Give the cargo box a try:

What is cargo box?

The most primary way to earn more money while Uber driving is to take advantage of the cargo box. Cargo box is a container that Uber drivers should keep in their car that holds consumable items like snacks and other cool items.

Use:

It’s very normal that while travelling, passengers at times tend to become very thirsty and hungry. During such times, the cargo box will help you ease the situation by offering them the opportunity to purchase these consumable items from you.

Advantage of cargo box:

This technique will help you attain a certain amount of extra money. The best part of the scheme is that the cargo box is completely free for Uber drivers like you. Through the cargo box, now, you can offer extra goodies to your riders and earn good driver ratings as well.

Cost bearing of cargo box:

The best part which we talked above, is the cost bearing of the cargo box. The cost of cargo box is endured by somebody else. That is, Uber drivers get to earn money without putting any initial amount. This also means that you can earn $1 for every order. In total, Uber drivers can also earn 25% of every retail item and even more, if they get sales bonuses and in-app tipping. To conclude, Uber driver’s income increases by $100 per month.

Invite your friends:

You must have heard the phrase — «Sharing is caring.» Share your unique Uber driver invite code with your friends so that you both can earn an extra penny.

Also, you get to earn a referral bonus each time your Uber driver friend uses the invite code. This signifies that even when you aren’t driving, you can still earn money by helping others earn a little. Though, The thing to be remembered is that the referral bonus for Uber varies from state-to-state.

Keep your stats up:

Your driver rating is regularly monitored by Uber in a strict manner. As a result, it’s the primitive job of the drivers to keep their stats up. The best ways to improve the ratings are:

• Being professional,
• Dressing similarly to your passengers and
• Providing an excellent rideshare experience.

This also signifies that a less-than-flawless ride experience can result in a low star rating. There’re many reasons such as:

• Reckless driving,
• Strong car odors,
• A dirty vehicle.

Trick: Drive around your friends and relatives and subsequently, get a productive feedback from them. They might help you with the things that your work requires or lacks.

Manage snack attacks:

Hunger is a natural phenomenon that will eventually come up during your shifts. The best way to satisfy your growling tummy would be by bringing pre-made snacks from home which are healthy, indelible and cheap.You should always avoid stuffing your stomach with the overpriced foods from the gas station.

Master the basics:

If you’re able to learn and become proficient in the knowledge of the city routes and the time period where you’ll be able to catch more riders then, you’ll be able to increase your earnings to a fare amount. In order to improve your earnings and efficiency, you should also take these things into account:

• driver ratings,
• tips by passengers and
• acceptance rates.

Prepare for taxes:

As the tax filing process is complex and complicated, there’s a lot of pressure on both Uber drivers and independent contractors. Adding more to this heap, contractors have to pay the taxes from their own pocket.

Fortunately, Uber drivers can take advantage of tax deductions due to their employment status. Tax deductions help Uber drivers by covering any business expense that they’ve to under-go while working. There are different types of tax deductions such as:

Standard mileage deduction:

Standard mileage deduction offers Uber drivers a rate that is per mile and covers most of their expenses. However, in order to use this deduction, drivers have to keep a record of the miles they’ve driven in an entire year.

Actual expense deduction:

In Actual expense deduction, an Uber driver have to maintain a proper list of all his expenses. Expenses incurred due to vehicle or rideshare insurance, will be listed. Items that can be deducted are:

• Car payments,
• Gas,
• Insurance,
• License, registration and title expenses,
• Mobile phone and charger,
• Vehicle financing,
• Vehicle operating expenses.
• Things which are purchased in order to help in improving the quality of the rideshare experience can also be deducted from your taxes. For example: 24-pack of bottled water which you’ve purchased in order to provide customers with complimentary water is considered a work expense and therefore, it’s tax deductible.

Reduce your driving:

You should always keep this in mind that driving without a rider leads to loss of time, money and fuel. Thus, you should always make up a plan before you start driving. That is, analyse your key locations where you can easily park and wait for riders while the engine is shut off.

Furthermore, draw an updated Excel sheet to keep a track of your earnings and the number of ride requests you’ve received. Make columns based on times of the day that is, morning, afternoon, early evening and late night. This will help you to identify your profits. Review this list every 2-3 months to diagnose your top earning locations.

Take online courses:

It’s advised to sign up for online courses as they could provide you tips and tricks that will help you improve your rideshare service. Everything will be explained in detail and in great manner.

An Uber driver is able to maximize his profits in a variety of different ways. Identifying the best ways to improve your rideshare business will take time and dedication. For more information, contact us.

Loss/damage to your personal belongings:

Most of the contents of the home are also covered if they’re ruined in an insured disaster such as:

• furniture,
• clothing and
• appliances.

Off-premises coverage:

Furthermore, you can also get off-premises coverage, wherein you can file a claim for lost jewelry. It doesn’t matter where did you loose it. A claim is a homeowner’s request for repayment under the terms of the policy.

