It is not surprising that after such a whopping success of Uber, plenty of startups and entrepreneurs are keen to take a deep dive into the on-demand Uber-like app business. Not only investment, but they are implementing the same strategy to hit the jackpot. 

On-demand taxi booking app development is the first choice for startups as there is less difficulty entering into this business. Obviously, when there is less entry barrier, you will face tough competition. But when you develop some exceptional features and follow strong go-to-market tactics, you can flourish. 

Why should you build an App Like Uber?

By addressing all the customer requisites, an app can come off with flying colors and is valuable for any business that dreams to acquire considerable growth. By providing the comfort of delivering on-demand services, you can build an app like Uber that ensures greater benefits. 

Not only providing absolute control and tracking, but it can also develop and boost your professional stature. Hence, transform your unique thought into a real-life app, offer your customers advanced transport solutions and raise your business from the ashes in this market competition. 

How does an Uber-like app Functions?

The uber app includes five steps from the customer perspective. 

• Make a trip request by choosing an end destination. A user can see the cost of a fare based on the type of vehicle.
• Trip verification. A user confirms the details and pickup spot.
• Search the nearby available driver. A driver can accept/decline a trip request coming from a customer.
• In-app payment automation after completion of a trip. But for that, customers need to add their payment details such as credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.
• After each taxi trip, customers asked for the ratings. It is a key element of Uber app business logic.

The Uber app counts the ride charges by linking time and distance pointers. If any vehicle is driving under 18 km/h, a customer is charged by the minute. If a car’s speed is faster, the charge is per kilometer.  

The charges for Uber taxi service apps involve a basic cost based on the location. A customer has up to 5 minutes to cancel the trip. Otherwise, they will get charged. 

Functionalities of Uber-like app

When you plan to develop a taxi booking app like Uber, it is significant to acknowledge some key elements of the system. Any taxi service depends on two different apps with different functionalities interconnected with the help of an admin panel. 

Develop a simple website or a landing page. It will aid in fetching the users and driver requests to take part in the platform. 

Here are important features to develop an app like uber for each part of the service. 

Uber App Features for Passenger

• Registration through email, Facebook, phone number after verification. Most users choose to register via social media.
• Push notification to keep customers informed about trip request status, driver’s time of arrival, driver and vehicle details.
• Driver tracking notices the driver movements to make updates through/after the trip.
• Taxi booking to enter the address, choose a type of vehicle, and add a pickup spot.
• Messaging to communicate with the driver through the app.
• A price calculator lets the customers determine the charges of a trip at the early stages.
• Travel history represents all the details of previous trips.
• Multiple payment options should be implemented through cash, credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.
• Driver rating and reviews to evaluate the service about driver, car, and journey.

Some advanced features you can also add to the app.

• Pickup location enables customers to determine nearby driver availability.
• Ride cancellation to cancel a ride within a specific time.
• Split payment enables fellow riders to split the trip charges.
• Interactive map to observe all the cabs on the map in real-time.
• Later ride enables customers to book a ride earlier for a selected time.
• Book for others enables booking for another rider, maybe a friend or any relatives from their account.
• Gamification and discounts like many stars, badges, coupon codes, offers, etc. to boost customer acquisition and retention.
• Voice Recognition enables voice commands for the app.
• Waiting List enables users to add the request to a waiting list during rush hours.
• Panic button to make the customer’s ride highly secure.

Uber App Features for Driver

Some of the features of this app are similar to the passenger’s app such as Login, push notification, messaging, reviews, and support.

• Trip alerts enable drivers to take ride requests to accept/decline. It shows the customer’s location, path, and travel history.
• Driver profile and Status enable admins to authenticate a driver for a license, car insurance, etc.
• Push notifications are used for the alerts such as ride changes, completion, and information about location, route, payment, etc.
• Navigation & Route Optimization provides the best suitable route with Google Maps.
• Driver delivery reports offer states regarding rides and daily/monthly earnings.
• Messaging enables drivers to contact a customer through texting or calling.

Some advanced features you can also add to the app.

• Driver destination enables drivers to choose a trip with their desired destination.
• Quest Earnings enables drivers to earn more by completing the pre-defined rides.
• Waiting time while ride cancellation or more than specific duration, a customer is charged extra.
• Heat Maps are compared with the requested locations on a map so a driver can arrange his schedule and move to the spots where a passenger ratio is high.
• Forward dispatch enables a driver to take another ride request at the time of completing the existing one.

Uber App Features for Admin

To organize and monitor all the processes of drivers and tracking customer experience, the main control point is quite necessary. An admin panel manages customers, drivers, requests, payments, locations, and other business activities.

A web-based admin panel includes features like,

• Locations and Charges Management
• Users and Drivers Management
• Notification Management
• Booking Management
• Vehicle Management
• Driver’s Orders and Payoffs Review
• Discounts and Promotions Management
• Check Ratings and Reviews
• System Content Management and FAQs
• Driver and User Support
• Integration with Google Analytics

What Technologies Applied to Make an Uber-like App?

