YOU GUYS — Waymo just launched its "Waymo Premier" membership and it feels like something they're trying to rebrand as a deal when it actually makes you pay more for less compared to everyone else! For $30 a month, you get priority pickups, a 10% in-app rebate on future rides, five fee-free cancellations per month, and early access to new cities. Meanwhile Uber One is only $10 a month and gives discounts on hotels AND car rentals PLUS 6% ride credits (and even 10% of your rental cost credited back!), while Lyft Pink is also just $10 for 5% off standard rides and free priority pickup. The whole point of going driverless was supposed to be cutting labor costs, yet here Waymo removes the human driver AND charges customers three times as much — I can't help but ask where that extra money is actually going!
And it gets worse because this isn't even a cost-offset proposition for you. A June 2025 report from rideshare data firm Obi found that a Waymo ride costs more on average than an identical trip with Uber or Lyft, so the $30 subscription sits on top of already inflated per-ride fees — all to be driven by a system that still requires remote human workers for emergencies! Plus you get the safety gamble: Waymo had to recall its entire fleet as recently as last month after dangerous behavior during San Antonio floods, and there's always that non-zero chance your ride could crush a beloved neighborhood cat. Honestly — if you want reliable transport you shouldn't have to pay triple for it; this isn't the deal of the century, it's an overpriced subscription tacked onto inflated fees disguised as "priority."
Fair enough though — there is one angle worth respecting from what I read. The NYT recently exposed that Uber allowed violent felons on its platform and has faced countless sexual assault complaints, so for a lone woman or anyone in a marginalized community choosing not to share a ride with a stranger isn't just preference — it's safety. If you'd rather have a robot than gamble on who the next driver is, that makes sense; but you still shouldn't be forced to pay $30 extra for that privilege each month on top of already inflated rates! So yeah - Waymo Premier feels like a bait-and-switch reframing itself as a premium service when it actually just adds cost layers onto what should have been cheaper, and the latest fleet recall is the kind of event you shouldn't need to know about in order to make an informed decision.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2192435/waymos-monthly-membership-seems-like-a-bad-deal/
And it gets worse because this isn't even a cost-offset proposition for you. A June 2025 report from rideshare data firm Obi found that a Waymo ride costs more on average than an identical trip with Uber or Lyft, so the $30 subscription sits on top of already inflated per-ride fees — all to be driven by a system that still requires remote human workers for emergencies! Plus you get the safety gamble: Waymo had to recall its entire fleet as recently as last month after dangerous behavior during San Antonio floods, and there's always that non-zero chance your ride could crush a beloved neighborhood cat. Honestly — if you want reliable transport you shouldn't have to pay triple for it; this isn't the deal of the century, it's an overpriced subscription tacked onto inflated fees disguised as "priority."
Fair enough though — there is one angle worth respecting from what I read. The NYT recently exposed that Uber allowed violent felons on its platform and has faced countless sexual assault complaints, so for a lone woman or anyone in a marginalized community choosing not to share a ride with a stranger isn't just preference — it's safety. If you'd rather have a robot than gamble on who the next driver is, that makes sense; but you still shouldn't be forced to pay $30 extra for that privilege each month on top of already inflated rates! So yeah - Waymo Premier feels like a bait-and-switch reframing itself as a premium service when it actually just adds cost layers onto what should have been cheaper, and the latest fleet recall is the kind of event you shouldn't need to know about in order to make an informed decision.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2192435/waymos-monthly-membership-seems-like-a-bad-deal/