However, there’s a constraint to the amount of reimbursement. According to the Insurance Information Institute (3Is), most insurance companies will provide coverage for 50-70% of the amount of insurance you’ve on the structure of your home. Howbeit, it’s better to purchase a separate floater policy if you own a lot of high-priced assets.

Personal liability for damage/injuries caused by you/your family:

Liability coverage protects you from lawsuits filed by others. In addition to it, this clause also includes your pets. It doesn’t matter if the incident takes place at your home or at any other place, the other person would be successfully reimbursed for her loss.

However, off-premises coverage doesn’t apply for those with renter’s insurance. According to the 3Is, one should have at least $300,000 worth of coverage. For extra protection, a few hundred dollars more in premiums can buy you an extra $1 million or more through an umbrella policy. A premium is the price charged by an insurance company. Though, it depends on the level of coverage purchased.

Hotel/house rental while your home is being rebuilt/repaired:

Additional living expenses is undoubtedly the best coverage. It reimburses you for those expenses which are done by you while you’re waiting for your home to become habitable again. These expenses could be in the form of:

• hotel room,
• rent,
• restaurant meals and other incidental costs.

Although, the policies enforce strict daily and total limits but, you can expand those daily limits if you pay more in coverage.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF COVERAGE

Insurances are created differently. If you buy a homeowner’s insurance that costs less then, the amount of coverage will also be less. Same goes in the case of homeowner’s insurances that are costly. In NYC, there’re several forms of homeowner’s insurance that have become standardized in the industry. They’re designated HO-1 through HO-8 and offer various forms of protection depending on the needs of the homeowner and the type of residence being covered. There’re essentially three levels of coverage:

Actual cash value:

It covers the value of your house and your belongings minus depreciation.

Guaranteed (or extended) replacement cost/ value:

Inflation-buffer policy:

It pays for all the repair costs or the costs related to the rebuilding of your home. It doesn’t matter if the costs is more than your policy limit. Many insurers offer extended replacement which gives more coverage than you’ve purchased. But there’s a maximum limit which is 20-25% higher than the limit.

Guaranteed replacement value policy:

If the homeowners plan to stay in a home for any length of time then, they should definitely buy guaranteed replacement value policy. As your homeowner’s insurance covers the costs of rebuilding of your home preferably at current prices, guaranteed replacement value policies will absorb the increased replacement costs.

According to Adam Johnson at QuoteWizard.com, «Often shoppers make the mistake of insuring [a house just] enough to cover the mortgage, but that usually equates to 90% of your home’s value. Due to a fluctuating market, it’s always a good idea to get coverage for more than your home is worth.»

Replacement cost:

This is the actual cash value without the deduction for depreciation. Depreciation is the estimated decrease in value of property over time due to aging, wear, tear and other factors. Through this, you would be able to repair/rebuild your home up to the original value.

COST-CUTTING INSURANCE TIPS

Maintain a security system and alarms:

You can lower the homeowner’s annual premium by 5% or more through the installation of a thief alarm. It’s monitored by central station or local police. Howbeit, the owner has to submit evidence of central monitoring in the form of a bill/a contract to the insurance company to receive the discount.

You can save your family 10% or more in annual premiums by installing these devices which are standardized in many older houses:

• CO₂ detectors,
• smoke alarms,
• sprinkler systems,
• dead-bolt locks and
• weatherproofing devices.

Raise your deductible:

The higher the deductible, the lower will be the annual premiums. Deductible is the amount that a customer pays out of his own pocket before coverage is given, even when the claim is accepted. However, there’re smaller problems with selecting a high deductible such as broken windows or damaged sheet-rock from a leaky pipe. Such obstructions cost only a few hundred dollars to fix and will most likely be absorbed by the homeowner.

Look for multiple policy discounts:

Many insurance companies give a discount of 10% or more to customers who maintain other insurance contracts under the same roof such as auto-insurance or business insurance. With this method, you might end up saving on two premiums.

Plan ahead for construction:

While constructing another building adjacent to the home, you should look out for the materials that are going to be used. Such as:

• you can apply cement/steel-framed structures in the building. They are less costly because they wouldn’t succumb to fire/adverse weather conditions. On the contrary, wood-framed structures are highly inflammable and costly to insure.
• Swimming pools and other potentially destructive devices like trampolines can increase the annual homeowner’s insurance costs up by 10% or more.

Pay off your mortgage:

People who have their own residences will most likely have lower premiums. It’s because the insurance company thinks that a homeowner will take better care of their home than a tenant. Therefore, it’s advisable to pay off your mortgage soon.

Make regular policy reviews and comparisons:

Before buying any type of insurance you should always compare. This includes:

• checking for employers/association membership group and
• coverage options through credit/trade unions.

Also, even after purchasing a policy, you should always or at least once a year:

• compare the costs of other insurance policies to your own,
• review your existing policy and make notes of the changes that might lower your premiums.

Lower your premiums:

Furthermore, you could notify and provide proofs to the insurance company to lower your insurance premiums. The proofs could be in the form of pictures and receipts of the changes that you have made in your house. These changes include:

• disassembling the trampoline,
• installing a burglar alarm,
• paying off the mortgage,
• a sophisticated sprinkler system.

