Uber in foreign countries

[michaeljc70]

Assuming you signed up in the US and use US credit cards for your Uber payments, does Uber charge your card in the local currency? I am wondering if it makes sense to add a credit card with no foreign transaction fees to my Uber account for an upcoming trip out of the country. I'll probably be using Uber quite a bit there since I've been told the cabs aren't that safe.

[GeneralPerson]

Yes, Uber charges in local currency. It’s a good idea to have a CC with no FTF.

[sil2017]

yes uber is charged in foreign currency.

Most likely if there is Uber available for US folks, it is also available for the locals. Locals pay a whole less than our US Uber app.

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

He ordered über for me and I gave him the difference as a tip. Good that he ordered Uber cause the driver called him to confirm the ride.

I would have had a difficult time talking to the Uber guy in his native language.

[sk2101]

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

That's very interesting. I have used Uber overseas a lot and was not aware that this could happen, but it makes sense - Uber is the master of price discrimination!

[michaeljc70]

Thanks for the responses on the foreign currency.

I have used Uber in Mexico and Brazil and thought it was cheap. I don't know what the locals were paying. In Rio I did have an Uber driver pull up and tell me that he couldn't drive me for the fare in the app because it was raining and he needed more money . I passed.

[SmileyFace]

Thanks for the responses on the foreign currency.

I have used Uber in Mexico and Brazil and thought it was cheap. I don't know what the locals were paying. In Rio I did have an Uber driver pull up and tell me that he couldn't drive me for the fare in the app because it was raining and he needed more money . I passed.

Hopefully you reported the driver to Uber. They certainly aren't supposed to do that!

[SrGrumpy]

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

That's very interesting. I have used Uber overseas a lot and was not aware that this could happen, but it makes sense - Uber is the master of price discrimination!

It is very, very interesting (and 100% shady). Are you sure the employee had an Uber app, or maybe it was a local ride-share operation?

[SmileyFace]

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

That's very interesting. I have used Uber overseas a lot and was not aware that this could happen, but it makes sense - Uber is the master of price discrimination!

It is very, very interesting (and 100% shady). Are you sure the employee had an Uber app, or maybe it was a local ride-share operation?

Maybe it was Ola.

[coalcracker]

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

That's very interesting. I have used Uber overseas a lot and was not aware that this could happen, but it makes sense - Uber is the master of price discrimination!

It is very, very interesting (and 100% shady). Are you sure the employee had an Uber app, or maybe it was a local ride-share operation?

Not to hijack the thread, but about 10 years ago Aerolineas Argentinas (Argentina's national airline) was charging foreigners significantly more (75-100% I recall) compared to citizens, with the prices advertised openly on their website. I'm not sure if it's government owned, and if this could account for the difference. The price difference was only for internal flights, I believe.

[beehivehave]

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

That's very interesting. I have used Uber overseas a lot and was not aware that this could happen, but it makes sense - Uber is the master of price discrimination!

It is very, very interesting (and 100% shady). Are you sure the employee had an Uber app, or maybe it was a local ride-share operation?

That's one of the problems. Unmarked cars, who knows who you are dealing and getting into a car with?

[Whakamole]

Uber doesn't operate in China, but Didi (the equivalent) has an English-language app. It makes it easy to get around as long as you have an address and a linked credit card, since all communication is done through the app.

[anhonymous]

Uber takes cash in some Asian countries I have visited..

[SmileyFace]

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

That's very interesting. I have used Uber overseas a lot and was not aware that this could happen, but it makes sense - Uber is the master of price discrimination!

It is very, very interesting (and 100% shady). Are you sure the employee had an Uber app, or maybe it was a local ride-share operation?

That's one of the problems. Unmarked cars, who knows who you are dealing and getting into a car with?

The pricing discrepancy of the application has nothing to do with "unmarked cars".
You know who you are dealing with by using the application and looking at the license plate on the car before you get in. A taxi driver has a license and cab number by which he is tracked - it is the same with an Uber driver - they are tracked by a license number (the cars license plate). The advantage of Uber is that I get a picture of the ride after the ride completes so I know precisely how the driver got me from point A to point B - I know I wasn't "taken for a ride" so to speak. With a taxi cab I would just get into a random cab and have no document of the ride thereafter - far more open to be taken advantage of.

[UpperNwGuy]

I don't use Uber in foreign countries. I worry about the unmarked cars and possible security risks. I have also found that the regular cabs in foreign countries are much better than the ones here in the US.

[sil2017]

Last year I needed an Uber for Mumbai hotel to the airport. The price on my app was almost twice the amount on the hotel staff Local uber app.

That's very interesting. I have used Uber overseas a lot and was not aware that this could happen, but it makes sense - Uber is the master of price discrimination!

It is very, very interesting (and 100% shady). Are you sure the employee had an Uber app, or maybe it was a local ride-share operation?

