Facebook and Uber team up to further streamline taxi booking
Taxi hailing app Uber has joined forces with the world’s largest social network to streamline the process of booking a cab for members by enabling them to request pick-up direct from within Facebook’s own Messenger app.
The tie-up will see Uber software integrated seamlessly with Facebook’s own app, negating the need to download a standalone Uber tool or to jump between platforms to book a car.
In separate blog posts the two companies confirmed that ‘Uber on Messenger’ is already live in parts of the US with the potential for further roll-outs if successful, introducing Uber to an audience of 700m Messenger users globally.
Outlining the benefits of the combined platform Facebook wrote: “Driver status updates and payment receipts will get delivered to a private conversation between you and Uber. With everything in one place, you can seamlessly keep track of your ride and payment history."
In an effort to further drive take-up Uber and Facebook will be offering people a free ride for their first taxi journey for a limited time – up to a maximum fare of $20 (£13).