UberPOOL Commuter Benefits Card Users Seeing Longer Wait Times

Many UberPOOL customers who use a commuter benefits card have reported much longer wait times to get a ride than those using just a regular credit card.

According to news from TechCrunch, one customer found that the wait using his commuter benefits card to pay for UberPOOL was 25 minutes. But when he switched to his regular credit card, the wait went down to five minutes.

When the test was repeated, the commuter benefits ride was going to take 15 minutes to pick him up, while another type of payment for the ride would take six minutes to get to him. In addition, the first commuter card ride was coming from all the way across town, while the regular card driver was just a few blocks away.

It doesn’t seem to make sense from a cost perspective for Uber to favor regular payment over commuter benefits. Yet according to the company, it’s all due to the the federal tax code. The code allows the use of tax-free dollars to go toward commuter benefits, but they can only be used in van pools (shared rides) that seat six or more passengers. That means the number of drivers available to take passengers using those commuter benefits is limited.

While Uber doesn’t plan to boost its number of minivans right now, there is an upside: Users will get to use pre-tax dollars to take an Uber to work, just like when taking public transportation. It might just take you a lot longer to get there, so users are encouraged to plan accordingly. But, as an Uber spokesperson pointed out, “It’s a big step forward that people can now use commuter benefits to cover the cost of their UberPOOL rides.”