When Does an Uber One Membership Actually Pay Off?
If you regularly rely on Uber for getting around or grabbing meals, you've likely considered Uber One—Uber's subscription promising savings for frequent users. Still, with a monthly fee of $9.99, it's fair to wonder if the savings justify the cost. In this article, we'll transparently break down the numbers and show you exactly when Uber One pays off.
Understanding Uber One Benefits
Uber One costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Here's what you actually get:
- 5% back in Uber One credits on rides.
- $0 delivery fees and 5% off Uber Eats orders (above $15)
To state the obvious: your monthly savings need to beat the monthly fee.
Rides: What's Really Going On Here?
Let's quickly dispel an Uber illusion: the app makes your Uber One savings seem more impressive than they really are. It often looks like you’re scoring a direct discount on your current ride, but the truth is more subtle. That “discount” you see? It's actually Uber quietly applying the Uber One credits from your previous ride.
Take the following screenshot, a ride from Union Station in Toronto to the UP Express Bloor line. You'll note that it says that you're both 'Earning 5% Uber One credits' as well as what appears to be a discount on the actual ride of $0.44 ($19.02-$18.58).
However, if you consider my previous ride, you'll note that the Uber One credits I earned on that trip were $0.44.
So, what we are left with is the Uber One credit that you received on your previous trip is shown as a "discount" on your upcoming trip.
In other words, your actual ride discount is just the 5% credit earned on each trip’s subtotal (excluding tolls, tips, taxes, and fees). No magic here, just math.
If your average ride is about $20:
- Savings per ride: $20 x 5% = $1
- Break-even point: $9.99 fee ÷ $1 savings = about 10 rides/month.
Take pricier airport runs ($50 per trip), and you'd need just 4 rides to break even.
Uber Eats: Where the Real Savings Happen
Uber Eats is where the Uber One discounts are felt a little more. Delivery fees typically range from $2.49 to $5.99 per order, averaging around $3.99.
On a typical $25 order, you'll save:
- Delivery fee: ~$3.99
- 5% discount: $1.25
- Total per-order savings: $5.24
So with just two orders per month, you'd make back the Uber One monthly membership fee.
Occasionally, you might even dodge a shockingly high fee like $8.49 (see below)—making you feel like you won the lottery.
Combining Uber Rides and Eats: The Sweet Spot
Most Uber users combine rides and Eats—this is where your savings really stack up. Here’s an easy example:
- 4 Uber rides at $20 each = $80 total; you save $4
- 2 Uber Eats orders at $25 each = save $10.48 total
- Monthly combined savings: $4 (rides) + $10.48 (Eats) = $14.48
In this scenario, you've comfortably surpassed the $9.99 fee, with savings of nearly $5.
Uber Enthusiast
Imagine this scenario (likely familiar to many commuters):
- 8 Uber rides per month at ~$15 each = $120, saving $6
- Weekly Uber Eats (4 times/month) at $5.24 savings per order = $20.96
- Monthly savings: $26.96
Subtract the fee ($9.99), and you've pocketed $16.97 monthly—or a respectable $203.64 annually.
Key Break-Even Indicators: How Many Rides or Meals Do You Really Need?
- Ride-only users: About 10 rides/month at $20/ride (or fewer rides if higher prices).
- Uber Eats-only users: Just 2-3 orders monthly.
- Mixed users: Typically 3-4 rides plus 1-2 Eats deliveries hit the savings sweet spot.
Final Verdict
Uber One is worthwhile if you regularly dip into both rides and eats. But if your Uber habits are limited to the occasional ride and rarely ordering meals, you will struggle to justify it.
Ultimately, a quick glance at your monthly habits against the $9.99 fee is all it takes to see if Uber One will lead to savings or contribute to another subscription quietly eating away at your savings.