Last week, Lyft offered discounted cell phone bills and cheap spa treatments to drivers. Now, Uber is offering American Express rewards to cardholders who user their service.
American Express today announced the new integration, which allows members of its loyalty rewards program to earn double the amount of points when they pay for Uber rides with their AmEx card. Users will also have the option to use existing points to pay for a ride.
Eligible cardholders that have AmEx information on file with their Uber app will need to download the newest version of the Uber iOS app — the new feature is only available to iOS users in the U.S. for now. From there, they’ll be able to enroll in the new program with one click.
“Our Membership Rewards program is known for delivering world-class value and we’re focused on bringing it to life in innovative, relevant ways for our Card Members,” Leslie Berland, SVP of Digital Partnerships and Development at American Express, said in a statement. “Through this new, slick and powerful integration with Uber, one of the most forward-looking, mobile-based services in the industry, we are leveraging our unique technology to add a real-time benefit where we know our Card Members want it.”
This is the first time Uber has allowed riders to use credit card reward points to pay for a ride. The San Francisco-based startup caused a stir last week when it raised a whopping $1.2 billion round at a $17 billion valuation.
American Express has actually done a similar deal in the past, as it partnered with VeriFone last year to allow New York City taxi riders the option to pay with reward points.
Meanwhile in Seattle, today is the deadline for an agreement to be reached between taxi industry stakeholders, those from Lyft and Uber, in addition to City officials. If no agreement is reached to legalize the new transportation startups, Mayor Ed Murray said he’ll issue a cease-and-desist to Uber, Lyft and Sidecar.
We’ll have more on that later today, so check back on GeekWire for updates.
