Name: New year, new value: 6 ways to maximize Uber for Business in 2026
Uploaded: 2026-01-22T19:46:08.371Z
Duration: 30 min 12 s
Description: New year, new value: 6 ways to maximize Uber for Business in 2026

Transcript for "New year, new value: 6 ways to maximize Uber for Business in 2026": Hello, and welcome to today's webinar, New Year, New Values, six ways to maximize Uber for business in 2026. So today, we're going to look at some things you might not be leveraging within the Uber for Business platform, all of them aimed at helping your business run smoother and with less administrative headache. So for quick introductions, my name is Melissa Maslia, and I'm on the Enterprise Partnerships team here at Uber for Business. I'm based in Southern California, and I think if I recall around this time last year, I announced that I was expecting my second baby, which is what I was looking forward to in 2025. So in case there are some people anxiously awaiting for an update, it's a girl. And I'm very excited to kick things off with my partner in crime, Ali Rizvi. Ali, do you want to give everyone a quick introduction? Yeah. Thanks, Melissa. I was anxiously waiting for that update, so thank you for providing that to us. But, my name is Ali Rizvi. I'm on the same Enterprise Partnerships team here as Melissa. I really wish I was in sunny Southern California right now, but I'm up in our Toronto office here in Canada, which is going through quite the snowstorm. But regardless, I'm excited to be indoors and excited to, talk to you guys a little bit about Uber for business tips here today. I won't tell you what the weather is today in California. It might just make you sad. Yeah, sure. It's raining. So I thought this year, maybe instead of, you know, what we're excited for in the new year, we could kind of go to the standard, what's your New Year's resolution if you have one and how's it going? Oh boy. Yeah. So you know what, know what, Melissa Maslia? I told myself I'm really just going to stick to one goal this year and it's a real original goal that you might not have heard, but it's to be the healthiest version of myself. So I'm getting my steps in, I'm making sure I'm drinking enough water. I'm really just taking it one day at a time. So how long it lasts to be determined? Maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months, but I'm not sure. But just taking one day at a time. What about you? That's fair enough. I want to be a New Year's resolution person, so I'm trying this year to create some goals for myself because I usually don't. And it's not something I put a lot of thought into, so I could look back this year and think that was ridiculous. But I kind of want to get really into yoga. So stay with me for a minute. I love the idea of yoga, but I'm so bad at it. So I feel like if I get a little better, I'll gain more of the benefits, you know, both physically and mentally, and then hopefully enjoy it more as well. Yeah. Listen, we might have to do a class together to hold you accountable for both of our goals and reconvene this time next year on our next podcast. Okay, let's do it. You heard it here first, folks, so you can keep us accountable too. All right, so before we dive into today's content, we've got a little housekeeping. So for everyone listening to this webinar, if you want to submit questions, just look for the Q and A tab on the right side of the screen. We'll take as many of your questions as we can at the end of the call, and our team will do their best to follow-up with you for the ones we don't get to. If you want to learn more about Uber for Business, you can explore related content under the Docs tab, and you can click the Get Demo button at the top of your screen to request a demo from our Uber for Business team. We'll follow-up with you post webinar to get that set up. And don't worry at all if you miss anything during the webinar. We'll be sending you a replay after we get wrapped up. All right. So with all of that out of the way, let's really get started this time. So we're going to be moving kind of fast. If you're watching live, we'll give you some of the links if you want to learn more about anything we're talking about today. And if you're watching the replay, there will be more information available on the Uber for Business website in the help section of our platform. So Ali, you want to kick us off? Yeah, absolutely. So tip number one is essentially, you know, skipping your supply run. So if you're running out of something that doesn't really mean you have to, you know, drive across town or wait a few days for your next delivery, Uber Eats delivers more than just meals. So you can order office supplies, gifts for clients, even flowers using Uber for business. You can also assign monthly credits for office admins, team leads, and all your employees to make managing these small expenses really easy and help your teams get back to work without being stuck in traffic or snowstorm like we have here in Toronto or running any sort of other side errands as well. That is such a great point. And honestly, this just came up like a week or two ago. I was talking with a client