Uber launched in Nairobi in January 2015, and the service became a hit among the expatriate community and Nairobi’s tech savvy users. All around the world, Uber has been synonymous with cashless payments only piloting cash payments in Hyderabad, India. Nairobi is the second city in the world where Uber is piloting cash payments besides accepting payments made through mobile money services.
Uber which offers the Uber X, a low cost option in which drivers use their own cars locally, issued an email update to its users today with regards to cash payments. First, to access the service, Uber requires users to have a registered account as well as enough cash before making the trip. A few months back, Uber requested users not to hail rides for other users. In the event that a user cancels a trip after the stipulated 3 minutes allowance, they are required to pay a fine referred to as the cancellation fee. Uber asks users to settle such fines via Mpesa Paybill number 591461.
In the event you decide to pay for your Uber ride via M-Pesa, Uber asks that you include transaction fees when sending the amounts to the number provided by the Uber driver. Assuming your ride was 500, Uber will require the stipulated withdraw charges (ya kutoa) added to the amount.
