Uber Hong Kong Review: The 60% First-Ride Offer, the New Ride-Hailing Regime and What Passengers Should Know

Uber's app is provided by Uber Technologies, Inc. In Hong Kong it can book Uber Taxi (a nearby taxi), UberXL (a van or SUV for up to six people), Package for sending items, and group rides that collect companions from different pickup points. The Uber One membership offers member pricing on rides and deliveries, and the app can also book trips to and from the airport.

Uber states that its services cover more than 15,000 cities and over 700 airports. For Hong Kong residents who travel frequently, the same account can request rides abroad, which is an important consideration in deciding where to use the first-ride offer.

The Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-hailing Service) Ordinance 2025 was passed by the Legislative Council in October 2025, amending the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374), and most of its provisions came into operation on 3 August 2026. On 28 August 2026 the Transport Department invited platform companies to apply for ride-hailing service licences, with a deadline of 12 noon on 30 October; licences are valid for up to five years at an annual fee of HK$1.2 million. Applicants must be registered in Hong Kong, must have operated lawfully in a city with a population of 7.5 million or more, and must handle an average of at least 100,000 ride-hailing orders a day in two cities.

Under the new regime, a compliant ride-hailing service must meet three conditions at once: the vehicle holds a ride-hailing vehicle permit, the driver holds a ride-hailing vehicle driving permit, and the trip is booked through a licensed platform. Vehicles must be under 12 years old and driven by their registered owner; drivers must be at least 21, have held a full driving licence for at least one year, pass a written test and complete a 12-hour pre-service course. The Transport Department expects to accept vehicle and driver permit applications in the fourth quarter of 2026.

As of 24 October 2026, platform licence applications are still in progress and no vehicle or driver permits have yet been issued, so current private-car ride-hailing trips do not yet meet the regime's three conditions. Permitted vehicles will have to display a ride-hailing vehicle certificate, with the placement to be announced by the Transport Department, and the regime requires third-party risks insurance covering ride-hailing use.

Passengers who attach importance to compliance and insurance arrangements may choose Uber Taxi in the app during the transition, with the trip provided by a licensed taxi. Once platforms are licensed, passengers will be able to identify compliant vehicles by the vehicle certificate.

Our invitation link states "Get 60% off next 1 Uber trip", that is, 60% off the next Uber trip, and notes that it is exclusively for new Uber riders. Uber's help pages state that most new-user promotions are for new users only, that a new rider can apply only one new-user code before the first trip, and that invite codes are valid only for new users.

The invitation page does not state the maximum discount, expiry or eligible cities; these conditions appear under Wallet > Promotions in the app once the offer has been added. Disclosure: this invitation link is our own, and Uber may give us a reward once your first trip is completed.

Suppose a journey costs HK$150. At 60% off, the discount is HK$90 and the rider pays HK$60, provided the offer's maximum discount is at least HK$90. If the cap is lower, only the cap is deducted and the rest of the fare is payable. Used on a HK$50 short trip, the saving is only HK$30.

The first-ride offer is therefore better used on a journey that is needed anyway and carries a higher fare, where 60% comes close to the cap, such as a trip to the airport or across districts. Any unused discount is not carried to the next trip, and the offer ends once used.

Open the link on the phone that will be used to request rides, enter a phone number to claim the offer, and then register in the Uber app. If the offer has not been added automatically, select Add Promo Code under Wallet in the profile and enter nqayjm3k9d7r. Wallet > Promotions lists active offers with their expiry dates and the country in which they apply.

This step must be completed before requesting a ride: Uber states that promotions must be applied before a trip is requested and cannot be added afterwards. If the account holds several offers, Uber automatically applies the one with the higher maximum discount to the next ride.

Uber promotions can be redeemed only in the currency in which they were issued, and the Promotions page shows the country in which each one applies. Before requesting a ride, confirm that the offer shows Hong Kong and Hong Kong dollars; if another country is shown, the offer can be used only there, and a ride in Hong Kong will be charged at the full fare.

Travellers planning to use Uber for the first time abroad should likewise confirm the offer's country first rather than assume it can be used in any city. Uber credit in other currencies remains on the account and applies automatically to the next eligible trip in that currency.

Riders may cancel at any time, but Uber may charge a cancellation fee if the trip is cancelled more than three minutes after a driver accepts, or if the driver cancels after waiting at least five minutes at the pickup point; bike, parcel and intercity trips have a five-minute grace period. To avoid wasting the first-ride offer, it is advisable to request the ride only when ready and near the pickup point.

Any fare above the discount is charged to the selected payment method. When a fare is split with friends, the discount comes from the account that requested the ride. If a charge is in doubt, keep a screenshot of the fare and the receipt so that an enquiry can be raised through the app.

On 24 October 2026 the Uber app was rated 4.8 from about 279,000 ratings on the Hong Kong App Store and 4.9 from 1.9 million ratings on the UK App Store. Positive reviews mostly mention convenience abroad, the range of vehicle options and clear waiting times.

Complaints centre on slow customer service, with some cases left unresolved for months, overseas transactions after an account was compromised, unauthorised or unexplained charges, and individual drivers demanding extra cash mid-trip. It is advisable to keep only the necessary payment details in the app and to enable the account's security settings.

It suits Hong Kong residents who have never used Uber, have a journey they genuinely need coming up, and are prepared to check the offer's country, cap and fare before requesting a ride; readers planning to use Uber for the first time while travelling can also confirm the offer's country before using it.

Readers who already hold an Uber account, whose journey would be cheaper by MTR or bus, or who would take an extra ride only to use the offer, need not use it.