Looks like we in the Klang Valley are not being left out after all. Uber just announced on April 19th that it is now accepting cash payments for Uber rides in Kuala Lumpur (KL), and its vicinity like Petaling Jaya (PJ). This is just weeks after Uber has been experimenting on cash payments for Uber rides in Ipoh, Johor Bahru, and Penang. Perhaps the company picked KL as the last city to roll this out after it has made sure all kinks are ironed out elsewhere. Cash payments are for both uberX and UberBLACK.
Uber said that the cash payment option is still an “open-ended” experiment, meaning that not all riders will be able to see this option right away. But if you do see it, selecting the cash payment option in Uber is as easy as pie, though you’ll still need to sign-in to Uber. Just make sure ‘CASH’ is selected under the payment option before booking. Uber demands that you’ll need the exact change for the trip; otherwise, the fare will be rounded up to the nearest ringgit. That means if the trip is RM9.10, and you don’t have the exact change, you’ll have to pay RM10 and not RM9. Good luck asking for a RM50 change.
According to Uber, there is no booking fee or additional charge, whether you’re paying by cash or card. Applicable promo codes or Uber credits are also allowed when paying for Uber rides by cash. There is one downside to cash payments though (besides having to deal with the exact change) — fare adjustments are not allowed for rides paid by cash. Fare adjustments are disputes you file when you think that the driver is taking a wrong turn resulting in a longer trip. The additional payment you’ve paid will then be reimbursed back to your card, and obviously this is not possible with cash payments.
I personally still think it is way more convenient to pay with a card, after all, this is what made Uber or other similar services popular in the first place. But Malaysia being Malaysia, apparently we have trust issues and still love paying by cash. Just like how GrabCar initially takes only cash but have since taking card payments as well, this is Uber’s way of adding another way of paying for its rides. It effectively opens up the market to those who don’t have credit and debit cards, or those who just don’t want to use it for whatever reason. In fact, as Uber pointed out, not only riders (in Malaysia) love cash payments, even driver-partners prefer the flexibility of both cash and credit payments combined, as you’ll see later.
Uber added that besides removing the barrier for folks without cards or those who don’t want to use them for Uber, cash payments can also increase the adoption rate of new riders outside of the core service areas — i.e. suburban areas — by up to an average of 45%. As an effect, more riders in suburban areas also mean that the partner-drivers will get more continuous trips, therefore reducing idle times and increasing earnings.
Since this is an ongoing “open-ended” experiment, Uber welcomes your feedback by tweeting them at @uber_my or emailing supportkl@uber.com.
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