about what they're doing and she said, hey, you know, we still have somebody going to Costco every week or month. And whether it's a snowstorm or, you know, you're just busy with your actual job, that's probably not the best way to go about it. So we're actually in the process of reviewing all their offices that have those free snacks, maybe need a refresh on their office supplies to see if we can alleviate some of that manual work and, you know, have Uber Eats set up those orders as needed. Yeah. It's one of those things when you talk to clients about and they kind of try it for the first time, they really understand, like, kind of the magic behind it. So it's really a no brainer to start using it and testing it out. So even though, Uber Eats can deliver more than just meals, you know, it's still called Uber Eats for a reason. So Melissa, why don't you tell us a little bit more about what you can do on the Uber Eats side of things? I can tell you a lot about it. You know, I don't know if you did your Uber year end review. If anyone hasn't done it, it's it's pretty entertaining. But I was not surprised that I got delivery darling, which assuming that just means I order a lot of Uber Eats. So I don't know what that says about Yeah, you know what? I didn't want to open up that can of worms for myself, so I kept that private. So we'll just keep that locked away on the back of the Uber account. All right. You know your trends anyway. All right. So tip two is setting up a meal plan that gives your teams lunch on their schedule. So we all know coordinating team lunches or ensuring remote workers like myself have meal support, that can be a logistical nightmare and in office workers have their own meeting schedules to work around. So meal programs really help employees set daily or weekly allowances that they can use on their own time. However, it still can give you that control to set certain schedules, control the budget, but they get the flexibility to choose what they want when they want. So there's a few different ways you can let your team members order in a way that works for them. Thinking individual orders, letting people, you know, grab their lunch in between meetings when it's convenient, group orders depending on the size, that could be a great way to ensure everything arrives at the same time. Plus, even in a group order, everyone could select their own meal, making dietary restrictions super easy to manage. But however you're putting Uber Eats to work for your business, or even if you're just using Uber for rides right now, there's a key benefit that many companies don't take advantage of. So this could actually help your team's budget go further and can make for some pretty happy employees. Ali, you want to walk us through the new and improved Uber One? Yeah, absolutely. I'm excited to be taking this tip because Uber One, in my opinion, is one of the best membership programs out there. Take the bias that I am an Uber employee aside, but especially when you're really trying to save every single dollar you can, and it really starts to add up, Uber One can really help you save across rides and meals. So the membership includes 6% cash back on Uber rides in The US and 5% cash back in Canada. You get $0 delivery fee on all eligible restaurant orders above $15 and above $35 for groceries. You get up to 10% discounts on eligible rides and deliveries throughout the month and exclusive membership perks while you have the Uber One program as well. The best part about Uber One is you can also use those benefits on your personal and on your business side. So if somebody's using it for a business trip, they're getting the 6% cash back. If they're using it for an office meal, they're getting the discounts there, but they can also use it for their weekend dinners, their weekend, outings, and you also get accelerated Delta points, Marriott Bonvoy points where you can choose one or the other, and you get certain cash back with Amex credit cards as well. So Uber for business can, you know, not only save your team money, it's also a huge time saver. And Melissa, why don't we talk about how you should connect your Uber for business to your expense platform? Because I for one love that feature. Whenever I tell clients about it, they get really excited about it as well. I hate doing my expenses and then my manager is watching this. I know I'm late on my expenses, I'll get that done. But Uber for business and the expense platforms will really help you save a lot of time there as well. Yeah, it sounds silly to say, but this might just be my favorite part of Uber for Business just because I get to see finance and procurement phases light up when I tell them, hey, we can cut down on these lengthy expense reports, employee errors, and, hey, you're gonna save money too. So tip four, connect Uber for business to leading expense softwares to make managing expenses even easier. So manually tracking and reconciling ride and meal expenses takes valuable time away from much more important work. So if you don't already know, there's a good chance you'll be able to integrate Uber for Business directly with your expense platform. This