It is definitely the UBER app. He showed it to me. We compared the price.

Someone had mentioned about cab rides....I find that if you tell the cab driver upon getting into the cab that you need a receipt, you will less likely be overcharged. Though I must say many are honest. Just make sure the meter is on.

[Nate79]

I have used Uber many times overseas. Much better and reliable than taxis especially with the app which allows you to track your incoming ride, car details, driver details, and can see where you are going on the map in real time. Price transparency ahead of time is also much better than a taxi ride that you have no idea how much it will cost.

[NJdad6]

Tried to use in Italy. They only have Uber Black. Worked well first time we tried. After that card either didn’t show up or cancelled the ride after a few minutes.

The time it work it worked well. Just like in the US except charged in Euros.

[neilpilot]

Tried to use in Italy. They only have Uber Black. Worked well first time we tried. After that card either didn’t show up or cancelled the ride after a few minutes.

The time it work it worked well. Just like in the US except charged in Euros.

Based on my non-Uber experiences in Italy, I'd suggest you experience has more to do with being in Italy than using Uber. My Uber experience outside the USA is limited to several rides in London. All were totally satisfactory.

[Bfwolf]

As a denizen of Chicago, I am certainly a lover of rideshare apps like Uber. Versus taxis, it's cheaper, the service is MUCH better, and I feel like it's a safer situation because of the tracking and the user rating system. Many taxi drivers drive like maniacs, and I often felt like I was taking my life into my own hands when I got in the car with them. An Uber driver who does this won't last long due to poor user ratings.

Also, not sure about Uber being banned in Portugal, or at least not in all of Portugal. I was there last year and used it extensively in Lisbon and Porto. Great experience.

My worst Uber experience was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was incredibly cheap but the drivers would cancel rides and if you weren't going far from the airport they'd refuse to drive you. But then I got into a cab at the airport and he ended up ripping us off so there was really no good solution there.

[Nate79]

People in Europe love Uber and it is used heavily. It's very popular and easy to get Uber overseas. In Asia there are other services that seem even more in use than Uber is in the US and EU. Hiring a private car (vs taxi) has been popular way before Uber and Lyft came along.

[softwaregeek]

Took an uber rickshaw in india. Under a dollar.

[oxothuk]

Just got back from Rio de Janeiro, where Uber is both plentiful and cheap. I honestly don’t understand the economics, given that gas prices and car prices are significantly higher than the US

[NJdad6]

Tried to use in Italy. They only have Uber Black. Worked well first time we tried. After that card either didn’t show up or cancelled the ride after a few minutes.

The time it work it worked well. Just like in the US except charged in Euros.

Based on my non-Uber experiences in Italy, I'd suggest you experience has more to do with being in Italy than using Uber. My Uber experience outside the USA is limited to several rides in London. All were totally satisfactory.

Yes, specific to Italy. Would not recommend. Taxis are cheap and readily available. Point is it is charged in local currency on the standard app OP is using in the US. Also used in Montreal. Worked great and billed in CAD.

[Flobes]

... does Uber charge your card in the local currency? I am wondering if it makes sense to add a credit card with no foreign transaction fees to my Uber account for an upcoming trip out of the country. I'll probably be using Uber quite a bit there since I've been told the cabs aren't that safe.

Yes, fares are charged in local currency, I switched Uber account to a no foreign transaction fee credit card.

I’ve been Ubering in Paris for three weeks now. Fast, efficient, safe, easy. Vehicles are clean, drivers are friendly with phones on Google translate. Routing is transparent. Cars are identified by windshield decal as well as Uber notice of license plate, make, model, color plus driver name and photo.

Hotel is programmed as “home.” I take off on the metro, explore on foot until I run out of steam, often unsure of where I actually am, and I just tell the app to take me home; they know where to fetch me. What’s not to love?

Taxis are challenging to hail, problematic to call, variable in cost, and require cash payments in euros.

And it’s been rather entertaining to watch my two euro tips go from $2.21 to $2.20 to $2.19, as the Euro declines in value vs the US dollar.

[kramer]

The charges are in foreign currency. Uber has revolutionized taxi service in Mexico City, which has become Uber's largest worldwide market. Before, traveling in a licensed cab there was a risky endeavor for locals and tourists alike, but now people feel safe again using Uber. When I used Uber there, the service was amazingly high quality and was typically so fast that I had to be in the hotel lobby when I summoned an Uber, not in my room.

I was just visiting another country in Asia and in the tourist areas they have banned ride sharing services. There were signs saying respect the local taxi drivers and don't use online taxi services. I can tell you that, based on my experience last week, the local taxi drivers do NOT respect the tourists. They are there to gouge you and have set up a pricing cartel, and openly wage violence on anyone who dares to challenge their cartel.

[oldcomputerguy]

Several off-topic posts were removed. This topic has run its course (topic exhausted, OP's original question answered) and has been locked.