According to Van Jura, «some companies have credits for complete upgrades i.e. to plumbing, electric, heat and roof «. Another way to lower your premium is by loyalty. The longer you stay with a company, the lower the premium will become.

According to John Bodrozic, co-founder of HomeZada.com, «Many consumers are under-insured with the contents portion of their policy, because they have not done a home inventory and added the total value to compare with what the policy is covering.» Therefore, make annual estimation of your priced items to know if you’ve enough coverage to replace your possessions.

Changes in the neighborhood also lower premiums such as:

• installation of a fire hydrant within 100 ft of the home
• the erection of a fire substation within close proximity to the property.

WHY MORTGAGE COMPANIES REQUIRE INSURANCE ?

If you’ve mortgage, it’s possible that your lender might ask you to purchase homeowner’s insurance. However, its cost will get included into your monthly payment along with proper taxes.

If in case, you fail to do as asked, then your lender might impose force place insurance on his property to protect his investments which could be costly for you. They’ll do such because there could be cases of damage/destruction due to natural/man-made disasters. And due to such circumstances, they won’t be able to collect that money back through premium payments.

Force place insurance is usually considered a high risk by private insurers. Therefore, because of it, the premiums come at a higher price. However, the policy is now critically challenged and questioned.

KEEPING UP ON YOUR HOMEOWNERS POLICY

We can now safely assume that you’ve decided on the right insurance company, the type of coverage you require, the type of policy that best fits your needs and the actions you’ve to take to keep your premium costs down.

However, you shouldn’t just file the policy away and forget it. As you make incremental alterations and improvements on your house, your policy should change right along with it. Here’re some things you should always check upon:

Filing a claim:

In a situation where you experience a loss, here are some quick things to do before you make the call to your insurance company’s claims center:

Read your policy again:

Your first step before making a formal claim is to try to determine whether the damage can be covered by you or not. If the repairing cost isn’t much more than your deductible, you might want to pay for the repairs without filing a claim.

How often you file a claim and the types of claims you file significantly impact your premium and influence your insurer’s decision to renew you and therefore, you should always read your policy again.

Ask about forms/documents you’ll require:

If you decide to go ahead with the claim, make sure you’ve filled every information correctly and have every document ready for the process.

Protect the home from further damage:

Think nicely before you do anything that could lead you in more danger. For this, you need to access the situation mentally before reacting upon it.

If you think that your house is unsafe then probably you shouldn’t enter it. But if the situation is stable, you can help by minimizing the damage. This could be done by:

• boarding up windows,
• cleaning up water from a backed-up drain and
• spreading tarps to protect damaged areas from rain.

Cooperate with the adjuster:

Once the adjuster arrives to assess the damage, do a walk-through inspection together and discuss his/her impressions. Remember the dates of your conversations by writing them down so that you could be ensured that there’s a record of each visit.

Cancelling/losing your insurance:

You always have the right to cancel your policy for any reason. However, insurance companies must give you a reason for cancelling you after an initial trial period which is usually 60 days from the opening of the policies. The reasons include:

• Late/non-payment of premiums.
• Conviction of a crime that could increase any sort of risks for the insurers such as the illegal storage of fireworks/explosives on the property.
• Willingly neglecting the safety of the property which may increase risks such as ignoring a gas leak.
• Providing the insurer with fraudulent information on your application.
• Changes to the property that could void the policy like physical modifications or additions that may threaten the stability of the structure or local codes.
• Leaving the house vacant for more than 60 consecutive days which could make the structure more prone to vandalism, etc.

It’s important to note the key differences between an insurance company cancellation and a non-renewal.

• «Cancellation» means either you or your insurance company stopped the coverage before the policy’s normal expiration date which is usually 12 months after the policy starts.
• Non-renewal means the company refuses to renew your policy after it expires. Insurance companies generally have the right to not renew your policy if they so desire.

You should be notified in case your insurance company cancels your policy. The number of days varies by state, but it’s generally in the neighborhood of 30 days. If you or the insurer cancels your policy, the company could refund a portion of your premium. Your insurer must also give notice again typically 30 days before it chooses not to renew your policy. You should also ask the insurer for the reason behind the non-renewal.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Still for many people, insurance is just another piece of paper that is signed and filed away. It’s only remembered in case of unexpected worst situations.

Homeowner’s insurance is a financial agreement. Before applying for it, you should read the policy carefully, look for the right agent, have a complete knowledge of your coverage limits and update the property inventory. Through all this, you can then ensure that your hard-earned dollars will keep that roof over your head.

Uber Insurance Providers:

Review the following list to confirm if your preferred insurance company offers rideshare coverage:

Metromile:

Metromile offers insurance policies whose premiums are based on how much you actually drive and not a recurring monthly sum. You firstly have to pay on a low base rate and then afterwards, just pennies for every mile you drive. It’s a great way to save money for you and meanwhile you can still enjoy potent benefits like:

• rental reimbursement,
• low deductibles,
• emergency roadside assistance and so much more.

