Calling an Uber abroad can incur extra charges — here's how to avoid them

Uber will soon automatically opt users in the US, UK, Canada, and Europe to a preferred current pricing setting that adds a 1.5% foreign transaction fee.

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• Uber will soon charge a 1.5% fee for preferred currency pricing in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe.
• Preferred Currency Pricing applies to debit or credit card payments, not gift cards or Uber Cash.
• Users can avoid the fee by disabling the setting in the app's account and wallet sections.

If you live in the US, Canada, UK, or Europe, Uber rides abroad are about to get more expensive.

The Points Guy reported on February 14 that Uber will automatically opt users residing in these areas into Preferred Currency Pricing on February 27. This setting charges a 1.5% conversion fee to pay in the user's home country's currency rather than the local currency of their destination.

Preferred Currency Pricing is only available when paying with debit or credit cards — not gift cards or Uber Cash.

The setting may be useful for saving money abroad if you have a credit card that charges extra for foreign transactions, but if your card doesn't have these fees, you'll be paying more with this setting on.

How to avoid foreign transaction fees on Uber

To avoid the 1.5% fee, you can turn off the preferred currency pricing in settings and instead opt to pay in local currency. First, open the app and tap "Account." From there, tap "Wallet" and scroll down past payment methods to "Preferred Currency."

Screenshots show how to turn off the preferred currency setting.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Then, tap "Set preferred currency" and select "No preferred currency" from the options. Lastly, hit "Confirm" at the bottom of the options.

You can also change to "No preferred currency" on any ride before booking it at the check-out stage. Happy riding!

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