HANOI: Uber today announced it has launched cash payments as an experiment in Vietnam. The first two cities in the nation to get cash payment option are Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The news come just months after Uber launched its global-first cash test in India.
“We know that cash is still the dominant payment option for millions of Vietnamese, especially in smaller cities. The cash experiments Uber has done in India and Kenya have been extremely successful,” says Douglas Ma, head of the company’s APAC expansion. “As a data-driven technology company that has seen strong growth in Vietnam, we feel this is the right time to provide riders cash payments as an option, and better meet the needs of a rapidly growing and fast-evolving consumer base.” “This additional payment option opens up the Uber platform to even more people,” adds Ma.
Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia Uber chose to experiment its cash payment method. Hyderabad, India was selected for a global-first experiment in May, followed a few weeks later by Nairobi, Kenya. A few weeks ago, riders in five more cities in India also got the option.
Riders need to choose the “Cash” payment option in the Uber app, take a ride and pay the driver the same way they would in a taxi at the end of the trip.
However, not all users will see the option immediately, as the firm says it’s still testing different groups and user preferences. The feature will roll out gradually to all riders in the two Vietnamese cities over the next few weeks. Riders can share their feedback with Uber via email, or on Facebook or Twitter by using the #UberCashVietnam hashtag.
Uber’s new option is likely a tactic to help it compete with other local competitors that also offer it. The firm will continue to duke it out with the likes of GrabTaxi, Vinasun and Mai Linh.