All-state Uber Insurance:

You can add this rideshare coverage to your current insurance plan for about $15-$30 a year.

States where All-state Uber (rideshare) insurance is available are Ohio, Arizona, Maine, Maryland, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Utah, Washington, Washington D.C, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

Geico Uber insurance:

Geico offers rideshare coverage under the Geico Commercial plan. According to this plan, drivers are charged on average, about three times the rate of personal coverage.

States where Geico Uber (rideshare) insurance is available are Delaware, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, South Dakota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington D.C, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Metlife Uber Insurance:

According to Metlife, Uber insurance is determined by the distance driven by the driver during a given month. Due to this policy, the average monthly premium will always vary because it would depend upon the time, the drivers spend on the road.

Currently, Metlife Auto & Home insurance is available in almost every state.

IMPORTANCE OF SPECIAL INSURANCE

Earlier reactions:

Initially, insurance companies weren’t willing to provide insurance to rideshare drivers because of the lack of popularity and trust, Howbeit, with time, the popularity of the rideshare companies has grown. This has proved to be a great reason to the insurance companies to start placing their trust on the rideshare drivers and protect them through their insurance policies.

Interview of an experienced rideshare driver:

An experienced rideshare driver, Michael Albert was interviewed for the above reason. In the interview, he shared his story wherein when he applied for Uber and Lyft, he truthfully told his insurance agent. He wanted to be properly insured. Though, his insurance company didn’t raise any objection against his choice of profession. But, the agent explained to him in writing that his auto insurance policy won’t provide any coverage till the time he works with the rideshare company.

Coverage gap:

According to Transportation Network Companies (TNC) like Uber and Lyft, their policies won’t cover all your expenses until you’re on your way to pick up a passenger or already have a passenger in the car. This entitles that if you’re switched into driver mode in your ridesharing app and waiting for a passenger request then, your personal auto insurance policy isn’t going to cover you.

Along with it, the liability coverage provided by TNC will also be very low. This is known as the coverage gap. Therefore, it’s better to opt for rideshare insurance policy.

COST OF UBER INSURANCE

The rates of Uber insurance depends upon:

• the purchased amount of coverage,
• the type of city,
• the distance covered during the drive,
• your driving record,
• the season in which you had purchased your insurance,
• the choice of your insurance company.

Depending upon these factors, a rideshare policy can cost you $6-$20 per month. Also, even if you purchase rideshare coverage as an add-on to your existing auto insurance policy or as a new hybrid policy to replace your current coverage, it wouldn’t bring any significant increase in your premiums.

How to evaluate Rideshare Insurance Options:

Insurance costs:

It depends upon:

• the making of the car,
• model of the car and
• year in which your car was launched.

For example: Cars who have solid safety features will always have a lower monthly premium such as Jeeps. Meanwhile, luxury car brands like Mercedes Benz are more expensive because of their increased cost of parts and repair.

• the historical statistics of the make and model of your car. This takes into consideration the probability of getting your car stolen or into an accident.

Liability-only insurance:

Insurance rates are always categorized. Liability-only insurance is a budget oriented option because it’s cheaper. However, in this policy, the customer isn’t personally covered in the case of an accident. Due to this, many drivers find themselves paying for their medical and vehicle expenses out of their own pocket.

Keeping the above in mind, as a business owner, you need to decide whether you want to pay such high amount all at once in exchange for avoiding higher monthly premiums. For some businessmen who own small businesses, would probably go bankrupt if they’ve to pay such a high cost.

Solution:

The way you could save on the cost of insurance would be to combine the insurance policies. Only a few insurance companies offer a lower rate to the customers who combine their auto insurance and homeowner’s insurance together into one monthly payment.

Search a proper balance between paying a high premium and a deductible. Something that you could be comfortable with and to stay safe and profitable. A lower monthly premium can be appeasing but if you’ve to pay $1,500 or more out of your own pocket before the insurance helps then, it could cripple you. Also, it could bring more problem if it happens at the wrong time.

Uber insurance policy always comes in handy when driving for Uber, Lyft or any other TNC. It doesn’t matter if you’ve to pay an additional monthly fee for this. Also, it’s advisable to keep the amount of your deductible saved up as it can help you to stand up o your feet again. Also, It doesn’t matter whether you’re at fault or not during an accident. Consult your insurer for more information.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UBER BACKGROUND CHECKS AS A PROSPECTIVE DRIVER?

Many prospective drivers face rejection after the completion of the background check. It’s obvious that the situation makes them imperceptible but it’s necessary to understand the process of a background check. It doesn’t matter if there’s a minor felony as Uber has their own strict set of driver’s record criteria. In accordance to help.uber.com, Uber informs the following to the new drivers:

• There is an analysis of the criminal record and motor vehicle record.
• There’re different local laws and regulations of each state that contain specific Uber background check criteria.

