Did you know that Uber offers many other services than just UberX, XL, and Black? The lesser-known Uber services are typically only available in a few cities, and to complicate things, Uber gives different names in different cities to essentially the same services. I looked at Uber cities all over the US and found a pretty large list of uncommon Uber services, and documented them in this post.
If you want to see which Uber services are in your area, download the Uber app (you’ll get a free ride credit with that link. I may receive a bonus from Uber ), enter a destination, then scroll through the slider at the bottom of the main screen. All of the services available in your location will be featured in the slider.
The lesser-known Uber services that are not available in every city
UberRush is an on-demand delivery service for outgoing deliveries. Use UberRush if you need something delivered.
UberWAV offers wheelchair-accessible vehicles that can accommodate disabled riders. This service is for passengers who can not get out of their wheelchair
UberAccess and UberAssist offers drivers who can help passengers who need assistance getting into and out of the vehicle. Their vehicles can accommodate assistive devices like walkers, but they don’t offer wheelchair ramps
UberPool allows you to share your Uber ride with another rider. Uber’s version of carpooling.
UberEspañol is an UberX with a Spanish-speaking driver
For Hire, Taxi, T, Cab: Use the Uber app to hail a traditional yellow cab. Available in big cities like Seattle, NYC, Chicago, and Portland
Uber Car Seat is a vehicle equipped with a car seat. Available in NYC
UberLUX: High-end luxury car like a Mercedes S Class, Tesla Model S, BMW 7-Series, etc.
UberHOP is a shuttle-like service that drives between predetermined routes for a flat-rate fare. It is no longer available in the US
Uber for Teens: Allows teens to request rides on their own when connected to a family profile – No longer available
UberPedal and UberBike are vehicles equipped with a bike rack – No longer available
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Not every city has the same Uber services
Uber service availability varies so much city-to-city that you might not even recognize the bottom area of the app if you open it up in a city you’re visiting. Some cities have tons of services available, and others only have a few.
Check out this side by side comparison of Seattle and Omaha. Seattle has lots, Omaha has almost none
Omaha: 2 services. Seattle: 7 services
Which Uber services are available in your city?
To see which Uber ride types are available in your city, you can either check inside the Uber app or at Uber.com/cities. Inside the Uber app, enter a destination and scroll through the slider at the bottom of the screen to see which services are available.
You can also visit uber.com/cities to see which services area available in your area. Search for your city, visit the page for your city, then scroll down to see which uber ride types are available.
Enter a destination to see which Uber services are available in your area
UberWAV, UberAccess, and UberAssist: Special assistance and wheelchair access
The Uber WAV, Access, and Assist services are for passengers with disabilities or special needs. WAV stands for wheelchair-accessible vehicle, so drivers in that service will be able to take wheelchair-bound passengers. In Los Angeles, the “Access” tab has two options: WAV or Assist. WAV is for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, and Assist is for passengers who need extra help getting in and out of the car. It’s not always clear what type of vehicle these services will send to passengers, so if you need this service, it’s best to call the driver after you make the request to confirm that they have the vehicle you need.
These services are available in major markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, NYC, Seattle, and San Francisco, but I found that there were no cars regularly available, and when they were available, they were minivan cabs who are on the Taxi/T/Cab platform.
How to drive for WAV, Access, and Assist: Uber may reach out to you if you have an XL vehicle, but otherwise you’ll have to get in touch with Uber and ask to join.
Need an Uber with a car seat? The Uber Car Seat service is available in NYC
The Uber Car Seat service gives parents a way to request an Uber that will be equipped with a car seat. Typically the car will be a regular UberX car that can seat four passengers. There is a surcharge for this service in addition to regular UberX rates. Uber Car Seat is available in New York City.
UberRush – Send items on demand
UberRush is an on-demand item delivery service that allows users to send and deliver items. Other delivery apps like Postmates allow users to receive items, not send them. Uber says that it covers lost or damaged items up to $250 and warns users that expensive items aren’t recommended.
UberRush is different from UberEATS: UberRush is for sending deliveries and UberEATS is for ordering food deliveries. Read more in my UberEATS guide.
UberRush is available in New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago.
How to drive for UberRush: Apply through the UberRush website. If you’re already an Uber driver, contact Uber support and ask to join.
