Uber to accept cash payments in city from today

If you live in Delhi and use Uber, you will be able to pay for your trip in cash from September 2. Bangalore will also get the same facility from Wednesday. Uber first started accepting cash payments in Hyderabad in May and gradually brought the feature to more cities like Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kochi and Ahmedabad in July, before rolling it out to all cities it operates in (except Mumbai, which, says Uber, will be added shortly).

“We’re launching cash today to ensure that all <g data-gr-id="15">commuters</g> have access to a safe, reliable and hassle-free ride,” said Gagan Bhatia, general manager at Uber Delhi.

Riders will need to choose the cash payment option before they start their ride. When their trip ends, both the driver and the passenger will get a notification with the exact fare.

In addition to the cash payment option, Uber is also going to disable surge pricing — the practice where the company automatically hikes fares if there’s more demand — in both Delhi and Bangalore from 7 am to 9 pm to encourage passengers to use the service.

India is Uber’s second largest market outside the United States and the company has been steadily adapting its business model to suit the needs of <g data-gr-id="22">country</g>. 

In November 2014, it integrated the PayTM wallet into its app; in July, it announced that it would start accepting payments by both Indian and international credit cards again, after running afoul of RBI regulations last year; and earlier this month, it added the ability to pay through debit cards to its app.