When I was getting ready to go on a business trip to New York a while back, I noticed on my paperwork that I was instructed to use a taxi for transportation. After clarifying that by “taxi” they meant I should use ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft and only take a taxi if no other option was available, they suggested that I sign up for both Uber and Lyft in case one of the platforms gave me trouble if I tried to use my corporate credit card.
The way they worded it made me feel like they knew something at the time but weren’t telling me. So I tried to add my card to my existing Uber account as a business card.
That’s when I received this message:
I tried multiple times and received the same message, they weren’t able to accept my card. Now, this is the only card I am supposed to use for work expenses. So I reached out to Uber support. The only option was to send a generic
“payment problem” email to which I received a response in a few hours.
We understand that it can be upsetting when you are unable to use your card, Joseph. Please allow me to further assist you here.
While the Uber app accepts most standard payment methods, some cards and methods are not compatible and can’t be used with Uber. It looks like the payment method you used recently is not compatible with our billing processes. We highly suggest that you add another payment method directly to the app for you to be able to request a trip again. We accept most standard credit and debit cards, and a number of options including Apple Pay, Android Pay and PayPal.
However, for you to use these payment methods, they should have a valid credit and debit card in them. You may also want to consider using Uber Gift Cards, this is a payment method that you can use even though you don’t have a valid card on your account. You can purchase it through this link. For more info on how to use Uber Gift Cards, click here.
In case you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us via the in-app Help menu or by clicking on this link and selecting the related category for better assistance.
I recently checked the Uber support site and the suggestions for when you’re having a problem adding a business card to your profile haven’t changed much. Their answer saying my corporate card isn’t compatible with their billing system and I should use another card wasn’t an option I wanted to use. So I did the next best thing; I opened an account with Lyft.
Lyft’s system accepted my corporate card and I used their service for the 18 rides I took over the course of my assignment.
The strange thing is that while some of the other employees with me on this trip had the same problem adding their card to Uber, others were able to use it with no issues. That leads me to believe it’s more of a problem with Uber than with the bank. Besides being unable to use the card with Uber, they also lost out on me using the card for Uber Eats and forced me to use DoorDash instead.
Final Thoughts
I was disappointed with Uber’s reply about this problem. Their ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ response to my question led me to use their competitors for most of my trip. The same goes for the others working with me who all used Lyft for our business travels for the two weeks of our trip.
Hey Uber, maybe you should figure out why your system isn’t accepting certain business credit cards instead of having your customer service reps tell customers to use a different card or buy an Uber gift card.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.