Uber debuts new Uber for Business with custom travel programs and rules

Uber is introducing a major revamp of their Uber for Business platform today, the first significant update they’ve done since the enterprise tool’s introduction. The new Uber for Business incorporates a lot of user feedback to provide easy setting of rules to ensure travel policy is followed, as well as group-based access levels and custom program creation.

Previously, a lot of the heavy lifting on employee Uber use policies had to be done manually: HR would basically tell employees what they were and weren’t allowed to do in terms of Uber usage, and hope that employees would stick to the letter of the policies in place. Now, however, companies using Uber for Business can set those rules ahead of time to streamline the process of expensing rides, and ensure greater compliance.

Managers can easily create programs that limit things like the type of car used, the total amount riders can expense, what time of day Uber can be used and even geographic limits on where it can be expensed. These rules can all be combined in custom programs, including things like First and Last Mile programs for commuters, recruiting and client travel programs, employee perks, and general travel transport expense programs.

These programs will display once a rider selects their business account, based on eligibility when they go to book a ride through the rider app as they would normally. Businesses can assign users to groups depending on their role, and can use those groups to define eligibility for specific programs.

If a rider’s travel could fall out of policy, say for a trip that goes beyond the available credit in an employee perk program, they’ll be prompted to add their own payment method so that they can complete the journey while still staying fair of their company’s rules. It’s a system that takes into account both user convenience and the concerns of expense compliance teams in a way that benefits both in the end.

Uber has also redesigned the manager-facing backed for Uber for Business, making it easier to use. That includes incorporating Uber Central directly into the interface, so that approved managers can manage and assign rides for clients, customers, freelancer, recruits and others not directly covered by the existing policies in place.

Overall, this is a great redesign with new features that make it very easy to implement and use for businesses of all sizes, and managers of all levels of technical expertise. Uber’s clearly looking at business as a prime market for future growth, and this looks like a no-brainer for expense departments looking to ease the workload.