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How to make sure you never pay too much for an Uber ride again

Published Nov 11th, 2014 2:34PM EST
Cheap Uber Car App
Image: Uber

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As we’ve seen in the past, Uber can be a cheaper alternative to taxi cabs but you really have to watch out for surge pricing that occurs during peak driving hours when you may end up paying as much as seven times the average rate. While Uber does offer you a ride calculator to estimate how much your ride will cost, there now may be an even simpler way to make sure you don’t end up forking over an unexpectedly high sum of money on your ride.

RELATED: This is how an 18-mile Uber ride cost one man $539

Ars Technica brings us word of a new app called SurgeProtector whose sole mission is to warn you when Uber rides in your area are subject to surge prices. The way the app works is simple: It scans locations in your area to figure out where surge pricing is or is not in effect. Once you find a place where there’s no surge pricing, the app can call an Uber to pick you up from that location.

The app is available for free on the iTunes App Store and requires iOS 7 or higher. An Android version of the app is apparently coming soon as well, so Android users who also take frequent Uber rides won’t be left out in the cold for too much longer.

Learn more about the app by clicking the source link below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.