Uber API Integration: Benefits & Usage For Food Delivery App

Over the past few years, the food delivery app industry has become highly competitive. With newer apps hitting the market now and then, thriving in the space has become a challenge. 

Consequently, an increasing number of app developers are looking to integrate innovative and handy features that can grab users’ attention. And one such feature is the integration of an on-demand cab-hailing service. 

Now you may wonder how the particular feature helps food delivery app users? Using the cab-hailing feature, hotels, cafes, and restaurants can allow the users to order some food delivery by taxi. Alternatively, the users can order a cab to their favorite eating place right from the app.

Many popular brands have already implemented this feature to offer an incredible user experience. Some are OpenTable, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Time Out, Hinge, Starbuck Coffee Company, and more. 

But does that mean you need to program such a platform from scratch? The answer is NO, thanks to the Uber API. This API enables app developers to integrate the taxi-hailing feature into their mobile app and leverage their existing user base. Sounds incredible, right?

In this article, we will understand all about the Uber API integration. We will also talk about the several benefits of this integration, along with a step-by-step guide to doing it for a food delivery app. 

Benefits From Integrating Uber API

Several business apps have integrated the Uber API and benefited by offering an incredible user experience. Let’s find out how. 

1. Improve Goods Transportation

With the Uber API integration, any online shop or local retailer can turn their app solution into an on-demand delivery platform. This offers augmented ease to the customers and helps them get things delivered to them at their doorstep. 

The Uber API allows users to share and exchange their location in real-time. This is an excellent feature that expands the app’s functionality. It is especially useful for social networking apps or messaging applications where the users can be notified of each other’s real-time location. 

2. Reduce Development Time & Cost

The best part about using the Uber API is that it is straightforward to integrate. There is no need to create a programming code for a taxi-hailing feature from scratch. The developers can simply use the API and integrate it within their existing solution, thus reducing the development time and cost. 

3. Solve User Problems

If your app has an audience that requires logistics, integrating Uber API can be beneficial. The users can easily order a cab and quickly get to their final destination. 

4. Provide A Ready-Made Business Model

If you wish to provide the taxi-hailing feature within your app, Uber API makes it extremely easy for you. By integrating the API, you get access to a well-built and streamlined infrastructure along with a pool of Uber drivers. Thus, you don’t need to sign any paperwork or agreements to benefit from the ride-hailing feature. 

Examples Of Uber API Integration

The Uber API became open to the public in 2014. Since then, it has been available to developers who wish to add a car ordering functionality to their existing app solution. The main advantage of this API is that it provides an opportunity to add a new user experience to your current app and boost loyalty. 

Over the years, several well-known companies have leveraged this API and received humongous benefits from the integration. Let’s have a look at some of them.

1. Amazon Echo

In 2016, Amazon integrated the Uber API into Amazon Echo, its voice-enabled smart speakers. This integration enables the users to use voice commands to book an Uber within seconds. They can use simple commands like ‘Alexa, ask Uber to request an UberX’ and have a hassle-free experience. 

The users can also say ‘call me a ride,’ ‘request me a ride,’ or ‘get me an Uber, ’ along with several other iterations to seamlessly book an Uber. 

2. Foursquare

Foursquare is a popular location platform that provides awesome local recommendations. And its integration with Uber has further added to user convenience. Now, the users can look for restaurant recommendations and book a ride to the venue with just a few simple taps. 

Since the integration, the company has observed a noticeable difference in the bottom line. The company earns money through Uber’s affiliate program for every new Uber rider from the Foursquare app. 

3. Stride

Stride is an excellent tax app integrated with Uber API to help drivers save more tax deductions. By using the Stride Tax Calculator, the drivers can summarize their earnings and estimated taxes. The calculator analyses the different payments, remove deductions like fees, on-trip mileage, etc., and helps the drivers stay informed about expected taxes. 

4. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a popular travel platform. The app enables users to share their experiences, reviews, and opinions with a massive user base. Besides, the platform also offers hotel reservations and bookings for lodging and transportation.

TripAdvisor integrated the Uber API to offer a complete travel experience inside a single app. With this integration, the users have been able to get to their desired destination simply and conveniently.

5. Starbucks 

The Starbucks app has integrated the Uber API to provide a seamless and direct taxi-booking experience. The app enables the users to book a car ride from within the app to easily get to their destination while sipping on their favorite coffee. 

With this integration, Starbucks has improved customer experience and built brand loyalty. 

6. The Washington Post 

Uber’s integration with the Washington Post app has led to highly tailored reading experiences for the app’s growing user base. It enables the users to keep reading the news feed while checking the trip’s progress on the status bar at the bottom of the screen. In other words, it allows the users to have an enjoyable and seamless reading experience while riding in an Uber. 

7. Work Hard Anywhere 

Work Hard Anywhere is an app that helps entrepreneurs, freelancers, and other working professionals easily locate laptop-friendly cafes to work. The platform lists the prominent working spaces spread across 12,000 locations and 100+ countries. 

And the platform’s integration with the Uber API further enables the users to discover the best spots to work nearby easily.             

8. BRAVO 

BRAVO is a mobile app that lets the users send a payment or message to their favorite bartender, hostess, waitress, a musician at the restaurant, etc. By incorporating the Uber API in the BRAVO app, the users can make the payment or send a message while on their way in a taxi. At the same time, they can also monitor the progress of their ride. 

