Uber testing flexible pricing for its taxi services

Uber is currently testing a new feature in select cities that will allow users to propose the amount they are willing to pay for a cab ride.

The feature, Go Flex, will only be available on car taxi bookings at the moment, the company told YourStory in response to verifying a tweet around the same.

Users will be presented with the regular price for an Uber ride after which they can specify the amount they are willing to pay for the ride. The ride will be offered to Uber drivers in the vicinity of the pickup point.

The higher the price is, the more easily it will be accepted.

Uber said it is piloting the feature in a number of Tier II and III cities currently. Indore, as noted in the tweet, is one of them.

Several apps that allow bidirectional negotiations between users and cab drivers over fares exist in India. For example, California-headquartered inDriver, which launched in Kolkata last year. It is also available in Delhi.

Bengaluru-based Namma Yatri also allows users to sweeten the pot and offer more money in the form of 'tips' to auto drivers to get faster ride confirmations—although it does not allow users to negotiate the price down.

Allowing users to pick their own fares could not only enhance user satisfaction by giving them a sense of control over their ride costs but also potentially help drivers with lower ratings get rides, albeit at lower-than-normal rates.

Uber did not comment on when the feature would be rolled out pan India. It offers a similar feature in Latin America.