Delhiites can now pay for Uber rides by cash

If you live in Delhi or Bangalore and use Uber, you will be able to pay for your trip in cash from September 2.

A person using the French version of the Uber app to order a UberPop cab in Paris. Photo: AFP

If you live in Delhi or Bangalore and use Uber, you will be able to pay for your trip in cash from September 2. Uber first started accepting cash payments in Hyderabad in May and gradually brought the feature to more cities like Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kochi and Ahmedabad in July, before rolling it out to all cities it operates in (except Mumbai, which, says Uber, will be added shortly).

"We're launching cash today to ensure that all commuters have access to a safe, reliable and hassle-free ride," said Gagan Bhatia, general manager at Uber Delhi.

Riders will need to choose the Cash payment option before they start their ride. When their trip ends, both the driver and the the passenger will get a notification with the exact fare.

In addition to the cash payment option, Uber is also disable surge pricing — the practice where the company automatically hikes fares if there's more demand — in both Delhi and Bangalore from 7am to 9pm to encourage passengers to use the service.

India is Uber's second largest market outside the United States, and the company has been steadily adapting its business model to suit the needs of country. In November 2014, it integrated the PayTM wallet into its app; in July, it announced that it would start accepting payments by both Indian and international credit cards again, after running afoul of RBI regulations last year; and earlier this month, it added the Airtel Money Wallet as well as the ability to pay through debit cards to its app.