Things required to pass Uber background check:

The drivers should acquire the following in order to pass of Uber background check:

• CRIMINAL RECORD: The record shouldn’t contain any information on felony, sexual offense or violent crime within the span of 7 years.
• MAJOR VIOLATIONS: There should be no major violations such as DUIs and reckless driving within the last 7 years.
• MINOR VIOLATIONS: Within the span of three years, there should be no more than 3 minor moving violations such as speeding tickets or failure to obey traffic laws.
• LICENSES: The driver should have a valid driver’s license and motor vehicle record (MVR).
• U.S. LICENSING: The drivers should have more than one year of U.S. licensing history. However, if the driver is less than 23 in age then, he needs to have at least 3 years licensing history.

Uber background check is free of cost and involves the usage of social security number in order to check the driving record and criminal history. However, checking of the credit card and its details isn’t a part of the process.

Key takeaways of Uber background check:

• A lot of stress is given to driving record of the Uber drivers where any driver who has a major moving violation in the span of seven years won’t be accepted.
• The third party which undertakes the job of background check is accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners.
• Since the process of Uber background check undergoes with a lot of strict observation, the lawsuits claimed against Uber hardly ever stand a chance in the courts. Also, these background screenings are conducted by a well respected industry leader.
• The regulation of the criminal background check of the Uber drivers is done through state and federal law. These laws though are different in every state.

HOW LONG DOES AN UBER BACKGROUND CHECK TAKE?

The time duration taken by Uber for the completion of background check process is 5-7 days. However, the time period could exceed or decrease depending upon the number of applications that are being processed at the current time.

Howbeit, if the time duration exceeds the limit of 7 days then, you should contact Checkr through support@checkr.com or Uber support. Also, as soon as your application is approved by Checkr, it’s Uber’s job to see whether you’re potent or not. If there’s no reply then, reach out to Uber.

UBER BACKGROUND CHECK DENIED? HERE’S WHAT TO DO.

Uber is very inconsistent when it comes to declaration of the tests. This means Uber may/may not inform the candidate about his selection/rejection. According to Uber, you’ve to wait 10 business days in order to contact them about the result.

HOW TO CONTACT UBER BEFORE YOU BECOME A DRIVER?

In order to contact Uber, you can visit the official page of Uber which can be surfed by non-members as well (people who don’t have an Uber account). However, the stability of the page is uncertain.

If in case, there’s no official page found then, do the following tried and tested method in order to contact them. (We’re providing with a generalized process as the possibility of changes in the page is quite frequent).

• After you’ve managed to make/have a rider account, go to help.uber.com.
• Click on any of the main question groups and afterwards, perform a page search on the word — «other». The page would enlist everything related to «other» and «another».
• Links which say something like — » I have other/another question(s)», will take you to the page where you would be able to send them a message.
• Uber might reply you in 24 hours and then, you can go forward with the email conversation.

The best way to get a decent answer from Uber:

• Your initial request should be short and simple.
• Always state your name and email address you’ve signed up with. Along with it, write the phrase — «I’ve applied to be a driver» when you’re inquiring about the status of the application.
• Be polite in situations where you don’t get the desired response of the question you’ve written to them. Ask them again with courtesy and politeness.
• You may have to go through the same process twice or thrice before you’re answered.

HELP ARTICLES AT help.uber.com:

The best way to get in touch with Uber is to search a help article at help.uber.com. It’ll help you to get easily related to the issue and correspondingly, contains a form to get in touch with Uber via email.

If there’re problems with a certain trip then, search for your trip receipt inside the app and then, go to the help article that addresses your issue. However, as there are a large number of articles on the site and organized in an arbitrary manner, finding the appropriate article might become the task of the day.

To help its customers, Uber has planted a search button on the Help page which will help you to find your suitable article. For example: If you’d lost an item and want help then, type «lost» in the search bar. The page would lead you to every article that contains the word «lost» and you can then, choose your fitting article. Once you find your article, find a contact form that is near the bottom of the page. It’ll directly lead you to the customer support line.

NOTE: Only type one word liners in the search bar. Don’t write full sentences to complicate things.

How drivers can ask Uber a question at help.uber.com?

There are a variety of support articles but the Question submission forms are buried behind the menus by Uber. The process to find them is:

• Enter the site — help.uber.com.
• If you’re operating from computer: Click on «For Partners» on the left. Or if you’re operating from mobile: Click on the «For Partners» at the top.
• Under the Account and Payment section, click «More».
• Go to «Changing Account Settings»/ Search bar and click/write «I’ve another account issue» respectively.

SHORT AND CRISP MESSAGES:

Uber doesn’t really have a lot of time to read your lengthy messages and reply accordingly. Therefore, it’s very necessary that you always write on-point. The message should be:

• as brief as possible i.e. mot more than 2 lines.
• only essential information should be written.
• Always mention data such as specific dates, times, amounts and ride numbers to sound more precise and worthy.

Usually, the responses sent by Uber are copied texts of a supporting article which aren’t directly related to your problem. In such cases, it’s better to be patient and resend them your issue with a spoon of politeness. The reply will be emailed to you or will appear in the Support Messages area of the app in less than 2 days.

