Uber Launches Family Trip Trackers

Uber is adding a new tool to its mobile app that will allow registered family members of the rider to track their ride.

The new tool called Trip Tracker is an extension to the Uber app’s “Family Profile” functionality, which the ride-hailing company debuted in March this year to let riders pay for their family members.

In an announcement, the San Francisco-based company said the addition empowers group members in the family to track the rides in real time, continue to pay for each other and receive receipts.

Family Profiles, which was first launched in select cities, including Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix, has seen its popularity rise with the aptness of its use for weekend rides. The tool reportedly sees over 50 percent of usage between between Friday and Sunday.

While in the U.S., Los Angeles sees the highest usage of the app’s functionality, its popularity has led to an even wider adoption abroad. More than half of Family Profiles accounts, according to TechCrunch, are based out of the U.S.

Markets, including Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia and Mexico, have become some of its top users among 60 countries where the service is currently available.

Some of the top use cases, which emerged as its usage expanded, reportedly have shown variance from a payments standpoint.

One of its top use cases, for instance, involve its usage between spouses sharing the same card for making payments. In Latin America, on the other hand, its usage is popular among families with grown-up children, as they tend to have a single credit card for the entire family’s use, as TechCrunch pointed out.

The launch of Trip Tracker comes against growing safety concerns among Uber’s global rider base. Over the years, the ride-hailing company has repeatedly faced backlash for its background checks, $1 rider safety fee and incidences where riders were assaulted by its drivers. This has, in turn, led Uber to increasingly focus on adding security features to the app. In India, Uber’s mobile app comes with a panic button, which a rider can use to instantly alert local police.