Uber API Integration: A Complete Guide with 7 Benefits & Examples

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In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of Uber API and walk you through the integration process. We’ll also describe how to use Uber’s huge range of resources, including:

• Delivery & taxi-hailing services
• Logistics capabilities
• Advanced analytics tools
• Business features

Uber is the world’s leading ridesharing and delivery app, occupying 67% of the US market and 37.2% of the global market share. And the best part? Uber API integration is publicly available to developers. This means if you’re developing a mobile app that needs to incorporate transport, delivery, freight, or shipping services, then with the right developers at your side, you can use the Uber API to make your app stand out in a highly competitive industry.

At Acropolium, we’re old hands at seeing the benefits and potential of complex API integration and using it to give our clients the edge. Leveraging Uber lets your customers hire a cab or order pizza, but it can also bring you a lot more. As our Founder Oleksii Glib puts it, “The Uber API is more than a taxi-hailing and delivery feature for your app. Uber for Business is a powerful big data API. Organizations can use it to generate important logistic data, optimize routes, reduce expenses, and improve business processes with predictive analytics. However, you need a dedicated team of engineers to integrate these advanced features into your SRM (supplier relationship management) and internal company software.”

Let’s begin with some examples of companies that are already integrated Uber API to their advantage.

Best examples of Uber API integration

The Uber API (Application Programming Interface) is an intermediary set of mechanisms that allows software products to access Uber’s functionality. Thousands of companies have connected Uber to their services and mobile apps as a way of extending and strengthening the features they offer. Here are some example cases of Uber API integration:

Amazon Echo

Amazon’s goal to create a seamless user experience became even closer to reality with Uber API. Integrating Uber’s functions into the Alexa digital assistant made it easier for users to order food, request trips, or cancel rides without touching their phones.

DRAIVER

DRAIVER is a logistics company that serves auto dealers, rental organizations, and car-sharing businesses. Before Uber integration, the company had to send employees to return vehicles after the driver dropped them off. When DRAIVER connected their app to Uber’s taxi-hailing service, the company’s drivers got the ability to automatically schedule rides from their corporate app to get the cars back. The result? The company cut the cost of return rides by around 30 percent.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor helps travelers around the globe find out about local businesses and major attractions. With Uber API integration, the mobile app now offers complete trip experiences. Users no longer need to switch apps while on a journey and can quickly travel between the best restaurants, museums, and other landmarks — all from the TripAdvisor platform.

Starbucks

Starbucks reached new ways to deliver its products after Uber Eat food delivery API integration. A single click inside the Starbucks app is all you need to grab a latte while on a ride home or have your favorite brew delivered to your doorstep. The new features received positive feedback from customers, resulting in increased demand and repeat orders throughout the day.

StubHub

StubHub is an app that allows users to buy and sell tickets to sports games, concerts, and other events. The company wanted to go a step further and added Uber API to help users schedule rides. Now, customers have an easier time getting to event locations and quickly ordering a cab after grabbing a ticket at the last minute.

Read also: How to reduce cloud costs.

Reasons for Uber API integration into your app

Integration with Uber API can enhance your business in many ways. Here’s a closer look at seven benefits of Uber API integration for your app.

Improved user experience

Uber is a top-rated driving service. In Q4 2020, the app was used for over 1.4 billion trips worldwide (approximately 15.2 million every day). With Uber’s functionality incorporated in your product, users will be able to schedule quick trips to your company without switching apps.

For example, your customers can order a ride right after booking a table at a restaurant. This kind of extra convenience is bound to increase user engagement, prompting them to return to your business.

Process automation

Uber for Business offers a suite of tools to streamline your workflows and automate tasks. With a team of experienced developers, you can use the API to connect them to your product. Suppose you have a hotel and apartment booking app. With Uber, you can add a checkbox to let users schedule a taxi ride after they rent a room. Alternatively, your app can automatically send cars for employees to pick them up from home or work.

Reduced costs

Uber API integration saves you the trouble of negotiating with drivers, preparing sign-off agreements, getting loans for cars, and building your logistics. Uber already comes with a massive infrastructure that includes millions of vehicles and drivers. More importantly, their services will cost you less than using an ordinary transportation company and help you focus on generating revenue for your business.

Read also: How to reduce software development costs without losing quality.