The fundamental technology needed to implement when you want to develop a taxi booking app like Uber is mentioned here.

	Geolocation and Navigation	Push notification and Management	Payment Gateway Integration
Android	– Google location Services API  – Google Maps Android API	– FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) – Twilio, Plivo, Nexto, Sinch	– Stripe, Braintree  – PayPal’s SDK – Google Wallet
iOS	– MapKit framework  – CoreLocation framework  – iOS Bluetooth beacon and Wi-Fi functionality	– APN (Apple Push Notification)  – Twilio, Plivo, Nexto, Sinch	– Stripe, Braintree  – PayPal’s SDK – Apple Pay

Geolocation

Any uber-like application needs to be linked strongly to navigation and mapping technologies.

• Discover any device location using the CoreLocation framework for iOS. For Android, you need to use Google’s location APIs.
• Mapkit for iOS provides direction to the driver from point A to B. Android uses Google Maps Android API.
• Google Maps integrated with the iOS and Android apps. You can also buy services from different mapping software teams.

Push Notifications and Messaging

The communication can be done through the whole process starting from the request sent by the customer, accepted by the driver, cancellation, and much more. 

• You can choose a Twilio telecommunication provider for the text messages.
• To implement push notification, you can leverage Apple Push Notification (APN) Service for iOS. For Android, GCM (Google Cloud Messaging).
• SMS notifications inform customers about the successful delivery of a message.

Payment Gateway Integration

To get rid of physical errors, an app should apply a payment process through a payment card. Before initiating payment gateway integration, you need to comply with specific requirements and country policies to manage the confidential data with high security.

• You can integrate payment gateways like Braintree and Stripe.
• Taxi app developers leverage Swift Programming language for the iOS platform and Kotlin for Android. For the back-end system, developers choose the ROR (Ruby on Rails) framework.

Take a look at the Uber Architecture Diagram.

How to build an Uber-like app successfully?

Here’s a list of points to consider if you want your app to be successful.

• Create a business model for your uber-like app by following market demands.
• Analyze statistics.
• Acknowledge your audience and their requirements.
• Specify the USPs of your app. Tell your audience how your app helps them. What is unique in yourLooking to develop an Uber-like App? This blog will help you to know why need an app like Uber (Taxi/Cab Booking App), how it works, and costing factors. app compared to Uber?
• Use attractive graphics and visuals to boost user engagement.
• Identify the key functionalities and platforms of the future app. According to that, you can add advanced features in the future.
• Hire experts from the top-notch on-demand app development company.
• Apply intuitive app flow to deliver a user-friendly experience.
• Take user’s feedback positively and make changes accordingly.

Revenue Sources for Uber-like app

It is significant to create a revenue model in advance for your type of Uber app. Mainly, revenue generated from the trips when an Uber ride calculator mixes multiple criteria such as, 

• Cost per minute
• Cost per mile
• Cancellation policy fees
• Safe ride fee
• Base fare – Type of car you booked

You can also monetize your uber-like app.

• Ride charges from the customers
• Commissions on each completed trip from the drivers
• Costs from ride cancellation
• In-app advertisements

Uber-like App Development Cost

It is not possible to determine how much it exactly costs to make an Uber-like app without determining whether you want to build an existing uber clone or you just need to test an MVP. However, the cost depends on multiple factors such as,

• Number of features you need to add and their complexity
• Number of platforms and OS
• The technology you want to leverage
• Designing aspects you want to make an app like Uber, then this blog of ours will be of great help to you. In this, you will get all the functions and features.
• Developers’ skills, location, and fees

You need to pay for the services such as,

• The back-end and web development (Admin panel)
• Native app development (Android/iOS)
• Native app interface (UI/UX)
• Quality check
• Project management
• Business analysis

Finally, yet importantly, you can not overlook promotions and marketing costs and other circumstantial business expenses.

Hourly rates vary according to different regions. Let’s consider an average rate between Asia and Europe that is $50/hour.

• Backend development: 200+ hours
• Web development: 440+ hours
• Design and front-end development: 400+ hours
• Quality assurance and project management activities: 260+ hours

Whom should you approach? Freelancers or Agencies?

Well, freelancers are budget-friendly compared to tech companies, but there are plenty of drawbacks when hiring freelancers over an agency. 

One of the main downsides is that a freelancer can not assure you of the 100% success of your app. Additionally, searching for skilled freelancers and hiring them at competitive charges is a time-consuming procedure. 

If you are keen on the success of your uber-like app, it is advised to engage with a team of professional developers. 

When it comes to cost, tech companies or agencies will charge you a bit more than freelancers but they usually include expenses for project management, quality control, developers, working space, and more. 

The best thing is- Tech companies and agencies provide security for the project that is highly significant. 

That’s It

The taxi industry is an ideal choice for startups. If you are running a business in the taxi industry for years, it is the right time to transform it digitally. 

If you are planning to make an uber-like app, let us know your perspectives to get the best solution delivered. You can create an Uber clone app or just ask for a customized solution.

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