In 2021, some Uber drivers reported that completed trips showed negative earnings, no fare, or only a tip—leaving them apparently charged for carrying passengers. Uber told Business Insider that a software bug miscalculated fares on certain advance-booked Uber Reserve trips and said it had fixed the issue and paid affected drivers. But the drivers interviewed said their trips were standard UberX rides, not Reserve. The published accounts did not resolve that mismatch or establish how widespread the problem was.
What drivers said happened
Business Insider reported on July 4, 2021, that drivers described completed trips with negative or missing earnings. One Illinois driver said his app showed a negative balance after a ride from Chicago to Midway Airport. Business Insider said it reviewed screenshots he provided.
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The Illinois driver’s reported fare breakdown
The driver said Uber showed an estimated fare of $36.67 when he accepted the trip. He said the passenger was ultimately charged $9.06 and Uber deducted an $11.26 service fee, leaving him $2.20 out of pocket. These figures describe one driver’s account, not typical or average Uber fares.
Other reported cases
Former Atlanta driver Brianna Woodham told Business Insider that she was charged $49.54 for one trip and earned nothing on another. The outlet said screenshots supported the trip outcomes she described. In a post-publication update, Business Insider reported that she later received $148.91; that payment came after her initial account and should not be confused with what she said she first earned.
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Business Insider also described a separate driver’s reported $56.71 deduction on a Chicago ride. Futurism mentioned that amount in its July 1, 2021 coverage, citing Insider; it is not an independent investigation of the incident.
Uber’s explanation—and the unresolved UberX discrepancy
An Uber spokesperson told Business Insider that fares on certain trips booked through Uber Reserve, the company’s advance-booking service, had been miscalculated “due to a software bug.” The spokesperson said, “This was a terrible customer experience for drivers, and for that we apologize,” and said Uber had paid affected drivers in full, fixed the bug, and added safeguards.
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The drivers interviewed by Business Insider, however, said their affected rides were standard UberX trips rather than Uber Reserve bookings. The reporting did not explain why the company’s description and the drivers’ accounts differed. It also did not independently verify Uber’s statements about the fix or safeguards.
How drivers said they were reimbursed
The Illinois driver said he received the original $36.67 estimated fare and an additional $25 after a public post brought Uber’s attention to the issue. Woodham told Business Insider that she had sought help multiple times; the outlet’s later update reported her $148.91 payment. These are individual experiences, not evidence that all affected drivers followed the same support or reimbursement process.
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What the reports establish—and what they don’t
- Documented in the reporting: Drivers described negative or missing earnings on some trips in 2021, and Business Insider said it reviewed screenshots supporting the specific accounts.
- Uber’s stated explanation: The company attributed some fare miscalculations to a software bug affecting certain Uber Reserve trips and said it reimbursed drivers, fixed the bug, and added safeguards.
- Unresolved: The drivers interviewed said their trips were UberX, not Reserve. The available reports do not reconcile those descriptions.
- Not established: The reports provide no reliable count, incidence rate, or measured estimate of how many rides or drivers were affected. The examples cannot establish prevalence.
- Timeframe: These accounts and Uber’s response concern 2021. The reporting does not establish whether a similar defect exists now.
Sources
Grace Dean’s Business Insider report, July 4, 2021, contains the detailed driver accounts and Uber’s response. Futurism’s July 1, 2021 article cites Insider and summarizes some of the same reporting.
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