Wait time fee:

According to a few Uber markets, passengers are required to pay Wait Time fee which is very less in amount — $0.10. It’s to be paid by the passengers when they fail to arrive within few minutes of the driver’s arrival.

If in case, the driver shows a no-show situation, then you wouldn’t be charged with the Wait Time fee. However, this fee isn’t charged to the customers on trips to/from airport or UberPOOL.

Booking fee:

Around $2.40 are charged to every rider as it’s considered a flat fee. This is done so as to cover the Uber costs and is non-refundable in nature.

The price of the Booking fee depends upon the city you’re in. However, currently, the price of Booking fee is around $2.40-2.80 per ride.

Avoiding the fee:

There’s no way to avoid this fees. It’s compulsory to be paid. UberEATS also charge a Booking fee.

Can you get a refund for the Uber Booking fee?

The only manner in which you can get a refund is when the cost of the entire trip is refunded.

Lost item fee:

$15 will be charged to you by the driver if in case he returns your lost item to you. However, this fee is taken by the riders in selected cities only.

Furthermore, you should always keep in mind that Uber drivers aren’t responsible for your lost items.

How to recover the lost item?

Follow these instructions step by step:

• Go to Uber app and click on the menu.
• Select «your trips» and pick the trip where you’ve lost your possession.
• Tap «I lost an item» and complete the other details.

Your driver will contact you and then, it’s upon you both to arrange a particular day and place.

HOW TO DISPUTE UBER FEES ?

If you think that you’re being wrongly charged for a certain fee then, follow the instruction step by step to reach your goal:

• Go to the Uber app or help.uber.com.
• In the app, click on the menu icon.
• Go to YOUR TRIPS.
• Select the trip in question.
• Choose «review my fare or the fees».
• Pick up the relevant menu item and fill in all the details of the form.

After you’ve successfully submitted your form, Uber will contact you via email. Though Uber is quite determined on charged fees, bu ta little resistance can sometimes help.

TEMPORARY AUTHORIZATION CHARGES

When you add a new payment way, Uber makes a temporary authorization charge. It’s done to verify the activation of your payment method. The authorization charge is $5. However, it’ll disappear itself after a few business days.

We provide you with the opportunity to enhance your knowledge on the aspects that could give you a great start in your professional life along with the security in the form of insurance.

HOME SCREEN

The features that you can access from the home screen are:

Go online button:

• You’ll see a Button «GO» on the home screen which will bring you online. Being online gives you the facility to receive and accept ride requests.
• If you haven’t enables the notifications bar then, you’ll receive an alert for the same.
• If in case your account is de-activated then, en error message will pop-up as soon as you try to click on the «GO» button. In such case, you need to submit your query in the help department.

Map with surge areas:

The map helps you to locate yourself and places with surge pricing. Also, it never reveals the locations of other drivers which in turn avoids clustering of other drivers.

However, if you want to know the locations of other drivers then, you need to download and sign in the Uber passengers app. This app will give you the positions of the ten nearest drivers.

UBER DRIVER APP EARNINGS

To locate most of the features of the Uber driver app, you just have to tap your face image in the upper right corner of the home screen. However, this feature of face image will soon be changed as it fails to provide good usability. It opens up a new tab which contains options for:

Account:

In the account section of the Uber driver app, you can see and accordingly change the settings that are related to your stuff such as:

Uber driver App settings:

Here, you can supervise your app settings which include:

• NAVIGATION: You can select your favored navigation experience i.e. you can use Uber’s in-app navigation technique or Google Maps or Waze. Also, you can control the Uber navigation voice features.
• NIGHT MODE: You can suggest the darkness level of the app.
• SHARE TRIP: It works as a safety feature as you can share your location with a contact.
• SPEED LIMIT: It warns you as soon as you exceed the speed limit.
• SOUNDS AND VOICE: You can use Toggle accessibility feature such as Screen flash or vibration for requests. Also, you can tell your passengers that you’re deaf or have problem with hearing.

Documents:

Under this section, you can see and change your driver documents. Go to partners.uber.com if you want to upload an updated one. Also, it gives warnings to you in color coding if there is an expiration.

Driver perks:

Drivers are offered many perks by Uber. However, these perks are generally discounts on third-party services such as Uber Visa debit card. Other perks offered to drivers are:

• CAR MAINTENANCE: You’ll receive discounts at auto parts shops and services from national repair chains when you go for car maintenance.
• FINANCE: In order to maintain finance, you can use soft wares like Quickbooks and tax preparation software.
• HEALTH: Uber provides you with Stride Health and health insurance opportunities for the self employed.
• PHONE: You can receive discounts on plans from major carriers like Spring, AT&T and Verizon.

The discount rewards will be different based on the availability so it’s better to check out the app from time to time.

Insurance:

Under this section, you can look for the insurances and the coverage that you might need in case of an accident. There’re three sections:

• CONTINGENT PHYSICAL DAMAGE COVERAGE: It renders you with a certificate of insurance and shows collision coverage details.
• DRIVER INJURY PROTECTION: The present code is $0.04 per mile. It provides you with additional coverage for things such as:

1. Disability payments,
2. Medical expenses,
3. Survivor benefits.

• LIABILITY COVERAGE: It offers you with a certificate of insurance and shows other related important information and liability coverage details.

