One of the best parts about working in the gig economy is the flexibility. You can choose when to work, how long to work for, and the ability to choose each job. But that trademark flexibility is missing when it comes to one of the most important aspects of the job: your payday.
For Uber Drivers, Uber offers a feature that allows drivers to make daily payouts to their bank account if they want the option to be paid faster.
Unfortunately, not all gig platforms offer this feature and Uber Instant Pay is only available for Uber and Uber Eats drivers.
Hot tip 🔥: Looking to get started with Uber? Check out our starter’s guide to learn how to become an Uber Driver!
What is Uber Instant Pay?
Before Instant Pay, drivers could only deposit their Uber earnings once a week into their bank account.Although weekly or bi-weekly payments may be normal for traditional workers, gig work can garner more risk for unexpected expenses due to scenarios such as inconsistent demand, volatile work schedules, or sudden car maintenance repairs.
These situations leave drivers financially vulnerable. Uber’s solution is Uber Instant Pay, which allows their drivers to cash out up to 5 times a day.
📢 If you foresee yourself being in a position where you may have difficulties accessing money to cover unexpected expenses, it’s time to plan ahead!
It is never advised to leverage credit card debt or apply for steep payday loans for Uber Drivers.
Moves is the go-to banking app designed specifically for Uber Drivers and gig workers. Manage your earnings across various gig platforms. And based on your earnings deposited into your Moves Spending Account, you can access cash advances up to $1,000! Become a member today.
While instant pay is a useful feature it can be expensive for drivers. The cash out feature costs $0.50 for every time if you do not have Uber’s debit card, and up to $2.50 per day. These fees add up overtime that could be better spent towards essential business expenses.
To help you save and make more money on Uber, Uber may waive these fees if your daily earnings total under $20 or if you sign up for their debit card. However, as we’ve heard from experienced rideshare members, keeping track of your earnings on separate gig apps as you expand to work multiple gigs becomes troublesome.
Moves supports Instant Pay and Uber’s daily payouts can be deposited into your Moves Spending Account. As a way to help mitigate Uber’s payout fees, Moves members are able to access their weekly (direct deposit) Uber payouts up to two-days early without additional costs.
How fast is Uber Instant Pay?
For the most part, Uber Instant Pay transfers your earnings to your bank account instantly and allows you to access this money immediately. This feature is not instantaneous for all banks and does come with the cost outlined above. There are some banking services that affect how fast Uber Instant pay could be, taking up to 2-3 days to process Uber Instant Pay. If you bank with the following institutions, it may take a few days for you to receive your Uber Instant Pay:
- UBOC
- H&R Block
- First Citizens
- Amegy
- California Bank and Trust
- First National Bank of Omaha
- Webster Bank
- BOK Financial
- Silicon Valley Bank
- Northern Trust
- Bank of New York Mellon
Uber Instant Pay Requirements
In order to be eligible for Instant Pay, here is an easy breakdown of the Uber Instant Pay requirements and UberEats Instant Pay requirements:
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Uber Instant Pay FAQ
How to set up Uber Instant Pay with Moves
If you are new to Uber or Moves, you will have to add your Moves Spending Account to Uber. We make this easy within our Moves app!
- Navigate to the ‘Profile’ tab in the Moves app
- Click ‘Manage’ in the top right corner
- Select the gig apps you’d like to add, then press ‘Done’
- In the ‘Profile’ tab, tap to expand your gig company
- Click ‘Connect’ to finalize connecting your gig app to Moves
Once you do so, you can set up your Uber instant payouts to Moves.
In the Driver app:
- Open the main menu.
- Tap “Wallet” or “Earnings” and then “Cash out.”
- Choose the account you want the balance deposited to.
- Select “Confirm” to cash out your earnings.
On wallet.uber.com:
- Select “Wallet” on the left.
- Tap “Cash out” on the “Earnings” card.
- Choose the account you want the balance deposited to.
- Select “Confirm” to cash out your earnings.
For reference, check out this video walkthrough here.
Please note: You may experience a one-time delay when you switch your instant pay, regardless of the debit card you are switching to.
Uber Instant Pay not working?
- If you are new to the Uber Drivers app and it is not working, check your location and ensure you are in the United States as well as your account is located in the US.
- Uber instant pay has two options: an hourglass and a lightning bolt icon. Every week on Monday this will reset. When you go to cash out it shows your earnings, then the method of cash out, and the account it’s going to. If you tap the “instant” icon to change the cash out speed, you can select the one with the hourglass. After that it should let you cash out.
- There are occasional network outages and depending on the situation the reason your Uber instant pay is not working is because of these network outages.
Uber Instant Pay unable to cash out?
- If the earnings you are trying to cash out are jobs with high fares or fares under review then they may not be eligible for instant cash out.
- Additionally, your bank may reject the deposit or the Uber app has a technical issue with the earnings. In these cases the money is returned to your account and will be paid out during the regular payment schedule.
- If neither of these issues are why you cannot cash out, please reach out to Uber support.
What prepaid cards work with Uber Instant Pay?
- In general, Uber accepts most Visa, Mastercard, or Discovery prepaid or debit cards for both drivers and riders. With that said, it’s best to track and manage your earnings from a bank account that provides better bookkeeping, especially when it comes to your taxes.
Overall, Uber Instant Pay is a strong feature to help improve cash flow and create financial inclusion for gig workers. But as you begin multi apping to diversify your income, creating separate bank accounts for each gig could lead to more work juggling your finances.
Alwin is the Growth Manager at Moves and a part-time freelance photographer. With the rise of the gig economy, he is excited by a world where people can have greater flexibility over their work and challenge the norms of having a traditional 9-to-5 job. Alwin is also an avid travel enthusiast and Toronto Raptors basketball fan.
