No, it's not a trick. There's a real way to save up to 40% on your Uber habit that has nothing to do with scheduling your rides around surge pricing. Today, Uber announced a new partnership with commuter benefits providers that uses pre-tax dollars to save you money when you use UberPOOL. While the ridesharing service has been teaming up with WageWorks since last August, this latest announcement adds Edenred, Ameriflex, Benefit Resource, and Navia, meaning more people can save cash on their commutes.
How does it work? Check and see if your company's commuter benefits provider is an Uber partner. Then, add your commuter benefits card to your payment methods in the Uber app. That's it. You're all set. Next time you hail a ride with UberPOOL, you'll be able to pay with your pre-tax contributions to your commuter benefits, which Uber claims can save you anywhere between 15 and 40%. Note that this isn't available everywhere. Because it's linked specifically to UberPOOL, the new commuter benefits expansion only affects riders in the cities of New York City; Boston; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Philadelphia; Atlanta; Denver; Miami; Las Vegas; Chicago; San Diego; L.A.; Seattle; and the entire state of New Jersey (Lucky you!).
Because of rules set forth by the IRS, uberPOOL requests using commuter benefits will only be connected full-size vehicles. So, sorry, you won't be getting a Smart Car or a two-seat sports car. The IRS also sets a maximum monthly contribution of $255, so after you spend that, you'll have to use standard methods of payments. Check with your HR department to see if your company's commuter benefits make the cut.
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