Ridesharing goes commercial. Very commercial.

First it was Yelp. Then it was Waze. Now, ridesharing services like Uber and WaiveCar are showing you ads and offering services based on where you are and where you’re going.

UBER OFFERS

An Offer You Can Refuse, BUT YOU CAN’T AVOID.
TechCrunch announced Uber will be going nationwide with a new service they quietly rolled out late last year.

They’re calling it Uber Offers. Any purchase you make with your Uber-linked credit card at select merchants will earn you money back for a future ride. They launched the referral-fee service locally, working with select brands using TrialPay — a value-exchange platform owned by Visa.

How it works

Users are hit with an Offer in mid-trip (and probably while you’re staring at your phone, anyway). Uber understands most users have somewhere to go, so they are careful not to interrupt the car-requesting process.

And — with a guilt-soaked line like this — it’d be hard not to tap that button to learn more about the Offer.

How deep is your love?

With Offers nearing national launch, users will begin to second-guess purchasing decisions. Picture your favorite Colombian dark-roasted coffee at the local shop nearby. Now, imagine every one of those cups could earn you free Uber rides — IF you opted to go to one of their select merchants, instead.

WAIVECAR

You can now be a mobile billboard.
If you don’t mind looking a little like a pizza delivery guy, WaiveCar can get you where you’re going for free.

The new car-sharing service allows you to rent an electric car for 2 hours, free of charge (the deal, not the car — you’re gonna want that to be charged). So what’s the catch? They’re letting advertising foot the bill for you.

How it Works

The first 2 hours are free. Beyond that? WaiveCar charges you $6 per hour. WaiveCar vehicles display regular & geo-targeted ads across screens atop their roofs.These ads can be hyper-localized — promoting the stores nearest you. So if you’re walking around looking for a bite to eat, you may just find your answer zipping by.

Plans for Points

In future updates, WaiveCar plans to reward users for dropping off the car at popular locations in the form of points. These points can be used to pay for the car if you go beyond the 2-hour mark. So if you’re planning a fun-filled day in the city, you may want to consider heading to these hotspots.

For now, WaiveCar is available only in Venice Beach & Santa Monica.