Uber and Visa Introduce ‘Local Offers’ Program to Help Merchants Tap Into Local Spend Opportunities

Uber and Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) announced Uber Local Offers, a new way for riders to earn discounted rides by simply using the same Visa credit card on file with Uber at their favorite local merchants*. With Uber Local Offers, Uber riders get more out of shopping and dining, while merchants get a simple new way to acquire customers, drive loyalty and increase sales. Local Offers will initially be rolled out in phases to Uber riders in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

How Uber Local Offers Works:

Uber riders earn one point for every dollar spent at enrolled merchants**. Points are tallied in the Uber app, and for every 100 accumulated points, riders will receive $10 off a future Uber ride. The program can be accessed through the latest version of the Uber app and once signed-up, riders will find it works seamlessly without having to access codes or use coupons. Merchants can sign-up to take part in the program at:https://www.visa.com/loyalty/commercenetwork.

There is already a strong connection between Uber, riders and local businesses. Visa cardholders who use Uber in the United States spend more than $144 billion per year in physical stores with $2 billion spent at local businesses soon after getting out of an Uber***. With Uber Local Offers, merchants can encourage riders to shop and dine in their stores and restaurants in exchange for Uber points, driving increased customer acquisition, engagement and retention. Some initial participating businesses in Los Angeles and San Francisco include Barcito, Delarosa, Ike’s, Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, Mixt Greens, Peet’s Coffee, PizzaRev, Specialty’s Café & Bakery, Super Duper, The Pie Hole, Uno Dos Tacos,Veggie Grill, and Wurstküche.

To highlight the simplicity and benefits of using Local Offers, actress Kaley Cuoco, shows off this new program at two of her favorite Los Angeles restaurants, Barcito and The Pie Hole, captured in this video to be shown in online social channels.

“I love seeing great things come together, especially right in my home town of Los Angeles,” said Kaley Cuoco. “Now I get rewarded for things I already do – shopping, eating and paying with my Visa card. The security, speed and convenience I have through Visa makes the Uber Local Offers program a no-brainer.”

“The heart and soul of Los Angeles is its small businesses,” said Andrea Borgen, general manager/owner, Barcito. “Barcito is thrilled to be part of Uber’s Local Offers which will not only build loyalty with our current regulars, but also encourage new guests to experience our restaurant in downtown LA.”

“We’ve built Local Offers right into the Uber app, making it a one stop shop for riders to see our curated list of places and track progress toward free rides,” said Drew Quinn, product manager, Uber. “We’re excited to partner with Visa to help riders get even more out of their experience shopping and dining at the places they love, and the local favorites they’ve yet to try.”

Visa Commerce Network

Uber Local Offers is powered by the Visa Commerce Network, an offers and loyalty platform that works by connecting transactions between two merchants. For example, a hotel can provide its customers with offers from local restaurants using Visa Commerce Network, and with cardholder consent, track engagement and even issue rewards. Qualifying purchases are recognized at the point of sale and rewards can be seamlessly applied to cardholder accounts – eliminating the need for coupons or redemption schemes. Visa Commerce Network is available through commerce APIs built on the world’s largest electronic payment network, VisaNet, and can be easily utilized by merchants through commerce application programming interfaces (APIs).

“Our partnership with Uber and local businesses is a great example of Visa’s ability to deliver value to businesses and consumers in a way that is simple and seamless,” said Terry Angelos, vice president of loyalty and offers for Visa. “The rider experience can now be extended beyond the car and into the local community, where merchants can access $2 billion in local spending while rewarding cardholders for everyday purchases. That’s a relationship that makes sense for riders, Uber and local businesses.”

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products.