Uber For Seniors: A Beginner’s Guide with 7 Benefits

Share this article

Although some older adults continue to drive later in life, driving is unsafe if you have a decline in vision, strength, short-term memory, or focus.

Instead of relying on family members or friends, seniors can use ride-sharing apps, like Uber and Lyft, for shopping trips, hospital visits, and more.

This article is an Uber tutorial for seniors to help them get started with the Uber service.

You will learn

Getting Started with Uber
Understand the Uber App
How to Request a Ride on Uber
5 Benefits of Using Uber for Seniors

Getting Started with Uber

The most common and easy way to request Uber rides for seniors is through the Uber app. You can download the free Uber app from the App Store (iPhone users) or Play Store (Android users).

After the app is installed on your phone, you need to create an account to request rides.

Here is the step-by-step process to create an Uber account.

Open the Uber app on your phone and tap on Continue

You have different options to create your Uber account. You can create an account with your mobile number, Gmail, Facebook, etc. I will tap on Continue with email to create account with my email address

On the next screen, enter your email address and tap Next

You will receive a verification code in your email. Type the code on the next screen. Check the Spam folder if you have not received the email.

On the next screen, you have the option to enter your mobile number. Tap on skip if you do not want to enter your phone number.

Next, enter your first name and last name and tap on Next

The next screen has Uber’s Terms & Review Privacy Notice. After reading, check I Agree box and tap on Next

Your Uber account is ready and you can now request Uber rides using your account.

Understand the Uber App

Before I show you how to request Uber rides for seniors, here is a brief introduction of the Uber app layout.

The app has 4 sections in the bottom navigation bar Home, Services, Activity, and Account

Here is the detail of each section

Home: The Home screen has two main sections; Rides and Eats. You can use the Rides section to request a ride and the Eats section to order food that gets delivered to you.
Services: This section has everything Uber has to offer.
Activity: This section lists all your past rides and upcoming rides that you have requested through your account
Account: This section contains your Wallet, messages, and settings.

How to Request a Ride on Uber

Follow the instructions below to request a ride on Uber.

Open the Uber app on your phone and tap on the Trip option

You need to provide pick-up location and destination on the next screen. You can use the location from the map or your current location as the pickup location.

On the next screen, you have different ride options to choose from. UberX is an affordable option that most people use for their daily trips. A person’s icon with a number shows how many passengers you can have. I am going for the UberX option.

Confirm your option on the next screen

That’s it. You have successfully requested an Uber ride and your car will show up in a few minutes.

You can use different payment methods to pay for rides. Tap on the Cash option before confirming your ride.

Here you can select a method to pay including your wallet, voucher or add a bank card for payment.

Once you have linked your bank card with your Uber account, you can pay for your rides using the card.

There are different ways get Uber for seniors without smartphones.

7 Benefits of Using Uber for Seniors

Here are some of the advantages of using Uber over traditional taxi services.

1. Convenience

You do not need to call a taxi and explain to the driver your address to pick you up from your home or chase down a taxi on a street.

Simply request an Uber ride on your smartphone and after you agree to the fare, your car will show up in minutes.

Uber does not ask for your address; it knows where you are.

2. Cashless

The fare is established when you request the ride. You do not need to watch the meter or argue with the driver about the fare.

You can link your bank card to your Uber account to eliminate the use of cash for your trips.

Once you reach the destination, get out of the ride and walk away. Later, you will receive the receipt via email (with options to rate and tip the driver if you want).

3. Professional Attitude of Drivers

The drivers are generally polite and have a positive attitude as they depend on the ratings from passengers. Unprofessional drivers, with consistently low ratings, are weeded out of Uber.

4. Well-Maintained Cars

All cars have to go through vehicle inspection tests before participating in Uber’s service. It includes making sure that AC is in good working condition and Windows controls are ok, among other quality checks.

Uber drivers own the cars so they keep them clean to get good ratings from passengers.

5. No Parking Anxiety

If you are traveling to a busy place (airports, business areas), you do not need to worry about driving around and looking for an empty parking spot or paying for parking.

Uber is available everywhere, so you can use an Uber to go to your destination and call an Uber again when you want to leave.

Airports and hotels have certain dedicated pickup locations for Uber drivers to pick passengers up.

6. Competitive Pricing

Uber is in constant battle with its competitor (Lyft and traditional taxi services) to provide the cheapest services to customers. Longer trips are generally cheaper by Uber than a traditional taxi, according to the Consumer Reports.

7. Safety

Uber requires drivers to pass criminal background checks before they are allowed to drive. After hiring, Uber receives ongoing notifications if a driver receives a DUI or gets charged with a crime.

Cars are tracked through GPS and routes are stored so drivers are accountable in case of complaints after the ride. Uber app has an emergency button that connects directly to 911. For privacy, the passenger’s phone number is never available to the driver.

In general, an Uber ride is safer than a traditional taxi or public transport.