Uber launches $14.99 ride pass monthly subscription

Rear window of a black Uber car with the white Uber sticker on the glass. (iStock)

Uber really wants you to use its service exclusively for your transportation needs, but in order for that to happen the ridesharing service realized consumers need a little more control over the prices they pay per ride. With that in mind, a new subscription option is being rolled out called Uber Ride Pass.

As Uber explains, Ride Pass is meant to help you plan and budget your day for travel. The company admits that sometimes the cost of travel can be a surprise, especially with surge pricing, but Ride Pass is designed to protect you from that. In return for $14.99 per month, Uber promises to save you up to 15 percent on every ride and introduce price protection regardless of when you choose to travel.

Initially, five US cities will gain access to Ride Pass. They include Los Angeles, Austin, Orlando, Denver, and Miami. In all but one of those cities the cost of Ride Pass is $14.99 with automatic renewal (you can cancel at any time), however, as The Verge points out, in LA the cost escalates to $24.99 per month.

The rate paid per journey using Ride Pass will be lower based on historical data Uber has on what those same or similar journeys cost in the past. So while it guarantees regular riders pay less, it certainly doesn't guarantee cheap travel, just cheaper travel. Uber will be hoping that's enough of an incentive for riders to sign up and essentially commit to using Uber for all their future transport needs.

If this sounds familiar, it's probably because Lyft launched a similar subscription earlier this month. However, Lyft takes a different approach, charging $299 per month in exchange for 30 rides for free up to a value of $15 each. Any ride costing more than $15 requires the difference be paid. Lyft's subscription works for heavy users of ridesharing services, where as Uber Ride Pass suits the more casual user or those that travel most when surge pricing is likely (e.g. commuters).

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.