Payment methods:

Through this, you can view your active payment method and install Instant Pay. You can edit and delete your current payment method by visiting partners.uber.com.

Vehicles:

It shows eligible vehicles on your profile section. Under this area, you’re also given the option to add another vehicle or perceive rental options. Furthermore, visit partner.uber.com if you want to change vehicle details for existing vehicles.

Report an issue on an individual ride:

Identify the ride and then, click on the «HELP» button. You can report about the following:

• About the passenger.
• Fare amount.
• Involved in an accident during that specific ride.
• Things that have been left in the car.

Recent transactions:

Tap on the transaction to visit and view the following:

• Instant Pay «CASH OUT» option.
• Listing of each trip or referral reward.
• Week’s balance.

Promotions:

It provides announcements on upcoming promotions such as:

• Hourly fare guarantees.
• One-time bonuses if you drive at a certain period or time.

Help:

If you’ve any problem while driving or with a passenger or anything with trouble, you can contact Uber for help. Also, you can help yourself by reading articles about the problem that you’re facing.

To use help, you need to:

• Click on your profile image that is on the home screen.
• Tap help icon which you’ll find at the upper right corner.

The help feature is a bit exhaustive as the answers to your issues are hidden in the articles that are mentioned there. Furthermore, there’s no search button which can simply things. However, in such cases, you can utilize the in-person office known as Greenlight Hub.

Help categories in the driver app:

• ACCOUNT AND PAYMENT: Under this, you can communicate for issues that are related to:

1. Fares and promotions’ information,
2. Payments information,
3. Sign in,
4. Updating of documents.

• DELIVERING WITH UBER: You’ll find information related to UberEats.
• FEEDBACK: Here, you can submit your feedback about your driver app experience.
• MORE: It includes:

1. Accessibility issues.
2. General phone or app issues.
3. Safety issues and more.

• SIGNING UP: You’ll be able to find information on:

1. Creating an account.
2. Downloading Uber.
3. Driver requirements.

• TRIP ISSUES AND ADJUSTMENTS: Here, you can report about the issues you face in any trip and also, ask Uber to revise a fare.
• USING THE APP: In this, you’ll find articles on how to utilize the app properly.

The support center:

The support center button is located at the bottom hand of the help section. It gives you with the options of «VIEW MESSAGES» (A bar of past messages from support)and «CALL US» (An icon which calls Uber driver support if it’s available in your city).

FAQs

According to Uber driver app, what are the phone requirements?

Click the heading — DOWNLOADING THE UBER DRIVER APP.

How do I download the Uber driver app?

The Uber driver app can be easily downloaded form Google Play Store or Apple Store. You just have to search for Uber driver app. Or you can go to help.uber.com. There, you’ll find — For Partners > 5 Star Partner Guide > Account Setup section and then, click Downloading the driver app.

I’m not able to log in. What should I do?

If you’re a new driver and you’re not able to log in then, it may be because your account isn’t activated yet. The time period for full activation is 5-10 days. However, if it’s been longer than that then, you should contact Uber.

If you’re already a driver and you can’t log in then, it simply means that your account has been deactivated. In order to find out the reason for deactivation, you need to submit a question to Uber or visit an in-person office.

How do I submit a question to Uber?

Most queries can be solved through:

• Contact forms that are located inside the help section of the Uber driver app.
• Go to help.uber.com.

If there’s an issue with a specific ride then:

• Search the ride through your earnings details.
• Through the Trip Issues and Adjustments page in the Help section.

If you want to directly send a question to Uber then:

• Go to Help.
• Next to account and payment.
• Click on changing account settings.
• Type — I have another account issue.

HOW TO SELECT YOUR LYFT SERVICE

Every Lyft service has its own purpose such as:

• Lyft line: It’s a shared ride with other people like UberPOOL.
• Lyft Plus: It seats 6 passengers.
• Regular Lyft: It seats 4 passengers.
• Lyft Premier: It’s a luxury sedan that seats 4 passengers.

In order to choose your desired Lyft service, click on the circular icon that is near to the bottom of the screen. Afterwards, you can select from the list of services offered.

LYFT LINE CHANGES TO LYFT SHARED

Lyft shared is basically the adapted new name of Lyft shared ride services. In these services, you get to travel with other passengers who are unknown/known to you and pay less in comparison to other services. However, during this ride, the driver may pickup/drop-off other passengers who are travelling in the same direction.

To put more emphasis on Lyft shared, Lyft has raised the driver pay rates to the extent that now, they are equal to regular Lyft rides. Along with it, the option of shared ride appears first in the list when passengers are choosing their destination. The reason behind this emphasis is that through Lyft shared, Lyft if trying to lower their carbon footprint.

Lyft shared ride pricing:

The price of Lyft shared depends upon these factors:

• Type of the city.
• Availability of driver.
• Likelihood of getting paired with another rider.

