New challenges with rideshare

As you might imagine, giving rides to passengers is a lot different than doing deliveries. First, you’ll have to learn how the app works for rideshare and how to smoothly pick up and drop off passengers.

Dealing with the app while you’re on the road and using navigation apps can be the biggest challenges for newer drivers. Make sure to get a phone mount so you don’t have to handle your phone while driving.

• How to Use the Uber Driver App

Like Uber Eats, you are free to decline any ride request.. But once you accept a ride, cancelling does come with penalties. Cancelling too many rides can lead to deactivation. There are other important rules to know about, so read the article below for more info:

• How to Avoid Getting Deactivated by Uber

You were able to learn the ropes of Uber Eats, and with practice, you’ll be a great Uber driver too.

Your first difficult step might be getting added to Uber in the first place, but you should be successful if you are persistent with customer support or visit an in-person office.