The Uber API is open.
On Wednesday, Uber officially opened up its API to developers, giving access to “many of the primitives that power Uber’s magical experience,” the company said in a blog post.
In effect, Uber is no longer just an app for requesting uberX, Black car, or taxis trips; Uber will now be able to become a platform embedded into other services’ apps, across a broad range of industries. “Apps can pass a destination address to the Uber app, display pickup times, provide fare estimates, access trip history and more,” Uber said.
Eleven companies have initially partnered with Uber for the API launch: Expensify, Hinge, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Momento, OpenTable, Starbucks, Tempo Smart Calendar, Time Out, TripAdvisor, TripCase and United Airlines.
Here’s how Uber suggests users can take advantage of these companies’ integrated services on the app:
Dinner date? Request an Uber to your favorite restaurant right from the OpenTable app. Your driver will arrive already knowing where you are headed.
Catching a flight? The United mobile app shows ETAs of the closest drivers and fare estimates, so you can get reliable ride to and from the airport for less.
Night out? Time Out shows different Uber options—from low-cost to luxury—so you can be sure to arrive in style to the city’s best nightlife.
Need a place to stay? Book a room through the Hyatt Hotels & Resorts app and request a ride to your hotel right from the reservation screen.
Want a recap of your journey? Use Momento to view a timeline of your Uber trip history alongside other moments in your life.
Uber managed to implement an “endpoint” to request a ride, as well. “But because calling [a ride] immediately dispatches a real driver in the real world, we’re releasing [the API] in a more controlled fashion, starting with a small set of partners,” the company said.
“This is really a big moment for Uber,” spokesperson Nairi Hourdajian told VentureBeat. “We’re touching every hour of every day in [Uber cities], and we’re bringing the Uber mobile experience to every mobile app.”
The opening of the API comes on the heels of Uber launching its product-delivery service, “Corner Store,” in Washington D.C. Tuesday – and similar promo-project launched in Boston, like Uber Ice Cream and Uber Boat, earlier this summer.
Though potential partnerships with other big-name companies on the Uber app may be limited – for the time being – due to PR-weary executives not wanting to associate their brands with what has grown to be arguably the most controversial app in the sharing-economy, the open API provides Uber with potential new marketing and sales streams.
“Opening up an API is a good move from Uber’s perspective because it embeds them in a wider range of apps and processes and increases their sales potential because they have more channels,” Gartner vice president Nick Jones told VentureBeat.
“We believe that any app with a map is a potential Uber API partner,” Uber continued in its blog post, which also teased the launch of the company’s new Affiliate Program, an incentives-based platform where developers can earn credits towards free Uber trips.
Uber will continue to tweak the new platform’s functionality in the early stages of the launch, if necessary.
“As excited as we are about this launch, we’re truly just getting started,” Uber said.
Screenshot via Uber
