60% Off Your First Uber Ride: 10 Things to Know Before You Book

Head in through our invite link and the page says "Get 60% off next 1 Uber trip": your next Uber ride is 60% off, and it's only for new Uber riders. Uber itself says new-user promotions are for new users only, a new rider can add just one new-user code before the first trip, and invite codes only work for new users.

Heads-up: this is our own invite link, so Uber may give us a reward once you've finished your first trip.

The invite page doesn't show a maximum discount, an expiry date or which cities it covers. Once the offer's on your account, go to Wallet > Promotions in the app to see your active offers, their expiry and the country they work in. Take a look before you book.

If the cap is lower than 60% of your fare, you only get the cap off and pay the rest. So until you've seen the cap, don't assume the whole ride is 60% off.

Say a ride costs HK$150. Sixty per cent off is HK$90, so you pay just HK$60, as long as the offer's maximum discount is HK$90 or more. A lower cap means you only get the cap off and pay the rest. Use it on a HK$50 hop and you save just HK$30.

So the smart move is to save it for a ride you need anyway with a higher fare, where 60% gets close to the cap, like a trip to the airport or across the harbour. Unused discount doesn't roll over to the next ride; once it's used, it's gone.

Open the link on the phone you'll ride with, enter your number to claim the offer, then sign up in the Uber app. If the offer didn't drop in automatically, go to Wallet in your profile, tap Add Promo Code and type nqayjm3k9d7r.

Do it before you request a ride: Uber says promotions have to be applied before you request a trip, and adding one afterwards won't work. Got several offers on your account? Uber automatically uses the one with the higher maximum discount on your next ride.

Uber promotions can only be used in the currency they were issued in, and the Promotions page shows which country each one works in. Before you book, check it says Hong Kong and Hong Kong dollars; if it shows another country, it only works there, and your Hong Kong ride will be full price.

Planning to try Uber for the first time on a trip abroad? Check the offer's country first too, and don't assume it works in any city. Uber credit in other currencies stays on your account and kicks in automatically on your next eligible ride in that currency.

You can cancel any time, but Uber can charge a fee if you cancel more than three minutes after a driver accepts, or if the driver cancels after waiting at least five minutes at your pickup; bike, parcel and intercity trips get five minutes' grace. Don't waste your first-ride offer: get ready and head to the pickup point before you book.

Whatever the discount doesn't cover comes off your chosen payment method. Splitting the fare with friends? The discount comes from the account that booked the ride. If a charge looks off, screenshot the fare and keep the receipt so you can raise it in the app.

The Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-hailing Service) Ordinance 2025 passed the Legislative Council in October 2025, and most of it came into force on 3 August 2026. On 28 August the Transport Department started inviting platforms to apply for ride-hailing service licences, with a deadline of 12 noon on 30 October. Licences last up to five years at HK$1.2 million a year, and applicants must be registered in Hong Kong, have operated lawfully in a city of 7.5 million people or more, and average at least 100,000 orders a day in two cities.

Under the new rules, a compliant ride needs all three: the car holds a ride-hailing vehicle permit, the driver holds a ride-hailing vehicle driving permit, and you book through a licensed platform. Cars must be under 12 years old and driven by their registered owner; drivers must be 21 or over, have held a full licence for at least a year, pass a written test and complete a 12-hour pre-service course. The Transport Department expects to open vehicle and driver permit applications in the fourth quarter of 2026.

As of 24 October 2026, platform licence applications are still under way and no vehicle or driver permits have been issued, so today's private-car ride-hailing trips don't meet the new rules' three conditions. Permitted cars will have to display a ride-hailing vehicle certificate, with the Transport Department to announce where; the rules also require third-party insurance that covers ride-hailing use.

If compliance and insurance matter to you, pick Uber Taxi in the app during the transition, and a licensed taxi will pick you up. Once platforms are licensed, you'll be able to spot compliant cars by their vehicle certificate.

On 24 October 2026 the Uber app had 4.8 stars from about 279,000 ratings on the Hong Kong App Store, and 4.9 from 1.9 million on the UK App Store. Fans mostly love how easy it is to get a ride abroad, the choice of cars and clear waiting times.

The moans: support is slow, with some cases ignored for months; hacked accounts racking up overseas charges; money taken with no explanation; and the odd driver asking for extra cash mid-trip. Keep only the payment details you need in the app and switch on every account security setting.

Go for it if you've never used Uber, have a ride you actually need coming up, and will check the offer's country, cap and fare before booking. Starting Uber on a trip abroad? Check the offer's country first, then use it.

Don't bother if you already have an Uber account, the MTR or a bus would be way cheaper, or you'd only take an extra ride to use the code.