I’m really not sure how broadly available this offer is, but it appears that many Banana Republic stores in the Seattle area are offering a free $25 Uber gift card this weekend and this may be possible in other cities, as well. Just show up at any of four Seattle area stores this weekend and sign up for their new “Embark!” program.
“Embark!” offers additional discounts and benefits like an extended return policy and price matching. I originally thought it was only available to Banana Republic credit card holders, but it appears anyone can sign up. The main restriction is that Embark! is only offered in some major cities. My Uber promotion was targeted to Seattle customers, but obviously Banana Republic knows where I live (and it doesn’t appear you need the email to sign up or get the gift card). It would make sense if other Banana Republic stores have a similar offer, and I’d be interested to learn if those of you in other markets also received an email.
I didn’t particularly care about Embark! when it was announced, but I use Uber a lot to get around Seattle because I live downtown where cars are plentiful and distances (and therefore the cost of a trip) are relatively low; it’s a lot better than walking down Capitol Hill when drunk. I also use it to get to the airport, which is reasonable even at a flat rate of $55 each way when you consider that Megan and I shave about an hour off our round-trip travel time using public transit and the cost is not much more than we used to pay for off-site parking.
I’ve been less impressed by UberX, where the driver’s knowledge of local streets is hit-and-miss. Sometimes they’re former cab drivers, and sometimes they’re students who only just moved to Seattle. But the price is much cheaper (Uber is offering 25% off UberX in Seattle this summer), so we use it to for longer trips to our former neighborhood in Maple Leaf.
New users can sign up with my referral link and get their first ride for free, up to $30. I recommend saving that credit for a good, long trip as you won’t be able to save the leftover funds like a normal credit. That’s partly why I’m attracted by the $25 Uber gift card that Banana Republic is offering, as many of my trips are in the $10-15 range.