could be Expensify, SAP Concur, Nervon, among many others. And all trips and orders automatically sync with your expense system, giving you that real time visibility and eliminating those end of month headaches. So the specifics vary depending on the software, but here's some of what you can expect. Automated receipts for sure. So Uber and Uber Eats receipts will automatically be collected and attached to those transactions, complete with the full details including categories and project codes. You also have seamless expense submission, so corporate card transactions are submitted automatically for out of pocket expenses. Draft transactions are created for easy review. And another way to simplify travel and expense management that maybe you've thought of, maybe not, is to centrally manage employee access with streamlined reconciliation by allowing employees to bill back to your company directly. This completely removes the expensing steps for any traveler. So saving money and time doesn't mean you're cutting back on the experience, though. So, Ali, let's take a look at how Uber for Business can help you deliver a VIP experience for the people you want to impress the most. Yeah, absolutely. Thanks, Melissa. So tip number five is essentially giving your VIPs the highest treatment to expect with Uber for Business. So there's a couple of different ways you can do this. The first part is by leveraging our delegate booking tool, admins can book rides on behalf of their executives, providing them a really seamless experience. It helps mitigate any sort of back and forth with your executives when it comes to receipts or contacting drivers. And it really provides that true VIP experience for your executives right through the Uber for business program. For external guests or other VIPs, can leverage our central dispatching tool where you can call rides on behalf of your customers or clients by arranging rides while maintaining oversight of costs and really just having a clear record of all your transactions. But, you know, impressing stakeholders doesn't necessarily mean the most premium ride possible. You know, if they're interested in sustainability, Uber Green or Uber Comfort Electric might be a great fit. They're more of that no frills kind of person, Uber Business Comfort is also a great choice, while still having that upscale sort of a service as well. And if they want the full bells and whistles, the full VIP experience, Uber Business Black and our Business Black SUV are some of the top of the line offerings that we have here at Uber. Absolutely, and for anyone who isn't already in the know, you can actually customize your Business Comfort and Business Black experience for travelers by adding your company name and logo. So this is actually a great way to provide a differentiator from those travelers' personal profiles so they know they're using the right account. And I like to think of it as the blue check mark of Twitter to show you're verified. Right? I don't know if I can still call it Twitter or does that make me sound old? I think you're aging yourself a little bit, Melissa, but we'll let it slide for this one and I'll get you up to speed with some of the more common phrases that we can use this year. But, you know, providing an experience for your VIPs and guests doesn't mean throwing out your budget. Melissa, would love to learn more about how vouchers can help make sure you're providing for those without blowing through your budget. Yes, absolutely. So listen, I have seen our clients save a quarter of $1,000,000 for one of them, by the way. So yes, you heard that right, by just from switching from buses and kind of that old shuttle experience to vouchers for large meetings and events. So if you're interested in saving money and creating a great experience for your guests, this section is for you. So tip six, send a car for clients or candidates and protect your budget with Uber Vouchers. So arranging guest transportation shouldn't mean asking your clients to conform to your schedule or submit receipts for reimbursement or worry about unexpected charges. So Uber Vouchers lets clients or candidates get a ride on their own schedule with a preset spending limit that you control. If they don't reach that limit, you aren't charged for any value. So, for example, if you send out a $20 voucher and they spend $15, your company is then charged $15. So your guests get that door to door service, you stay within your budget, and there's no need to collect receipts or chase down reimbursements. You can also send a meal voucher for a surprise and delight moment for clients or guests. Have them, you know, enjoy a coffee on you or those surprise flowers or office supplies we mentioned earlier. And if you find yourself using vouchers often, make the process of creating them even easier for your team with locked voucher templates. So these templates are great because you can select certain team members who have access to them, create the vouchers they need without that admin access, And that's going to help with increased control, staying within those preset budget limits, and creating and distributing