uFacebook Users Can Now Use The Messenger App To Hail A Rider

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• In its ongoing effort to keep Facebook users inside the Facebook universe at all times, the social media giant is adding a new feature to Messenger that will allow folks to hail a ride with Uber and other on-demand car services from within the app.

  The new feature, aptly enough dubbed “Transportation” by Facebook, will allow users to request a ride from a car service, even if you don’t have the Uber or the Lyft app on your phone, without leaving a conversation.

  To hail a ride inside the app, users have to download the latest version of Messenger. When you’re in a conversation with a friend, you can then tap the “more” menu and select Transportation. Users can also search for Uber and tap the car icon to request a ride.

  All updates regarding the driver’s status will then appear within Messenger, you’ll be able to pay for the ride, and your friends will be notified that you’ve called a ride. Ostensibly, this just means the friends you’re in the conversation with, and not all your Facebook friends in general.

  To encourage Messenger users to get onboard with the in-app travel tool, Facebook is offering the first ride for free (for a limited time, up to $20) with Uber. You’ll have to claim your free ride by linking your existing Uber account to Messenger, or setting up a new account inside Messenger and requesting a ride.

  Facebook says it’s currently testing the service with select users in locations where Uber operates, and that other countries and more transportation partners will also be included in the future.

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist