RIDEGURU
Can an Uber take you there and bring you back?
Ask a RideGuru
Questions from riders and drivers answered by our Ride Gurus and Rideshare Experts
Anonymous
Ride Master
Real questions from RideGuru anonymous users.
Popular Links
- Maximum Ridesharing Profits
- Fare Estimator
- Rideshare 101
- Sign up for UberAd
- Sign up for Uber EatsAd
- Sign up for Lyft - $5 offAd
Hot Forum Topics
The Guru Take
Uber is an "on demand" service. No "roundtrip" concept.
Are you referring to a round trip? If so, how long are you planning to stay at the destination?
Generally speaking, since Uber is an on-demand service, you request a ride when you need a ride. Therefore, if you will be a while at the destination, you would request another ride on the way home. (There is no concept of round trip discounts.)
If you would like to make a quick stop, say to pick up a friend, pizza, or something you forgot at a store, you can always ask your driver to wait for you while you are inside. The meter will continue to run and you will owe the driver for the time he or she waits; however, as long as the stop is short, it will be cheaper than requesting another ride and incurring the one-time fees. (This is what's great about Uber. As your identity and your paymenet method are stored in the app, drivers can trust you to not run away without paying.)
With that said, the drivers will not make a significant amount, so depending on how busy they are, they may not want to wait an extended period. You may want to check with the driver before starting a trip if this is okay.
Related article:
Comments
Now that Uber added a multiple destinations features to the app, it's possible to do a round trip. Let's say you want to go from home, to the ATM, then back home. Here's how you do that in the Uber app.
One thing to note: Drivers will only wait 2 mintues at each stop, so it has to be a quick errand. If your errand will take longer, you'll need to request a second ride home. It's a little hard to explain with pictures, so here's a link to my post on how to do a round trip in an Uber, with a picture guide.
What happens if if the stop takes more than 2 minutes? Does the ride end?
and I assume even during those 2 minutes, the clock continues to tick, correct?
The ride won't automatically end if the stop takes longer than 2 minutes, but the driver can end the ride and opt to charge a no-show fee. And yes, the meter is still running during your stop, but the cost per minute is very low. usually around $0.15/minute.
Slightly confused. Are you referring to the initial pickup or subsequent stops on a multi-destination ride where there is a 2-minute limit?
I am asking because I often would like to pick up a friend on the way into town, and my friend could take more than 2 minutes to come out. I do this now by simply asking the driver to make a stop, but I have never used the multiple stops feature your article mentions.
There is a 5-minute time limit for the initial pickup. For stops after that, there is a 2-minute limit. If you're picking up a friend, I don't think drivers will be super strict about the 2-minute limit, but I think waiting more than 5 minutes might make the driver annoyed.
Asking the driver to stop is ok, but using the multiple destinations feature could make the process easier for you because you won't have to manually direct the driver to the stop. If you enter the stop in the app, they'll be able to use their navigation apps to get there.
When picking up a friend it's also helpful to use the 'share status' feature, which lets your friend see exactly where your car is. While on the ride, tap the driver's info at the bottom of the screen and look for the 'share status' button.