Schedule a ride If you're expecting an event you just can't miss, the app lets you schedule a ride up to 30 days in advance, so you don't leave anything to chance. When you schedule at least 60 minutes in advance, your price for the trip will be locked in. You’re already using Uber and Lyftwhy not get paid for the rides you take every day? Whether you’re commuting to and from work, getting your caffeine fix, going off campus, shopping or avoiding circling the block ten times to visit your friend’s house; you’ll earn points on every Uber or Lyft ride you take (redeemable for cash).

So, a couple of reports have just come out that may be positive economic indicators in a related kind of way. The first is that Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) said its rideshare services just posted their best month since March 2020, and average daily bookings were actually up 9% year over year.

Rider For Uber Rides Reviews

The second is that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, March sales at 'food services and drinking places' -- their words, not ours -- were up a resounding 36% from the same dismal month last year, when the pandemic had just begun shutting down eateries and drinkeries by the thousands.

Of course, not all those Uber riders were going to restaurants. But some were. Or ordering from one. Or going shopping. Or to a hotel. Or maybe even to work in an office. They're going somewhere.

It's all good news for those businesses and the real estate investors -- including real estate investment trusts (REITs) -- that depend on their revenue to generate their own. The vaccination rollout is taking its toll on the pandemic, and pent-up demand is beginning to show itself, which is good news for all kinds of commercial real estate.

First, some riffs on the restaurant recovery

Just a bit more on the restaurant front: Bisnowreports that this past Saturday, the U.S. Small Business Administration released application requirements and eligibility details for the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

That, of course, was part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that President Joe Biden put his John Hancock on in March. Restaurants that hung in there well enough to take advantage of this opportunity may now be the destinations for a lot of these Uber rides.

Further evidence that the carnage may be abating is in this piece just posted by QSR Magazine -- 'The Restaurant Recovery Kicks into Gear' -- that lists a series of metrics that show how things are almost back to normal -- a new normal, at least.

And then hotel and travel also seeing signs of recovery

Of course, that's just one sector of the retail economy ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Hotel and airline bookings also are on the rise, and some destinations are already reporting summer sellouts. Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB) also says it needs millions of new hosts to meet expected demand.

But back to Uber. The company says its delivery services also are seeing growing use, and it's looking for more gig workers to get behind the wheel to deliver riders, meals, and more.

Uber Vice President for U.S. & Canada Mobility Dennis Cinelli says in a blog: 'In 2020, many drivers stopped driving because they couldn't count on getting enough trips to make it worth their time. In 2021, there are more riders requesting trips than there are drivers available to give them -- making it a great time to be a driver.'

The Millionacres bottom line

The vaccine rollout is having its intended effects: saving lives and getting people back out shopping, dining, and traveling, although the recovery is uneven.

Here in my home state of South Carolina, the Grand Strand area anchored by Myrtle Beach is reporting hospitality bookings at or exceeding the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. Right now, not this summer.

On the other hand, a Millionacres colleague just got back from a Vegas junket and said he was struck by how empty the casinos he saw were and how hard it was to find an open Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) or bar.

So, whether it's a great time to be in all those businesses that Uber riders take people to and from matters where the business is and what they do. Office occupancy, for example, remains a very large question mark.

But all in all, things sure look better now than they did at this time last year. Now vaccinated myself and with a mask on (and hopefully on my driver), I'm ready to roll with the rideshare again. Maybe I'll go on a trip now that I feel safe enough to fly again. And then to a restaurant. As long as we sit outside.

We all have our own comfort levels, and that's not likely to change anytime soon, is my hunch. But another hunch is that we may be on the verge of a post-pandemic retail recovery that could make now a very good time to look at some likely winners among investment choices.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. UponArriving has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. UponArriving and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Uber is huge, as in worldwide huge. So, having a good Uber Rider rating is important to get accepted for Ubers. If your score is too low, you might have to wait longer or even be removed from the Uber platform.

Rates For Uber Ride

In this article, I go over what exactly an Uber rating is, how to check it, how to rate drivers, and understanding the whole Uber rating system.

What is an Uber Rider rating?

