Uber has released a version of Uber for Business that adds
more controls for travel buyers to manage employee use of the ride-hailing
service.
The new version, the first major overhaul since Uber for
Business launched three years ago, lets companies establish rules around
employee use, including which classes of Uber service they can book, times of
day trips are allowed, specific locations where trips can begin or end, and
spending limits, said Uber for business head of product Greg Greiner. Companies
also can set different access for different groups. "Instead of a policy
living on paper, it can come to life and be enforced in real time,"
Greiner said. "This creates less management work for the company and a
seamless experience for employees."
For example, a company could establish programs for
late-night rides home from the office or a commuter program across the entire
company while otherwise limiting business travel use to employees or teams that
require business travel, he said. A company can give recruiters, meanwhile,
access to book rides for potential recruits via Uber Central.
If a traveler tries to use Uber outside company policy
parameters, the charge will go onto his or her personal payment method.
Companies will receive reporting on that, and Uber ultimately will be able to
offer recommendations on how companies should establish and adjust programs,
Greiner said.
The new capabilities are a part of the overall Uber for
Business package and will not cost extra, he said.
Uber
for Business counts about 65,000 companies worldwide among its clients, head of
strategy and marketing Julie Herendeen said. Its revenue tripled over the first
half of this year, she said.