Uber Dictionary: Common Terms In The Rideshare World

There are a lot of new terms you will encounter when entering the rideshare world. The terminology can sometimes be confusing and we wanted to make your sign up process as easy as possible. We’ve put together what we call the Uber Dictionary, a glossary of common terms used in the rideshare industry. We hope this helps you sign up and drive with confidence!

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

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Acceptance rate: Reflects the percentage of trips you accept to drive when a ping comes in. Ignoring or declining too many trip requests may affect your ability continue driving or you may be temporarily prohibited from going online to work

App: Refers to the program a driver or rider must download to their smartphone in order to request or accept rides. 

C

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Cancellation Rating: Reflects the percentage of trips cancelled by the driver after they have accepted a trip request. Cancelling too many trips may affect your ability continue driving or you may be temporarily prohibited from going online to work

D

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Deactivated: When you are prohibited from going online to drive, permanently or temporarily, due to issues like a rider complaint or expired documents.

Driver: Pretty self explanitory, the driver is a partner with the rideshare company, they are owner-operators working as independent contractors. 

F

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Facedrive: A rideshare company which provides riders with the option to take an eco-friendly vehicle to their destination. 

Facedriver: The smartphone application Facedrive uses to connect drivers to riders.

Facedrive Sedan: The standard service type offered by Facedrive, seats up to 4 riders. 

Facedrive SUV: The higher capacity service type offered by Facedrive, seats up to 5 or 8 passengers. 

H

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Hail: A method of flagging down a taxi. Rideshare drivers are not allowed to pick up passengers who hail them from the sidewalk. 

I

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Independent Contractor: A self employed individual who provides goods or services under contractual terms. 

InstaRyde: A rideshare platform owned and operating out of  Toronto, Ontario. They offer standard, higher capacity and luxury ride services.

InstaRyde Platinum: A luxury service provided by the rideshare company InstaRyde. They offer luxury rides in both 4 seat capacity and a 5-8 seat capacity.

L

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Long trip: Displayed when a ping comes in to indicate the trip will be typically at least 45 minutes

Livery: referes to vehicles for hire, including taxis, limos, and rideshare drivers. 

Lyft: US rideshare company, with its only Canadian market in Toronto

Lyft (service type): The cheapest private ride option for 1-4 passengers with Lyft, typically a sedan (Uber Version: UberX)?? Do this for all them?

Lyft Plus: The cheapest private ride option for 1-6 passengers with Lyft, typically a van or SUV

Lyft Premier: A private ride in a luxury car for 1-4 passengers with Lyft, typically a sedan, with a highly rated, experienced driver

Lyft Lux: A private luxury ride in a black car for 1-4 passengers with Lyft, with a highly-rated, experienced driver who may have a limousine or taxi license depending on the city.

Lyft Lux SUV: A private luxury ride in a black SUV for 1-4 passengers with Lyft, typically with a highly-rated, experienced driver who may have a limousine or taxi license depending on the city.

Lyft Line: The cheapest ride option with Uber, typically in a sedan, where riders heading in the same direction share a car. NOTE: not available in Toronto yet.

M

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Mystro: An app used to switch quickly between to rideshare apps. This allows the driver to maximize their time and efficiency in accepting pings. 

P

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Pax: a term for a rideshare passenger

Ping: An alert in the rideshare app indicating a trip request you can accept or decline

Prime Time: Term used by Lyft to indicate an increased rate of pay for a driver (and increased fare for rider) above the standard fares, in a certain area of the city, when there is high demand for rides and not enough drivers in the area. 

Private Transportation Company (PTC) Licence: a licence required to operate as a rideshare, taxi, or limo driver in the city of Toronto, Ontario. 

R

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Rating: Most rideshare apps allow the driver to rate a passenger and a passenger to rate a driver, which can impact either of their ability to use the service is it drops too low

Ride: The trip taken while transporting a rider from destination A to destination B.

RideCo: An alternative rideshare platform currently operating in Ontario, Canada. 

Rider: the end user side of a rideshare application. Rider refers to the individual who requested the rideshare service.

S

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Surge: Term used by Uber to indicate an increased rate of pay for a driver (and increased fare for rider) above the standard fares, in a certain area of the city, when there is high demand for rides and not enough drivers in the area. Uber uses a multiplier to show the surge price, like 1.5, which means you will get an extra 50% in pay on top of  your regular earnings as a driver and the passenger will pay an additional 50% above the normal rate

T

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TappCar: a ridershare platform which is currently operating in Alberta, Canada. 

Taxify: Rideshare company operating worldwide, offers services similar to those of the taxi industry, allows payment in vehicle.

Transportation Network Company (TNC): An organization which pairs riders with drivers. Usually through the assistance of a smartphone app. 

U

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Uber: International rideshare company, operating in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Alberta & Quebec

UberX: The cheapest private ride option for 1-4 passengers with Uber, typically a sedan (Lyft Version: Lyft)?? Do this for all them?

UberXL: The cheapest private ride option for 1-6 passengers with Uber, typically a van or SUV

UberSELECT: A private ride in a luxury car for 1-4 passengers with Uber, typically a sedan with a highly-rated driver, experienced drier

UberBLACK: A private luxury ride in a black car for 1-4 passengers with Uber, with a highly-rated, experienced driver who may have a limousine or taxi license depending on the city.

UberWAV: A private ride option with Uber for those with a motorized scooter or wheelchair, with a driver certified to assist people with a physical disability

UberASSIST: A private ride option with Uber for those with that need assistance getting in and out of the vehicle and may have mobility equipment, with a driver certified to assist people with a physical disability or mobility issues like seniors

UberSUV: A private ride option for 1-6 passengers with Uber in a luxury SUV

UberPOOL: The cheapest ride option with Uber, typically in a sedan, where riders heading in the same direction share a car.

UberEATS: A food delivery service provided by Uber

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