9. StubHub 

The StubHub app is a great app that keeps track of all the interesting and exciting events happening in the town. And with the Uber integration, the users can not just purchase a ticket to the event but also set reminders to book a ride to the event’s location. Furthermore, the app also prompts the users to request a cab with just a single tap. 

10. Pebble & Alexa 

Pebble has added Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant to its devices, including the smartwatch. This allows the users to operate most of the features through voice commands. Furthermore, the integration of Uber API has further expanded the watch’s functionality. The users can request their ride from the device, set their destination, and check the taxi’s status, all without having a phone in hand. 

11. Surge app 

The app notifies the users when there is an increase or decrease in the demand for Uber services. The app comes in handy for frequent Uber app users as they can check the demand prognosis and make a booking when the demand drops. 

12. Momento app 

The Momento app presents an excellent opportunity to record and review travel moments based on the trip history. With the integration of Uber, the users can create their private journals based on the visited locations. 

How To Integrate Uber API Into Your App?

Before we get on to the steps, it is important to understand the different levels of Uber integration. There are different ways your mobile app can integrate the Uber API. The most common ones are as follows:

1. Ride Request Button

This is among the most popular ways to add the Uber ride feature to your mobile app. You can add a button that will display the fee for a ride and redirect the users to the Uber app. It must be noted that adding a button for requesting an Uber ride comes with no customization options. 

2. Deeplink

This is another quick and easy way for Uber API integration. It allows the users to launch the Uber app with pre-defined pickup and final destination info. Unlike the Ride Request button, this deep link has several customization options. 

3. Client Libraries

This is a way in which the mobile app developers can use the Uber SDK to add the desirable taxi-hailing features to their app. It is possible to create a fully personalized and end-to-end experience for your specific mobile users with client libraries. 

4. Webhooks

Reactive webhooks enable your app and Uber to exchange information in real-time. This helps to predict the user actions and take actions accordingly. For instance, if a restaurant booking app uses webhooks, the app will mechanically offer an Uber cab when the user books a table. Similarly, the app can cancel the ride if the user calls off the reservation. It must be noted that webhooks are highly adaptable, and implementing them into a mobile app requires in-depth skill and expertise. 

5. Rest API

Uber has a Rest API, which means that it supports all types of coding environments and programming languages. Using this API in your mobile app will present numerous opportunities for customization. However, you need the support of a good app development team to leverage the Rest API. 

Moving on, some of the most common Rest API’s that you can include in your app are as follows:

• Riders API: This is for on-demand delivery. 
• Freight API: This is for logistics.
• Drivers API: This helps to improve the driver’s experience.
• Uber API for Business: This is for automating the business processes and obtaining detailed analytics. 

Now that you know the different Uber APIs, it’s time to understand how to integrate the same into your specific software. 

Step-by-Step Uber API Integration

The various steps involved in the integration process are as below:

• To begin with, the development team will study the Uber API documentation. The final access to the Uber API has to be authorized by Uber. Thus, it is beneficial to ensure that the development team is well-versed with each aspect of the integration before applying for the driver API access. 
• Once the access to the API is approved, Uber will send a Software Development Kit (SDK) to the development team. They can go through the SDK to identify the best way to integrate the Uber API into their mobile app. 
• Following that, the developers need to register for the Uber Developer Dashboard access. This will enable them to link their business app with the Google Maps Uber integration. 
• The developers can then set up the Uber SDK on a specific mobile platform, i.e., iOS, Android, or both. 
• Developers can use the Uber SDK to add the Uber Ride Request button or deeplink, or any other relevant functions to the business app. This will allow the users to book the Uber ride through the mobile app with a few simple steps. 

Uber API Ideas For Integration

As discussed above, the Uber API is an excellent way to expand the functionality of your mobile app. And the integration can be an especially great idea if your business belongs to the following categories:

1. Local Food & Grocery Store

If you have a local food store, you can use the UberEats API. With this, you can easily deliver food to your customer’s doorstep and improve their experience. 

2. Logistics

For a logistics business, Uber Freight API is a great solution. The API connects the shippers with the carriers to ensure seamless and hassle-free transportation. 

3. Car Repair, Beauty Industry, And Other B2C Businesses

Using the Uber Vouchers is an excellent move for all B2C businesses. With this integration, the companies can easily engage with their customers and pay for their trips with Uber vouchers. 

4. Business Trips

Uber for Business is a great platform to simplify business trips worldwide. Companies can use this integration to control the expenditures of their employee’s business trips and make them much more comfortable. 

5. Health Care

With Uber Health, the hospital apps can provide easy tax-hailing services to all their patients. 

6. Events

Uber Events makes it very easy and convenient for all event organizers to arrange transportation facilities for guests. 

7. Hotels

Uber Central is specifically developed for hotel needs, and it enables hotel authorities to deliver reliable and comfortable rides to the guests at their convenience. 

Conclusion

Uber is one of the best platforms that offer an accessible taxi-hailing facility. And the integration of Uber API into your specific business model can expand the functionality of your mobile app and give you a competitive edge. It can result in improved user engagement and user loyalty. 

So, if you wish to stand apart from the crowd, you must consider the Uber API integration. To ensure seamless integration, you can get in touch with an excellent and dependable app development company to ensure seamless integration.