Uber, YourRide, and Ola are the three ride-sharing apps servicing New Zealand.
Update April 2024: Ola no longer exists in New Zealand as of April 2024. You can read more here.
But which one is the best?
Well, that’s debatable depending on your criteria.
My main incentive is to discover the cheapest ride-sharing service in New Zealand. But I venture into pricing structures, service areas, and driver commissions. And yes, there are promo codes.
Note: For those familiar with Zoomy, they shutdown in September 2023 and have been replaced by the YourRide app.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Quick Details
2. Discount Codes
3. Rates Cards
4. Price Comparisons
TLDR: Uber nudges out Ola price wish, with YourRide in general a noticeable amount more on each of the searches I completed.Both Ola, and Uber have drivers in more cities which you’ll see below, so you should download Uber too.
1. QUICK DETAILS OF EACH APP
UBER
Service Areas: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier-Hastings, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Tauranga, and Wellington
YOURRIDE
Service Areas: Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Hawkes Bay, Nelson, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga, Wellington, and Whangarei.
OLA
Service Areas: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, Queenstown, Dunedin, Napier-Hasting, Palmerston North, Nelson and New Plymouth.
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WHAT THE DRIVERS TAKE HOME
The core payment for drivers is a commission of the fees they’re charging for. The companies each have other perks, but we’ll exclude that for this as it’s hard to measure.
Ola: Driver’s collect 80-82% of the fare depending on the city they’re driving (source).
YourRide: I couldn’t find details.
Uber: Driver’s collect 72% of the fare (source)
2. RIDE-SHARING PROMO CODES
At the time of writing, only Ola currently offers a referral program (I might miss if this expires, but it’s active at September 2023).
OLA PROMO CODE
Code: BKFYYPU
You get: $10 off your first ride (you can use this link). You must take your first ride within 10 days of signing up.
I get: Some Ola credit
3. RIDE-SHARING RATE CARDS
The fare structure for each ride-sharing service varies from city to city.
Ola’s Rate card can be read here.
To find what Uber and YourRide charge for a ride, you need to click on the estimated price in the app after choosing your route.
For simplicity, I’ll look at the rate cards based on the ride I use in the price comparison for Auckland later in the article. When you go into each app, the terminology they use varies a little bit. I’ve adjusted them where appropriate so they’re consistent across the board for this exercise.
UBER
Base fare: $2.35
Booking Fee: $0.85
Cost per KM: $1.40
Cost per minute: $0.31
Minimum Fare: $8.80
YOURRIDE
Base Fare: $3.15
Booking Fee: $1.00
Cost per KM: $2.32
Cost per minute: $0.39
Waiting fee/min: $0.60 (if the ride has been waiting more than 2 minutes).
OLA
Base fare: $1.43
Booking Fee: $0.85
Cost per km: $1.49
Cost per min: $0.33
Minimum Fare: $6.44
Waiting fee/min: $0.33
Note: I couldn’t find a true source, but it looks like Uber also has a $0.60/min waiting fee like the others.
4. COMPARING THE PRICE OF EACH APP
I’ve made this simple and am going to do a search of each app for the ride from Auckland Airport to the City Centre.
YOURRIDE: $75 – $87.
UBER: $60 – $70.
OLA: $63 – $75.
WHAT IS THE CHEAPEST RIDE SHARING APP IN NZ?
This is a small sample size, but Uber was a little cheaper than Ola which was significantly cheaper than YouRide. But there’s more to choosing a ride-share than price. You might:
- prefer the UI/UX of one over the other
- want to use the above promo codes for each app
- you might want to support YourRide, the locally owned business
- use whatever option can pick you up fastest
I wrote this post for my own interest really. I’d heard that YourRide was locally owned, and it appears to be. That’s a big incentive for me, not only as a Kiwi but as someone who wants to support local businesses when travelling.
WHAT TO READ NEXT:
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Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.
Thank you for this!! I will being using uber in invercargill for the first time. Was a bit apprehensive but reading this makes me feel better. So thank-you!!!
Hey Leigh,
Awesome! Glad it could help. Enjoy Invercargill!
Cheers, Jub
Hi Jub,
I stumbled upon this article while trying to figure out if Zoomy still ‘really’ exists as it hasnt seemed to work the last few times I tried to book one. Donyouznnbhbçñ0u
Hi, unexpectedly found your article and found it very helful, thanks!
Its great to know the difference between all 3 as I have never used this service before.
Have downloaded all 3 apps but be aware your uber promo code has expired 🙁
Hey Suz,
Thanks for sharing! Hope you manage to save some money. Thanks for letting me know about the Uber Code. I’ll get that updated shortly.
Im in wellington and the surge pricing on uber is not very transparent and can significantly impact the cost. Do all apply surge pricing? I tend to avoid uber now due to the surge pricing (seems quite common).
Hello, I just want to know do you pay for the KM & the Min? Plus the Base Fare and the Booking Fare?
Thanks
Hey Antoinette, which company are you referring to? In general, yes.
Hey, thanks for that. I’m staying in Auckland I will need to get me and my one year old to our appts. I’m assuming I need to bring our own carseat. I have emailed zoomy to ask if they have cars that carry carseats, but no reply yet. I see nowhere to request a carseat, or even inform drivers it’s my baby and I. But I see on uber you have options of nicer cars and if you need assistance with wheelchairs, or elderly.
I just hate to think I’m going to be surprising the driver with a screaming baby, carseat, bags and pram when they thought they were just getting an adult fare. Haha so we will be scheduling for an hour earlier, just in case we get denied.
Great side-by-side comparisons, thank you!
Thanks for the kind words Brandon!
Awesome article! I have found rates can very quite a bit between app’s form certain locations – for example Ola seems to be consistently cheaper from Chch airport.
The rates must vary by city as Uber in Dunedin is $2 per km.
Hey Kieren,
That’s good to know, I’ll add that next time I update the post. Cheers!
Pity it didn’t include customer serve when you have a complaint. Uber is virtually impossible to deal with. The help.uber.com email site doesn’t accept incoming emails. Customers can’t speak to anybody at Uber. You are forced to use the Help button on the app which is difficult, esp trying to attach a copy of a bank statement with rogue charges. I’ve got 4 rogue charges from Christchurch (haven’t visited for at least two years). Definitely going to try your local option, albeit may be a bit dearer, but not a hell of a lot. Thanks your article. Helpful.
Hey Mark,
It’s annoying eh! These big companies have to manage that better some how…same with Google/FB and the like. Gutted to hear about your random charges…maybe you can get the bank to reverse them?
Hi everyone, Watch out for scam Uber drivers doing the “Vomit Scam” Google it. Basically, after your trip the driver registers with Uber that you left a mess or mark on their seats. Uber then charges $80 on your credit card as a cleaning fee without asking abd sends you a message after. You then have to ask for evidence of which they send 3 photos of the said mess which are not time or date stamped and can’t even be proven to be your drivers car. After protesting these facts Uber refuse to provide actual substantiated evidence or a refund and side with the driver without question. This just happened to me. I’m not using Uber again and will use Yourride or Ola
Hey Fraser, that’s insane???? Sorry you had to deal with that 🙁
Your ride doesnt surge but is at the local taxi taffiff of that particular regional taxi co but is meant to operate as a booking portal rather than rideshare do you dont have to use the fall centre.
that’s really helpful to know about your ride, ie a particularly good one to use at peak times.
and ola gone now 🙁
Hey Lucy,
Thanks for the kind words! I didn’t realize Ola were gone gone now…will need to update the article.
Cheers,
Jub!