Advanced analytics

Integrating Uber API into your SRM or SaaS platform will allow you to:

• Implement transportation and operational expenses into financial reports
• Identify and track excessive spending
• Scale logistics for on-demand services
• Analyze routes and detect bottlenecks
• Collect feedback about drivers and couriers to compare their effectiveness
• Learn about the most profitable areas and timetables for your services

Analytics like these can help generate important business insights and improve the efficiency of your on-demand offerings.

Better efficiency

You can solve transportation issues with Uber. The app relies on the Google Maps API, which offers excellent coverage and location data accuracy, even in rural areas. This allows you to use optimal destination routes, give route-specific estimates for employees and customers, and get precise pick-up and drop-off locations.

Analytics tools can help you determine the most profitable zones for trips and deliveries at particular times of the day. You can then motivate drivers to get more orders from these zones, which will lead to improved revenue and a more rewarding experience for your staff.

Competitive advantage

In addition to being one of the top-rated taxi-hailing apps, Uber has over 91 million users in more than 63 countries. As a result, integration with Uber API is one of the easiest ways to reach more clients and improve customer satisfaction rates.

Uber’s delivery services can help retailers and online shops shape their on-demand economy without building an infrastructure or a new business model. Most logistic problems you can experience with a standalone app become much easier to solve after integrating Uber API. Plus, improved customer experience and detailed analytics can keep you one step ahead of the competition.

Read also: How to reduce time to market the right way.

Easy integration

Uber has built the foundation for advanced delivery and business analytics tools. Their API is fairly mature, so integration of these tools to your app will be easy, and there are plenty of developers who can do it.

The app’s back end consists of microservices that allow developers to work on different components of its infrastructure simultaneously. In addition, Uber offers extensive API documentation to make things easier for your development team. The base-level API takes just hours to integrate but still opens up a range of possibilities for your business.

Read also: Guide on SaaS product architecture.

How to implement Uber API in your app

By now, it should be clear that the main benefit of integrating Uber is that you don’t need to create a taxi-hailing or product delivery feature from scratch. But how does it work under the hood?

Uber offers the following levels of integration:

• Ride Request button. With a few lines of code, you can add a button to display - pick-up information and ride estimates. Clicking on it will open the Uber app, allowing the user to order a cab to a predefined location. The Ride Request button is the most straightforward and non-customizable option.
• Deeplink. This is another easy option for Uber API integration on Android and iOS devices. It allows users to launch Uber with predefined pick-up and destination info from your app. In contrast to the Ride Request button, Deeplink integration supports custom logic and visuals.
• Client libraries. Uber supports a whole host of official and unofficial client libraries for your app. The SDKs are available for a wide range of languages to help you create a fully customizable experience.
• Webhooks. Reactive webhooks allow Uber and your app to exchange real-time data to predict user actions, automate processes, or sync data. For example, a restaurant app will automatically offer an Uber cab after you book a table. Likewise, the app can call off a ride if you cancel your reservation. Webhooks are highly versatile, but implementing them requires high-level skills and many resources.
• Rest API. Uber has a RESTful API, meaning it supports all programming languages and coding environments. Building a REST API into your app is nearly impossible without a strong development team but presents the most possibilities for businesses.

Some of the REST APIs you can add to your app include:

• Riders API for on-demand delivery
• Freight API for logistics services
• Drivers API for improving driver experience
• Uber API for Business for automating business processes and in-depth analytics

Now that you’re familiar with the different APIs available, it’s time to integrate Uber API into your software.

Step-by-step process of integrating Uber API

Here are the main steps you need to follow to implement Uber services in your app with your in-house developers:

1. Do the research. Learn about your customer’s pain points, determine your business goals, and find ways to solve them with a suitable API.
2. Pick the tools. Have your development team study the technical documentation and legal aspects of the integration before applying for access. You can find these on Uber’s official developer site.
3. Register on the Developer Dashboard. Register your app on the Uber Developer Dashboard. This is where your development team can link your app to Google Maps and choose the scope for your project.
4. Install the SDK. Uber will send an SDK, which your developers will need to study to determine the best way to integrate it into the app.
5. Set up the functionality. At this step, your team has to set up the SDK to add the desired Uber features to your platform.

More information and guidelines about the integration process are available on Uber’s development site. The fundamentals have been laid by Uber, and all that’s left is to connect the services to your systems.

