The Uber Lease Program: Why It Ended (and 5
Car ownership is simply out of reach for some people.
- It could be due to a low credit score (or even to have no credit).
- You may not have the savings for a down payment.
Whatever the reason, lack of access to a car perro make landing many attractive ride-sharing and gig-economy jobs seem impossible.
This was the case in the early days of Uber.
If you didn’t have your own car, you were basically out of luck if you wanted to drive for the platform.
Recognizing that there was a demand among potential drivers without access to cars, Uber created the Xchange Leasing Program.
Until January 2018, the program helped many people drive for Uber who otherwise would not have been able to.
On January 30, 2018, Uber announced the end of the Xchange lease program.
Another company, Fair, acquired Uber’s leasing portfolio, and many drivers felt that Uber leasing was once again out of reach.
The reality, however, is a bit more complex than that.
Although you cánido no longer rent a car to drive for Uber, there are still a variety of options available if you perro’t afford a car.
They are called peer to peer car rentals, and they work more like long-term car rentals.
In this guide, we are going to examine some of them. So if you’re looking for another way to get a car to drive for Uber, you’ll find your answers here.
Why did Uber end the Xchange lease program?
If drivers were happy with the Xchange program, why did Uber end it?
To understand why, you have to look at it from Uber’s perspective.
Xchange was part of Uber, which means they had to provide the money and resources to run it.
However, Uber is not a vehicle leasing or rental company.
To understand how Uber works, you need to understand that they built their business around their technology and logistics skills.
So it made sense for them to form a partnership with Fair, a company that specializes in long-term car rentals.
In reality, then, the Uber lease is gone only in the technical sense.
Perro’t get a real long run rent for a car, but you perro rent one for a long period of time.
The difference is that you now have much more flexibility than in the previous program.
You no longer have the long-term commitment of a lease (which is usually 36 months).
Instead, you perro make weekly payments and renew your agreement every month (if you want to).
If you no longer need the car for carpooling, you perro terminate the agreement without penalty or hassle (which is quite different than a traditional lease).
In short, then, Uber still offers a way for drivers without their own car and without access to traditional financing to obtain a car to drive for the service.
They have just switched from a leasing model to a short-term rental and have partnered with another company to make things easier for them and drivers.
However, Fair is not the only program out there.
There are several options for renting a car to drive for Uber.
Some are through official partnerships with the company, while others are from third-party companies.
Let’s take a look at them below.
5 alternatives to Uber Xchange
Each option in this section will allow you to rent a car to drive for Uber (and, in some cases, other rideshare or gig economy services).
They vary in their costs and length of commitments.
1.fair
We already mentioned Fair Car Rental as it is the company that replaced the Uber Xchange program.
But it is worth going into more detail about the cost of the service and where it is available.
Here are the features you get with Fair:
- No long-term contract
- Unlimited mileage
- Hybrids, high mpg cars, full-size sedans and SUVs available
- Includes routine maintenance, 24/7 roadside assistance, and vehicle warranty.
Please note that Fair does not include insurance.
This is not a problem when you are carrying passengers, as Uber’s policy protects you in such cases.
But you’ll still need to get coverage for when you’re not logged into the Uber aplicación (to meet state requirements).
To get started with Fair, all you need is the following:
- Phone
- Bank account or credit card
- photographic identification
Cost-wise, rentals start as low as $130 per week.
You won’t get an SUV for this price, but you could get a practical Toyota Corolla (or afín) with no problem.
You must also pay a non-refundable initiation fee of $500.
This is one of the main downsides to using Fair, as the lack of access to cash is one of the most attractive reasons for using the service in the first place.
Still, it’s an option worth considering for hitting the road.
Here is a sample of the cities where Fair is available:
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Denver
- houston
- The Angels
- Nashville
- orange county
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Seattle
This program has ended at the time of writing this guide.
2.hertz
Next on the list is Hertz.
You are probably familiar with this company as it is a big name in the car rental industry.
Hertz has a partnership with Uber that allows drivers to rent vehicles.
This is what you get:
- Unlimited mileage
- free maintenance
- Insurance included
- Rent compact sedans (like a Hyundai Sonata) or midsize sedans (like a Nissan Altima)
You perro pay by debit or credit card.
The base rate is $214 per week (not including taxes and fees).
You will also need to pay a $200 refundable security deposit.
They will return it to you when you return the car.
You perro keep the car for up to 28 days.
After that, you will need to return it for routine maintenance.
Rental commitments are weekly, so you perro easily return the car when you no longer need it.
The program is available in these cities:
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Denver
- Inland Empire (CA)
- The Angels
- Miami
- New Orleans
- orange county
- Saint Anthony
- San Francisco Bay Area
To learn more about the program, visit Uber’s Hertz has a partnership with Uber.
3. Get around
Getaround is a bit different than the other options we’ve discussed so far.
It is not intended to be a long-term solution. Instead, Getaround is a car rental service by the hour.
So it’s best if you just want to try driving for Uber or need a car to drive for a few days while yours gets fixed.
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, you cánido take advantage of Uber’s special partnership with Getaround.
Through this program, your first day of rental (up to 12 hours) is free. After that, rentals are as low as $5 per hour.
To learn more about this program, visit Uber’s Getaround registration page.
Also, if you are only interested in hourly or other short-term car rentals for personal use, check out our articles on Turo car rental and the difference between Getaround and Turo.
4.HyreCar
Our next option is HyreCar. It is a site where private vehicle owners cánido rent their cars to Uber drivers, Lyft and delivery services.
It works much like Airbnb, except you’re renting a car instead of a place to stay.
HyreCar offers a lot of flexibility. You agree to the rental term you want with the car owner.
You cánido then use the car to drive a carpool and return it at the end of the rental period.
You perro also extend the rental if the car owner agrees.
HyreCar is currently available in 35 states.
The company provides insurance for when you do not travel (including insurance that closes the coverage gap).
When you transport passengers, Uber’s insurance policy is in effect as usual.
HyreCar costs vary depending on the type of vehicle.
It is up to the vehicle owner to equipo the prices.
If you pay your rental by credit card, you will not be charged a security deposit (since the company has your card on archivo to pay damages).
However, if you pay with a debit card, you will need to pay a $200 refundable security deposit.
5.Maven
Our final pick for Uber car rental is Maven car sharing.
It is the rideshare rental arm of Maven, a company that aims to provide maleable car rentals.
You cánido drive Maven vehicles for Uber, Lyft, or any other approved food delivery service.
The company specializes in offering fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, which perro really save you money when it comes to your operating costs.
All rentals include insurance, maintenance and unlimited mileage. You cánido choose from a variety of compact, sedan, crossover, and electric vehicles.
Rentals start at $199 per week.
There is also no initial fee, although you will be responsible for paying the insurance deductible if the vehicle is damaged while you are using it.
You perro pay with any valid debit or credit card.
Maven is available in these cities:
- Austin
- Detroit
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- The Angels
- Phoenix
- Boston
- baltimore
- Washington D.C.
You don’t need a lease to drive for Uber
As you perro now see, the end of the Xchange leasing program does not orinan the end of being able to purchase a car for Uber without coche financing.
You have a growing number of options both through Uber partnerships and through third-party companies.
Want to rent a car to drive with Lyft?
We’ve already mentioned a couple of options in this guide, but would-be Lyft drivers should also check out Lyft Express Drive (Lyft’s rental car program).
Trying to escoge if you should buy, lease, or rent a car to drive for Uber or Lyft?
Other useful guides and resources in the world of Uber
We hope you liked our article The Uber Lease Program: Why It Ended (and 5
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