As an Uber rider (also known as a passenger) you will be rated by your Uber Driver each time you finish a ride with Uber. The scoring system is one star to five stars, five being the highest rating a rider can get. The same also goes with drivers, one to five stars for a rating and five being the highest.

All your ratings will average to a number that creates an Uber rating.

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How to check my Uber Rider rating?

Checking your Uber Rider rating is as easy as opening up the app and displaying the sidebar.

So, once you opened up the app, click on the sidebar menu icon at the top left corner of your app.

After tapping the sidebar menu icon, the sidebar menu will appear and under your name and to the right of your profile picture you can find your Uber Rider rating average.

If you click on your Uber Rider rating, you will be directed to an explanation of your Uber Rating and how Uber encourages riders and drivers to rate each other showing how it’s important to leave feedback to one another.

As an Uber Rider, you cannot check the rating of each trip you took.

How do Uber ratings work?

For both Uber Riders and Drivers, they are set up so both the rider and driver rate each other.

Drivers have to rate riders, as it’s mandatory. Riders have the option to rate drivers and it’s not necessary each time you take an Uber.

Uber Rider rating an Uber Driver

When you complete any trip as an Uber Rider, you have the ability to give your driver feedback. It will be in the form of a star rating between one and five, five being the highest rating.

The rating you give your driver will be part of their average Uber rating. If the driver has done 1000s of rides, your rating might not make a dent into your driver’s overall rating.

Depending on the rating you gave your driver, you can either give critical feedback for why you rated your driver lower than five stars or give a compliment at five stars.

When you give less than five stars, the critical feedback is necessary so Uber knows what your reason is for rating your driver lower than five stars. It also filters out ratings not for the driver but for the app. So, if you pick a reason that is related to the app, the driver doesn’t get punished.

If you rate your driver five stars, you can give a compliment to your driver. When you add a compliment, you can also submit a message that also shows up with the compliment icon. These compliments then show up on the driver’s profile page, which you can see before, during, and after that ride with that particular driver.

Compliments don’t add to the Uber Driver’s overall rating. However, it does encourage the driver to keep on driving for the platform and sometimes drivers can get badges for receiving enough of the same compliments.

Uber Driver rating an Uber Rider

Again, the rating an Uber Driver gives an Uber Rider will be part of the Uber Rider’s average score. If the rider has a couple of ratings, then it’s easy for ratings to affect their average Uber rating.

When an Uber Rider completes a trip, the Uber Driver for that trip will end the ride. Once the ride is completed, both the rider and driver have the ability to rate one another.

The Uber Driver has to rate the rider before they move on to their next ride or get anymore ride requests.

If the driver rates the rider four or fewer stars, the driver then has to select why the rider got fewer than five stars. Selecting the reason is very important as it prevents drivers from rating all riders badly since Uber has the ability to audit ratings.

Related: How Much Does Uber Charge Per Mile

How do I rate my Uber Driver?

Rating your Uber Driver is as easy as opening up your app.

After you finish your trip and open your Uber app, you will get a prompt to allow you to rate your Uber Driver. You can either give your driver a rating now or later. If you want to give your driver a rating now, just select the number of stars you want to give him or her. If you want to skip giving your driver a rating, just select skip.

Remember, you can always rate your Uber Driver later, but only for a short amount of time.

As I mentioned above, the number of stars selected will give you a prompt to give either a compliment or feedback.

For example, if you gave five stars, it would look like this.

If you want to give a compliment, you can select only one compliment.

But if you selected four or fewer stars, you will have to submit your reason why you think the driver isn’t five-star material.

If you want to add or edit your rating of a past trip. You can do it by going under your past trips via the menu sidebar and select the trip you want to add or edit the rating.

Once you are under the trip, you can select the blank stars to add a rating. If you want to edit a rating, just select “edit rating”.

How to view my Uber Drivers rating and compliments

It’s easy to check your Uber Driver’s rating. You can see it when you first get assigned a driver. You can then look at facts about your driver by clicking on their headshot. You will then be taken to their profile to see other rider feedback and your driver’s accomplishments.

Low Uber ratings can cause you to be kicked off of Uber

If your Uber rating is low, you can be kicked off of the Uber platform as a rider or a driver.