UberPOOL and Express POOL: Share your ride with strangers and split the cost
With UberPOOL, Uber tries to pair you with other riders who are heading in the same direction as you. When you request Pool, you have to enter your destination and your number of passengers (2 maximum). The Uber app tells the driver who to pick up first and who to drop off first, so expect to make a stop to pick up or drop off your riding companion. Many Pool riders report taking the ride alone and paying a lower Pool rate, which is great for customers but not great for drivers.
Uber is rolling out Pool in more cities and spending a lot of marketing effort spreading the word. It’s clear that Uber thinks that carpooling is cheaper for passengers and possibly more efficient for drivers. For now, drivers don’t like that Pool rides require twice the amount of work — two pickups and two drop-offs — for each ride for the same pay.
How to drive for UberPOOL: If UberPOOL is in your market and you’re an UberX or XL driver, by default you’ll be opted into the Pool service. You’ll receive Pool requests along with X requests.
Related: What’s UberPOOL? The cheapest Uber service
UberEspañol: UberX with Spanish-speaking drivers
Passengers can request a Spanish-speaking UberX driver with the Español service, and it costs the same as UberX. Español is confirmed to be available in many California cities and Chicago.
How to drive for Uber Español: In Español markets, Uber will ask you if you speak Spanish during the application process, and occasionally send X drivers promotional emails asking if you’d like to be an Español driver. If you’d like to drive for this service but Uber hasn’t asked you, email Uber support and ask to join.
Uber Taxi, Uber Cab, For Hire, T: Request a yellow cab with the Uber app
Uber partners with local cab and livery companies to allow riders to hail a licensed taxi cab, and depending on which market you’re in, they call the service For Hire, Taxi, T, or Cab. You’ll pay an up-front fee and posted cab rates, but you’ll get the benefit of cashless payment via the Uber app. Uber can’t decide what it wants to call its taxi hailing service, so when you go to a new city you might find that this service has a different name than you’re used to.
Confirmed to be available in NYC, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Toronto.
Uber Pedal and Uber Bike – No longer available
UberPedal and UberBike is no longer available. It was a service that connected riders with drivers who had bike racks on their vehicles. It was available in Portland and Seattle for a few years, but Uber has since cancelled the service.
Uber HOP: Pre-determined routes at a fixed price – No longer available in the US
UberHOP was a localized Uber service that established shuttle-like routes to and from popular destinations in cities for a flat fee, and only during rush hour. It was available in Seattle, but Uber cancelled the service in 2017.
Uber LUX is a luxury service
Uber LUX is for Uber users who are willing to pay a lot more to get a ride in luxury cars, like the highest-end BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and even Rolls Royce. It’s not every day that an owner of those cars is willing to give the public rides, so you won’t find too many LUX cars available even in participating markets.
LUX is confirmed to be available in Los Angeles and Miami. The vehicle standards are much higher in Los Angeles, because LA also has Select, a mid-level luxury service. Miami LUX doesn’t have Select, so LUX allows more “regular” luxury cars like BMW 5-Series or Audi A6.
UberTEEN – No longer available
UberTEEN is no longer available. It was a service that allowed teen riders to request a ride if they were a part of a Family Profile. Uber no longer allows unaccompanied minors to ride in Uber vehicles.
Readers: Have you ever used one of these obscure Uber services, or driven for one? Let me know in the comments and let’s start a conversation!
Christine says
UberTEEN is alive and kicking haha not really, but I end up driving kids as young as 8 years old to school in the mornings, something I would NEVER do as a parent!
DougH says
Haha. What will the Uber kids be like when they grow up? Just so you know, you do NOT have to give rides to unaccompanied minors. You are fully in your rights to deny the ride.
Beth Karp says
How do I get in touch with Uber-wav. My husband and I are both disabled. We have wheelchairs. And luggage to take to midway airport Wednesday night.
DougH says
The best way to check if WAV is in your area is to open the app, enter a sample destination, and see if WAV is available as a ride option at the bottom of the screen. Not every market has it. You can also go to the Uber page for your city at uber.com/cities and see if the WAV service is listed there.
Mike says
where do I find the Uberwav app when I swipe to the end there is no option… is it not available in the suburbs of Chicago
DougH says
If it’s available in your area, you’ll see it in the app. You can double check at uber.com/cities/chicago. I don’t see WAV listed there.
Ling says
If I and my mother take uberX from Burlingame to San Francisco International Airport, do we pay $13-16, or 2 x ($13-16) ? Thanks.
DougH says
There is no extra charge for more passengers. So the price would be $13 – $16