Uber launches taxi-hailing button for third-party app developers

Online taxi-hailing service Uber said it would allow third-party app developers to add a ‘Ride Request’ button within their apps for free. Developers would need to register their apps on Uber’s website to get access to the code to add the button, which users can tap to request a ride. To entice developers to use the feature, Uber said it would pay $5 for every new U.S.-based customer that uses the button from the developer’s app. ( ubr.to/1NqJym9) Earlier this year, Uber had partnered with Zomato, an India-based restaurant finder, to add a “Ride there with Uber” button on the restaurant page. Last year, Google Maps also integrated Uber within its app to allow users to book a ride. However, the difference between the new button and the older API is that the new one is easier to add to any app that works with iOS and Android. Also the ‘Ride there with Uber’  link now appears as a button that looks more user friendly as well. And the focus is not just on getting more riders on board but improving things for drivers as well. Uber recently launched a new feature  that let chauffeurs find more trips along the way to their destination instead of riding all the way to their next customer. With inputs from Reuters