SAN FRANCISCO — Ride-hailing vending machine Cargo is expanding beyond the vehicle with a new app. The app is both an e-commerce engine for Cargo and a loyalty program for Uber. Cargo’s in-vehicle vending machines represent an opportunity for potential convenience-store customers to stay in the car to get their items, and the new app only expands those capabilities.
Uber riders who make a purchase with the Cargo Store app can receive 10% back in Uber credits, which can be used for future Uber rides or Cargo purchases. The program also carries perks for Uber drivers. Drivers earn an extra $1 when their passenger places a Cargo Store order for the first time.
Additionally, Cargo purchases are no longer limited to items inside the Cargo vending machine in the car. For instance, riders can order a Nintendo Switch gaming console through the Cargo Store app, which will be delivered to their home in two to five days.
The app also includes a gamification element. Once per day after scanning their driver’s Cargo box QR code, riders can pick from a selection of facedown “Cargo Cards” with randomized rewards. Depending on which card they pick, they can win a wide range of items such as Uber Voucher credits, a $30 discount on SeatGeek tickets, or even an Oculus Go virtual reality headset.
Uber riders can download the Cargo Store app on iOS and Android app stores. Riders can start earning rewards through the app by scanning their Uber driver’s Cargo Box QR code.
New York-based Cargo operates in a growing number of U.S. markets, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Atlanta. Uber, based in San Francisco, has partnered with Cargo to enable its drivers to sign up for and receive a Cargo box at no cost, and sell items from its in-car vending machines to riders.
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