vouchers in less than a minute. And honestly, Melissa, I can't say enough good things about our voucher product. Again, I know I'm an Uber for Business employee, but all the time when I speak to partners, when I've been in different industries at different companies, they're using them in different ways. It's always great to see how, how, how our vouchers product can really apply to the situation that they need with the rules, the restrictions, and the best part is you only pay for what's used, like you mentioned. So it's really one of the best products that we have and I always get excited when partners are using it quite often. I could not agree more. All right. Well, that went fast, right? There you go. We have six tips, hopefully some insights into new ways that you can use Uber for business throughout the year beyond getting your teams from point a to point b, just to make things run a little smoother for everyone. So you're not done with us yet. We have some fun questions that you all asked during the registration process, so we're excited to go through those. So our first question is from Sheila. It looks like this is my girl Sheila from Progressive, so shout out. I promise this is just a huge coincidence that I'm the one fielding your question yet again. So if you need to talk to somebody else, I understand. But you have a great question. How do large companies handle billing for groups? How can we consolidate the many accounts we have throughout the company to one account, one contract? And I do think, Sheila, this is something that happens to a lot of people. So it's a fantastic question. So I'm glad you brought it up today. I know we've discussed there are many ways we can customize your account needs. So also, anyone listening, please reach out to your rep because, you know, they'll have a custom solution for you. Whether it's through a centralized invoice or using corporate cards, we'll work with you to directly determine your program needs, which admins and employees should have access to these programs, and ensure we have finance involved early so that we can go through the reconciliation process. Now, one thing that's notable is centralized the programs are, the more we both know what you're spending with Uber, right? So that will actually transition into how we can help with incentives, which is really exciting. So I hope that's helpful. Hopefully that answered your question. And our next question comes from Pam. So Pam asks, can one person reserve several Ubers with up to three riders? Great question, Pam. The answer is yes. Through Uber's central dispatching tool, you can reserve as many rides as you want for for your folks and people or employees or guests or clients. It'll allow you to enter the passenger's information with the pickup and drop off addresses without the passenger really needing to do anything. You can essentially have the trip be a future trip. You can have it be on demand right away, but, and you can select the different types of vehicles to allow more passengers to sit in the Uber, whether it's through an Uber XL or an Uber X, for example. Yeah, these are great questions. So the next question is from Sherry. So can you share a real world example of how a company has used Uber for business automation to significantly reduce admin workload? What were the key steps they took? So awesome question. A lot of the things we covered today, which is great, but there really are a number of ways to reduce admin work. So the quickest ways to or to adopt our key integration. So one is with the employee roster. You can do this through Concur if you have Concur Expense to ensure that those instances are syncing with Uber for Business. But we also have some other options, so you can always set it up through a secure file transfer known as SFTP, And we can also do SCIM provisioning via your identity provider. So think like Okta or OneLogin. And the other key integration is what we discussed earlier, your expense management system. So that saves both the admins and employees time and helps with reconciliation and auditing. And when you pair those two together, that will make for a seamless experience. Yeah. These are some great questions. So the next question that we have is from your experience, what's the most common pitfall companies face when rolling out travel and meals program and how can we avoid it? Fantastic question. Usually the most common pitfall is not really enforcing the rules you set as an organization when it comes to travel and meal expenses. You really get out of the Uber for business partnership, whatever you put into it. So to really extract the most out of the program and the partnership, you're going to want to ensure that all eligible employees are using the correct Uber for Business program. So what you can do is by mainly targeting your top users, you're not only saving your organization money, you'll help by saving time, and you'll also ensure your employees are traveling safely and to policy, not only just at a local level, but at a global level wherever Uber is available. Yep, absolutely. All right, so hopefully we still have time for a few more questions. So