You’re required to pay the amount of price shown in the app. The price shown isn’t dependent on the number of passengers travelling with you. Also, the waiting period of the driver will always be one minute.

LYFT INSPECTION COST

Though the process of inspection for Uber and Lyft are very similar in nature but unlike Uber, Lyft’s inspection is not free of cost. You’re obliged to take your vehicle to a licensed mechanic only and have to pay for the same. However, the cost of the inspection differs due to the mechanic but the amount which is generally charged is around $19.99.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Always take your vehicle to a mechanic who focuses on inspections only. This is because the other mechanics would always try to find faults in your car thereby, trying to earn more money.

LYFT INSPECTION FORM FOR REQUESTING A VEHICLE INSPECTION

Before you start searching for places for vehicle inspection, it’s better if you first request for an inspection.

The method for requesting an inspection is very easy as you only have to fill the form that is requested by Lyft. The details include:

• SUBJECT: Your subject of the form should be INSPECTION COMPLETED.
• I AM A(N): Under this, you’ve to mention your designation i.e. APPLICANT.
• QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT : Enter your question here which is CREATE/UPDATE MY DRIVER PROFILE.
• APPLICANT PROFILE UPDATES: Fill this blank with OTHER PROFILE REQUEST.
• ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Here, you have to ask them to look over your attached inspection form. Also, request them to add the following form in your profile.
• After you’ve done the above steps, click on the ADD FILE option and subsequently attach your completed Lyft inspection form.
• Click on the option which says that you aren’t a robot.
• Click on the SUBMIT option.
• Afterwards, you’ll receive an email form the Lyft support system.

Though the inspection form requires your signature but, sometimes, it’s accepted by Lyft in spite of the missing signature.

CHECKLIST FOR LYFT VEHICLE INSPECTION

Lyft inspection ensures safety of both the riders and driver and therefore, it’s an important part when it comes to being a Lyft driver.

Items which are always checked and covered by the mechanic during the inspection is mentioned below:

• Bumpers
• Doors
• Emergency brake
• Foot brakes
• Front seat adjustments
• Headlights
• Horn
• Interior/exterior rear-view mirrors
• Muffler/exhaust system
• Rear windshield and remaining glass
• Safety belts foe passengers and driver
• Speedometer
• Steering mechanism
• Stop lights
• Tail lights
• Tires and tread depth
• Turn indicator lights
• Windshield
• Windshield wipers

Weprovide you with all the key points and factors that would help you to sustain a better professional life at work. Along with it, we help you to insure yourself and your family at difficult phases of your life by offering you the best deals in insurance policies.

FORGETTING TO TRACK YOUR MILEAGE

Now you know SMD is the best source of deductions for the Uber/Lyft drivers. However, if you simply outline your mileage number without putting any logs then, you might land yourself in a big blunder. Especially when IRS is auditing your tax file because you can’t trust upon the mileage numbers that are send by Uber /Lyft. It’s because Uber/Lyft don’t count all the miles that might be important for deduction purposes. Therefore, it’s wise to place your own miles.

How to avoid this mistake:

Through Stride Tax app, you can easily track and classify your mileage.

UNDERESTIMATING YOUR TAX PREP COSTS FOR THE FIRST YEAR

On internet, you’ll find several different types of a particular tax filing software that you can utilize. However, they usually demand a price for their product depending upon the Uber tax forms that you need to report.

Being a rideshare driver, in order to report your income and expense, you always have to file a Schedule C. Howbeit, if you’re associated with Self-Employed, then you may have to pay extra to tax prep companies. Though this extra payment is covered as a business expense in the following year, still it’s an extra penance to the wallets.

For example: For using TurboTax Self-Employed, you need to pay around $80.

Furthermore, during the tax season, try to avoid sticker shock because you’ve to pay extra money in order to report your rideshare earnings.

DRIVERS DOUBLE DEDUCT VEHICLE EXPENSES

Deduction in your mileage means multiplication of the number of business miles that you’ve driven by the standard mileage rate which is 53.5 cents per mile in 2017. The standard mileage rate is created by IRS by taking the following into the account:

• Average costs of the car insurance.
• Maintenance.
• Car payments.
• Depreciation.
• Gas.

Following these, IRS has created an average amount that drivers can use for deduction purposes for every business mile they drive.

Furthermore, by keeping a rack of your mileage will really save your time as your mileage log will always be updated and is a process far more easier than keeping track of all the expenses that go into the standard mileage rate.

In other words, you’ve to pick whether you want to deduct your mileage or you want to deduct those «actual car expenses». As, deducting both would mean deducting the same expense twice. SMD is a far better approach that should be adopted by drivers and is widely accepted by IRS.

DRIVERS AREN’T PREPARED WHEN THEY START FILING

Many rideshare drivers avoid paying taxes because they believe that the process is long and tiring. On the contrary, the process of filing an Uber tax form takes only an hour of your day if you know all the key points.

Therefore, before you start with the Uber tax form, make sure you’ve every relevant information and papers that are required.