If you are an Uber Driver, your minimum Uber rating depends on the type of Uber you drive. For example, UberX and UberXL Drivers cannot go below a 4.6-star rating. If the driver does, they will be kicked off the Uber Driver platform.

Uber Select cannot go below a 4.75-star rating, if the Uber Select Driver goes below 4.75, they would be demoted to UberX or XL. The same goes for Uber Black and so on.

Uber Riders can also be kicked off, but there is no published minimum for Uber Riders. Riders will most likely get kicked off the Uber platform if after a handful of bad rides with a rating around 3 stars. However, if your rating is 1 star after your very first ride, don’t worry about being kicked off the Uber platform, they will only target established riders that have taken multiple or many trips.

Does it mean as an Uber Rider that you have a free pass to get a low rating? No, and I highly recommend to keep your rating up. The higher the rating you have, the more likely it is that a driver will accept your ride.

In fact, I used to drive for UberX. I have skipped over-riders that had ratings below four stars as each request will show how many stars the rider has. So, I do strongly suggest keeping your rating up as it does influence a driver picking up your Uber request.

How to raise my Uber Rider rating

In reality, there is no shortcut to raise your Uber rating. The rating you have is an average, so adding one more five-star ride to your rating average might not even make a dent.

Luckily, there are simple things as a rider that makes the driver more likely to rate you five stars.

Always be at the pickup point before your driver

Drivers love it when the rider is waiting at the pickup point before the driver is even at the pickup point. This allows the driver to keep on working and not have to wait out the three minutes before getting paid.

Plus, when the rider is at the pickup point, it allows the driver to worry less about where to wait for the rider.

Having an accurate pickup point

Nothing is worse for a driver than going to the pickup point, and finding that the rider chose the wrong pickup point. Always double-check the pickup point you set is accurate.

Being aware of your surroundings

Doing stuff like having an argument with someone else or eating in the car can be annoying to the driver. I am not saying don’t have an argument or eat in the car, but realize your argument could be toxic and when talking to the driver it might rub them the wrong way.

Uber Rider App

If you want to eat in the car, please ask first and make sure you clean up your trash. Nothing is worse than picking up McDonald’s trash that smelt up the car.

Drivers are humans too

Yes, sometimes we as consumers have to remember that people do work in service-type jobs like Uber. While most people won’t care about common courtesies like saying “how are you”, but saying stuff like that to an Uber Driver makes them realize you actually think of them.

I know what I am saying above is redundant as everyone knows this, but sometimes asking about their day can make a driver feel better.

Most Uber Drivers own their vehicle, so take care

Again, Uber Riders that disrespect a vehicle by hitting the door with their foot, slamming doors, or making a mess in the car will definitely be more than likely marked down. Nothing is worse for a driver to see his or her own car get beaten up by a rider because of hitting the door, breaking objects, scratching, etc.

Normal wear and tear are normal, but breaking things or potentially damaging the car isn’t normal.

Uber Ratings FAQ

Uber Drivers can change Uber Rider ratings via Uber Support with a valid reason.
A valid reason might be selecting the wrong rating and explaining why the original rating is not the true rating you wanted to give out to the rider.

Uber Rides Free

You cannot ever turn off your Uber rating on your own account. You are stuck with Uber ratings on.

In fact, there is a way to remove an Uber rating from a driver or rider. However, you need to provide proof that you don’t deserve the rating.
For example, the Uber driver could have been provoking you to buy something. Once you exit the vehicle, you could contact Uber support immediately and tell them the story of how the Uber Driver gave you one star lowing your average and all because you said no to buying their mixtape.
The same goes for Uber Drivers disputing a rating from a passenger. I once had a rider that spilled coke all over my backseat, I ended up filing a cleaning fee as the coke got everywhere on the seat and floor making me go home to clean out my back seat. The rider did give me one star for the cleaning fee, I was able to dispute it.

What Are Uber Rides

Final word

Uber ratings are important and definitely a two-way street. Both riders and drivers should rate each other, but must be aware that each time you rate a rider and driver that it could hurt their average. So, make sure you have a good reason otherwise Uber might not even count your rating.

This article was originally published by Steve Smith.

UponArriving has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. UponArriving and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.