there's a question from If I have a group event and need to pay for the cost of the employee's ride, how does that work? Do we get a code? So the answer is yes, we do actually have the option to get a link code or a QR code. And this is actually part of the Vouchers program that we just went over in Tip six. So you can use vouchers for both internal and external events, and anytime you want to send a voucher, you will be able to download those codes in addition to just uploading their email address or phone number into the dashboard. So they just automatically receive the voucher. So whatever is easiest for you, but at the end of the day, you can also track all the usage in your dashboard to help budget for future events. And the final question, which I think might be the question of the day or the month or the year because we get this a lot, is from Janet. What are the benefits of using Uber for business versus just using Uber on your personal account? Janet, that's a fantastic question. The best thing about Uber for business is how easy it is to toggle from a business trip and a personal trip. It keeps everything separate, so nothing is shared between the two. But when you're using Uber for Business, you'll gain the advantage of priority pickup, automatic e receipt forwarding, like Melissa had mentioned in one of our tips, higher levels of support if anything happens, and deeper insights to understand the travel habits of your employees. So what we tell all of our partners if they're already using Uber, it's a no brainer to encourage them to use Uber for business and make the switch over. And hopefully the tips that we suggested here today help you with that transition as well. Yeah, that was the perfect question to end on. I think it is something that people ask us all the time, which is totally fair. And I hope you all kind of took away why that's so important. And hopefully all these six tips were, you know, just good ways to start off the new year. So thank you so much to Ali, by the way. Thanks for helping answer those questions and go through all those tips. And thank you so much to everyone who joined us today. Following today's event, you'll receive a link to the recording to revisit any of this content. If you love hearing from us, let us know. And again, if you'd like to learn more about any of today's material, visit our website, contact one of our team members to request a custom demo. And again, thank you so much for joining. Have a wonderful 2026, and we hope to see you again soon. And a big thank you for Melissa to being our wonderful host as well. I think that goes without saying, but we got to give a huge shout out to Maslia as well. Oh, thanks so much, Ali. Love working with you. My name is Michelle Amos. I work for Qualtrics, and we use Uber for business to improve our employee experience. I'm Steve. I'm from Mastercard. I use Uber for Business to ensure that I have one less thing to worry about when I travel for business. My name is Laura from Autodesk, and we use Uber for Business to travel the world more efficiently. My name is Gabriela Antigua, and we use Uber for Business to improve our travel program. So first and foremost, if a partner and if a program is going to deliver a seamless experience to my end user and to my customer, I am intrigued. And with Uber for Business, it's delivered exactly that. I don't have to worry about whether the trip that I am booking is compliant, whether I've booked the right ride type. I know that the currency is there ready to convert to my own home currency. I know the invoice is in exactly the same format in whichever location I'm traveling. So to have one thing less to worry about, that makes everything incredibly easy. Employee experience when they're traveling is absolutely number one. We are focused on making sure that employees are happy, that they're comfortable. That's our main focus, and I think Uber for Business makes it pretty seamless for us. For us, it's very important as a global company to have global partners that can give services to more than one location and ensure the employee satisfaction that they don't have to use multiple app for the same services and multiple vendors for the same services. And they will have the same experience in every country that they may be. All an employee has to do is simply click a link and their personal Uber profile is connected to the Qualtrics Uber for Business account. They also don't have to submit expense reports since it's billed to our corporate account. And it's a tool and a service that they're already so used to using personally. They already are delighted with and they can experience that for work as well. We have employees on the road every day, all day. They're traveling to all parts of the world, so they can pull up their Uber app, they're getting to SFO, they're going to JFK, they're going to Singapore. They can always find a ride or rideshare, so it kind of meets all of our needs. In the last six weeks, I've been in Poland, I've been in Portugal, Spain, The US. You land in a location, and I know that Uber for Business is going to be there to get me to where I need to go.