Still, integration may take weeks, depending on your requirements and the skills of your engineers. If you’re looking for a faster result or need complex services, an experienced development partner such as Acropolium can help you take advantage of Uber’s massive infrastructure in a matter of days.

Which businesses can benefit from Uber API integration?

The general benefits of Uber API are clear, but how can you use it to improve your particular business? Here are some ideas and examples for Uber API integration by sector:

Food & groceries delivery

Solution:

• Uber Eats

If you’re in the restaurant, cafe, or hotel business, you’ll know how critical delivery has become since the COVID-19 pandemic.

UberEats food delivery API integration will help you reach more customers, effectively improving your profits. And the best part? You don’t need to build the logistics, seeing as Uber holds 22% of the food delivery market in the US.

Restaurants & cafes

Solution:

• Uber Events

Delivery is not always the best solution. A visit to your restaurant or a cafe is a social event, and you can help customers see it as such with Uber Events API. For example, a customer books a table in your establishment. After that, they can schedule a ride to your location inside your app. A seamless experience like this can greatly increase the chances your customer will show up.

Logistics

Solution:

• Uber Freight

Integrating the Uber Freight API is a great way to streamline your transportation or logistics company. You can integrate Uber for real-time tracking, signature confirmation, and fast upfront pricing. Additionally, Uber Freight can help carriers and shippers manage their loads with customized suggestions and an automatic reloads feature. Add Uber’s gigantic delivery infrastructure to the mix, and you have a one-step opportunity to improve your business.

Travel industry

Solution:

• Uber Central

If your app helps people get around or make travel bookings, integrating the Uber Central API into your software can make your client’s trip more enjoyable. You can connect customers with dozens of Uber drivers, ensuring they don’t have to wait for a car after a flight or event. What’s more, a booking app can automatically offer to schedule a ride to the hotel after a user reserves a room.

Healthcare providers

Solution:

• Uber Health

Integrating the Uber Health API into your corporate app can help your staff and caregivers get to your facility on time. Moreover, you can reduce missed appointments by allowing patients to schedule a ride after booking a visit to the doctor. MedStar Health improved their schedule fill rate by up to 10% after connecting its platform to the Uber app.

Messaging applications

Solution:

• Uber Developers

Facebook’s Messenger app allows users to request a cab without downloading the Uber app. Integrating Uber APIs in your own messaging app means users can share trip data, so their friends can order a taxi to their address or track their location. Experienced engineers can use Uber’s SDK to upgrade your chatbots with similar features.

Read also: Acropolium’s guide to SaaS app development.

Why choose Acropolium?

At Acropolium, we’ve been specializing in web and mobile app development services for transportation, logistics, and supply chain businesses since 2003. Here’s a list of just some of our projects that have benefitted from API integration.

Software for kiosks and pharmacies

We created a custom software platform for kiosk devices to help pharmacies connect to their users. Integration of video chat features and the ability to order home delivery led to an increase in customer loyalty and sales.

IoT solutions

The client was a small company that provides solutions for operational management, communications, operational command, and video surveillance. Our team built a core for a scalable platform based on AWS cloud services and integrated a complex subsystem for connecting various types of devices. Now, the client has reliable operation management software capable of processing navigation data, GPS trackers, and other IoT devices.

Shipping web platforms

We conducted a system audit to help with the development of a shipping platform. In two months, our team fixed major calculation and payment bugs, reduced the server load, and integrated third-party APIs to help the client optimize processes. As a result, the client has reduced their monthly expenses by six times. Our team can carry multipurpose projects from ideation to release. And as you can see, we know exactly how to integrate complex and non-standard APIs into your platform. Read also how to choose maps API.

What’s next?

As shown by the examples in this article, there are undeniable benefits of using Uber API for startups, SMBs, and large enterprises. What’s more, integrating Uber API in your app is easy — unless, of course, you want to take advantage of the advanced business features. If you’ve been following us so far, you’ll understand that its advanced tools help you stand out from myriads of mobile apps. The bottom line? You’ll need a reliable technological partner if you want to incorporate high-end capabilities into your software platform. Acropolium specializes in complex software solutions that can make a difference. We have decades of expertise in creating proprietary HoReCa software, logistics software, and marketing solutions for startups and larger enterprises. Our vetted team knows the ins and outs of API integration and would love to get to work on your next project — just contact us to start the conversation.