When is Uber cheapest? (time, soaring price + more)
Uber has grown into arguably the most popular ride-sharing app in the world, providing on-demand rides to millions of people.
One of the biggest drawbacks of using the service is that you can never predict the price. For this reason, we did some research on when Uber is cheapest, and here’s what we found!
When is Uber cheapest?
Uber is cheapest during off-peak hours, when there are few requests there. On weekdays through Thursday, Uber is cheapest between 9 a.m. and noon, then 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and after 6 p.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, Uber was more expensive for longer as more people used it, leading to a surge.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about when Uber is cheapest, including how to beat surge pricing, how to make your rides cheaper, and more!
How can I make my Uber cheaper?
You can make your Uber cheaper by using:
- Split fares with other people – you can do this through the in-app feature, but you can also do it externally through services like Venmo, where you can ask friends for cash
- Choose the cheapest ride type when possible – ride options like UberX and UberPool are the cheapest on the platform compared to Comfort and Green, etc.
- Use a promo code – Uber offers discount promo codes for free and you can get discounts via email or a website dedicated to this type of deal
- To travel without a surge, you can use the tricks we discuss later to schedule your time
How does pump pricing work on Uber?
Uber’s surge pricing works through an algorithm that tracks user activity and adjusts rates based on how high or low levels are.
If a lot of people order rides from the same location at the same time, rates go up and drivers are notified so they can move to the area and meet the increased demand.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no set time for dynamic pricing, but since many events are timed, it appears to be.
For example, you can always expect a surge when people leave work around 5pm, with lower rates on Sunday mornings.
How do you beat Uber’s surge pricing?
Because Uber’s surge pricing depends on where you hail a ride, many of the tricks to beating it involve changing that.
Here are some things you can try to avoid Uber’s price spikes:
- Book early – if you’re in a place with a large crowd, such as a party, and you anticipate a surge, you can leave earlier than everyone else
- Wait for a ride – you can spend some time waiting for the activity to stop with the surge before calling a ride
- Ride from elsewhere – you can try walking to a less active area and hailing from there
- If possible, choose a cheaper ride option
- Share the cost of the ride with others
- Break up your journey – you can hitch a ride from the surge and have it drop you somewhere else and then do the rest of the journey another way.You can take cheaper Uber or public transport from here
Can you schedule an Uber to avoid a surge?
You can schedule an Uber to avoid a surge, but it’s not a foolproof method because it doesn’t always work.
Some users have managed to pre-book Uber rides, but many report that prices sometimes change.
That’s in line with Uber’s fine print on booking rides that prices could change if they spike.
What is the cheapest Uber ride?
UberPool is the cheapest Uber ride option available. Otherwise, the cheapest option is UberX.
UberPool is cheap because it lets strangers share the same ride, and each ride can have multiple pickups.
When you ride with Uber, you can only bring one person, but everyone else in the car is a stranger.
UberPool briefly shut down in 2020, but was reintroduced as UberX Share in some areas, so you should keep an eye out for the name.
Internationally, however, there are cheaper options, as Uber offers transportation such as motorcycles and rickshaws in certain areas.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on Uber surge pricing, Uber Lux cars, and Uber Comfort.
in conclusion
Uber is cheapest when there are few people using it, because then a surge is less likely. These hours are from 9am to noon, 2pm to 4pm, then 6pm weekdays until Thursday.
Uber is most expensive during peak times, such as when people are off work and Friday’s happy hour. If you hail a ride during peak hours, the cheapest option is UberPool, now called UberX Share in some areas.
