A friend of mine recently sent me a link to the Visa Local Offer partnership with Uber. Until then I hadn’t heard about this program and I can’t believe I haven’t been using it. Visa Local Offers is an exciting opportunity to earn Uber credits on purchases made with a linked Visa credit card. The offer sounds incredibly simple and I’m happy to report that it is. Signing up takes just a few minutes and it gives you the opportunity to “double dip” easily. Through this program Visa card holders can earn Uber credits through everyday shopping at establishments close to home. Qualifying establishments include a wide variety of restaurants, fast food options, and some convenience stores.
Visa Local Offers And Uber
The Visa Local Offers benefit with Uber isn’t actually new. Uber and Visa teamed up well over a year ago, but the two recently reintroduced this benefit in August. Overall the benefit is extremely easy to use if you use Uber and carry a Visa card. If you don’t use a Visa card or you don’t use Uber, I’m sorry. Once you’re all setup you’ll earn Uber credits by making qualifying purchases.
The program is extremely easy to use. Once registered, a new list of “Visa Local Offers” shows up in your Uber app each month. The offers list the name/address of each participating establishment and the eligible credit amount. Most offers simply offer 10% cash back in Uber credits on eligible purchases. The best part is that once the program is set up, you don’t have to anything special to earn credit. Simply visit the establishment, swipe your linked Visa card(s), and earn Uber credits. You’ll earn Uber credits in addition to any points/miles earned through your credit card; hence the Double Dip.
As credits pile up they are automatically applied to your next ride. When you request a ride, right above the “confirm” button you’ll see any eligible credits. If you don’t wish to use credits for your ride you must click on the credit and disable it. I recommend disabling credits when using Uber for reimbursable rides unless you want to save your employer a few cents…
Setting Up Visa Local Offers In The Uber App
Setting up Visa Local Offers in the Uber app is very easy. First, add a visa credit card to your Uber account. I currently use the Chase Freedom and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards for everyday spending so I’ve added both. I’d recommend adding all of your Visa cards as to not miss out on opportunities you maybe didn’t know about. My favorite notification on my phone is when I receive Uber credits at an establishment I didn’t know was a participant.
Once you’ve added your Visa card(s) to your account, go to the map/request page of the Uber app. At the very bottom of the page is the “Visa Local Offers” card. Click on the edge of the card and the card slides up to take over the page. When on the local offers page, click the “Get Started” button. That takes you to a terms/conditions page to which you must select “count me in.” Once complete you’ll have access to free Uber credits when shopping a local establishments.
If you didn’t quite understand my instructions Uber has a step by step guide which is found here.
Should You Sign Up For Local Offers?
This is an issue I struggle with time and time again. By doing this you’re allowing Uber to see where your shopping and how much money you’re spending at each location. This includes establishments that are and aren’t included on the list of local offers. Uber, and other apps, continue to gather data about us. I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but for now I don’t mind. It doesn’t bother me that Uber knows where I live or where I work (after all I told them). Some people get a little freaked out about this stuff, but I don’t. I’m simply bringing up the privacy concern here because I think it’s relevant.
While browsing “my local offers” I noticed all of the locations were near my home or work. Walgreens is a participating establishment, but only the Walgreens by my house. I recently visited another Walgreens location and that purchase didn’t count. I actually like this setup more than the AAdvantage Dining program, for example. It works better for me because these establishments are more personalized to where I am. Often there aren’t any AAdvantage Dining locations near my house, but with Visa Local Offers there are plenty. In the end I get better deals close to where I work and live through this partnership. Also, as my Uber usage continues to increase I find I’m getting a lot of value out of this new partnership with Visa.
Final Thoughts
I’m a big fan of Uber Local Offers. I hate to admit how much I rely on services like this to direct me where I shop or dine. If I’m going out for an “expensive” dinner I’ll generally try to pick a place on one of these lists. If I need to pick up something from Walgreens I’ll try to only do so at the qualifying location. By doing so I’ll earn 10% cash back in Uber credits and 1X or 3X (or 5X) Ultimate Rewards points on my purchase.
Keep in mind local offers change monthly. My current offers expire on September 30 and I’ll have to check to see which new restaurants and stores show up next month. I’m going to take extra care next month to see if any establishments are also AAdvantage dining partners (doubtful). Could you imagine getting 5X AA miles, 3X UR points, and 10% cash back on a single purchase! If I can score that deal I’ll make sure to get dessert.
Featured Image Courtesy of Uber Newsroom
