Most of us probably expect to be compensated for all the time that we spend working. For an Uber driver, this would include time spent driving to pick up customers. Right? An Uber driver thought that the rideshare service calculated his pay similarly to a traditional metered taxi service. However, after completing a ride that took 16 minutes longer than the application said it would, he learned this wasn’t the case. TikTok creator @gigexitblueprint recently explained how he learned that rideshare service doesn’t compensate drivers for the time it takes to pick up passengers. “This is something that every driver needs to know,” the Uber driver says. “I accepted a ride at 5:01pm, and they said it would take 18 minutes for me to pick up the passenger. And then another 12 minutes to drop off the passenger." He says he accepted the ride that was supposed to take 30 minutes roundtrip. Then he got ensnared in rush hour traffic. “It’s 5:01pm so there’s a lot of traffic in Charlotte. And I’m driving to the passenger. I hit traffic, it takes me instead of 18 minutes, it takes me 35 minutes to pick up the passenger," he says. After picking up the passenger, the actual fare took 11 minutes. "But the whole ride took 46 minutes, it was supposed to 30 minutes," @gigexitblueprint says. Did Uber Pay Him For His Time? After dropping the customer off, @gigexitblueprint says he expected to get paid a little extra because he'd driven 16 additional minutes, or 50% longer than the original stated driving time. “I’m expecting to get extra pay. Where they pay a few pennies per minute over when it’s five minutes longer than what they said it would take. I’m thinking that’s the whole ride," @gigexitblueprint adds. However, he soon learned that this wasn’t the case. “I look at the trip history and it shows that the ride took 12 minutes. And I said, no it didn’t take 12 minutes. It took 46 minutes," he grouses. So he contacted Uber driver support for answers. Tell us what you think! View Comments “I jump through the hoops, I get Uber support on the phone. And she confirms that the ride took 12 minutes. I said no, it took 46 minutes, not 12 minutes. She said the ride to pick up the passenger does not count. I never knew that, did you know that?” he asks. The Uber driver was shocked to learn that he isn't compensated for the time it takes to reach the pickup point. “That’s the only one they calculate to see if it takes longer than what Uber said it would take. If it does, then you can get an adjustment. And get more pay. How many trips have I done that I never checked? And I never knew? And I’m thinking I’m getting paid extra. When really I’m not," he says. Now he's questioning Uber’s pay structure. He doesn't think it's fair that they aren't paid for the time it takes to reach the pickup point. "It seems like Uber pulls money from the drivers at every stop, at every chance they possibly can," @gigexitblueprint opines. "Doesn’t sound fair to me. But here I am, full time gig driver. And I gotta keep driving until I make my way out.” How Does Uber Calculate Fares? The rideshare service, like others, has a dynamic pricing mechanism that bases fare rates on the number of available drivers and customers seeking rides. Business Insider reports that in early 2026, drivers were “vexed” by discrepancies in ride costs that left them earning less money per ride. According to the outlet, a glitch in this dynamic pricing system was to blame. On Uber’s website, there is no mention of drivers being paid for the time it takes them to arrive at a passenger’s pickup point. However, Uber drivers are compensated for extended wait times after they arrive. “Early arrival: if you arrive before the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) provided to the rider, the grace period will begin at the original ETA,” Uber writes. Passengers have a grace period of anywhere between 2-15 minutes, depending on the type of Uber service they book in the app. What Percentage Does Uber Keep? Powers with Action reports that Uber investor profits have increased throughout the years. Meanwhile, fare prices have also gone up. Many drivers have said they aren’t benefiting from the price hikes, however. Estimates for how much Uber takes out of drivers fares varies greatly online. Citizen Daily writes that Uber takes around 25% of a fare per ride However, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have been criticized online for not being more transparent about what fare percentages actually are. A LinkedIn user who says they drive for Uber claims that the company takes anywhere from 50%-70% of a “take rate” (fare) per trip. A Redditor in r/uber sub said they’ve heard drivers complain about receiving only 20% to 25% of the total fare. Another person responded to accuse Uber of lying about its cut of fares, stating that the rideshare business claims to take only an 18% cut. They claim they were paid $3 for a ride during which they learned from the customer that Uber was charging $8, meaning it actually took 62.5%. Someone else echoed these sentiments, writing, “When looking at earnings breakdowns … I actually saw trips where I got less than 50% of what the guest paid!” Motor1 has reached out to @gigexitblueprint via TikTok direct message and Uber via email for further comment. We'll update this if either responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
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