Uber promo code not working? It's usually the account, not the code

Uber's ride codes fail for the same handful of reasons every time, and the app's message doesn't say which one you hit. Here they are, in the order to check.

1. You've used Uber Eats, so you've used Uber

One account covers rides, Uber Eats and Postmates. A first-ride code checks whether the account has ever spent money with Uber, and a year of Uber Eats orders counts. This is the most common reason a "first trip" code fails for someone who has genuinely never taken an Uber ride. How the apps decide you're new.

2. Your card has paid Uber before

Even on a new phone number, a card Uber has seen on another account will trip the new-rider check. So will a card your partner used on their account if you share it.

3. Wrong city

This is the most common reason for a ride code on an account that really is new. Ride codes are often locked to a city or a set of markets, and the message is the same "invalid" either way. When a code on my Uber page has a city next to it, that's the only place it applied.

4. It expired

Codes tied to a promotion stop at the end of that promotion's last day. Check the "checked" time at the top of my page. If it's from yesterday, I haven't retested today.

5. Surge pricing

Most Uber ride discounts don't apply during surge, or apply only to the base fare. If the fare estimate didn't move after you entered the code, look for a surge note on the estimate before you decide the code is dead.

Where the code goes

Not on the ride screen. Tap Account, then Wallet, then Add promo code, and enter it before you request. The discount then shows on the fare estimate. If the estimate doesn't change, the code didn't take.

What applies without a code

Uber's new-rider offer, 30% off a first trip up to $8, applies at signup through the app without a code. If you're new and a code fails, you very likely already have the offer and the code was trying to give you the same thing twice. Uber One members get a discount on eligible rides on top of everything else; the free-trial details are here.

If you've been through the list and the code still fails, send me the code and your city. I'll try it on a new account and an old one and fix the page the same morning.