On-demand car service Uber announced this morning a new feature designed to make it easier for its customers to pay for rides for their friends and family: Family Profiles. The option was one of Uber’s most frequently requested features, the company notes, and will initially go live in a handful of markets, including Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix, before rolling out elsewhere.
Though dubbed “Family Profiles,” the option to pay for others’ rides doesn’t only extend to those in your immediate family – you can choose to add anyone to this group in the app, including friends, co-workers, or anyone else. However, it makes the most sense for those who want to bill trips taken by others all to the same payment card – that means those who you add will need to be part of a fairly trusted group of people.
For example, parents could use the Family Profile setting with their kids in college – allowing them peace of mind that their child would always have a free ride home, when needed. You could also use it to help others you care about who may need the financial assistance.
To use Family Profiles, riders will need to have the latest version of the Uber application. Then, you’ll navigate to Settings from the Menu, and scroll down to the new option, “Add a Family Profile.” From here, you’re able to add the contacts you like.
After being added, those people will be able to request rides from their own phone using the Family Profile as their payment method. They’ll just have to accept the email invitation to get started.
From that point forward, the organizer whose payment card is on file and associated with the profile, will receive the ride receipts.
According to Uber, Family Profiles can include up to 10 riders who share the payment method. The feature is similar to Uber’s Business Profile setting, launched last year, which makes it easier for those to expense rides to corporate credit cards, add expense memos and project codes, and get receipts sent to work email accounts.
The company did not provide an ETA on when Family Profiles would reach other Uber markets, but the plan is to make this a standard feature within its flagship Uber application on mobile devices.