What UberRUSH NYC Used to Be
UberRUSH launched in 2014 as an on-demand courier service — request a pickup through the Uber app and a courier would hand-deliver your item (up to 50 lbs) to its recipient. New York was one of its original three markets alongside Chicago and San Francisco, and NYC’s dense grid made it a natural fit for the bike-messenger side of the service: instead of a car, a courier on a bike could pick up a small package in Manhattan and have it delivered across town faster than a driver could.
Pricing when the service was live reflected that bike-vs-car mix. NYC UberRUSH ran about $5.50 for the first mile and $2.50 per additional mile — cheaper than San Francisco’s roughly $6 first mile / $3 per extra mile, and Chicago’s $6.30 first mile / $1.80 per extra mile. Alcohol, pets, and anything illegal or dangerous were off-limits, but everyday packages, documents, and food orders made up most of the volume.
Restaurant deliveries were UberRUSH’s biggest source of demand in most cities, NYC included. In 2017, Uber moved that restaurant-delivery volume over to the newly built Uber Eats and stopped routing it through Rush, which gutted the service’s actual usage. With an IPO on the horizon and Rush badly underused outside that original niche, Uber shut UberRUSH down completely on June 30, 2018 — in New York and every other city it operated in. There’s been no relaunch since. Any “UberRUSH NYC bonus” or “UberRUSH invite code” you see advertised today is either outdated or not straight with you.
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What to Use Instead in NYC
Courier work through Uber didn’t vanish — it folded into the standard driver-partner program. As an Uber driver in New York, you can toggle into Uber Eats deliveries alongside giving rides, all through the same account and the same driver signup link and code hbx1arsque this page has always used. You’ll need to meet Uber’s regular NYC vehicle requirements, though — the old, looser car-age rule that applied specifically to Rush couriers is gone.
If you’re after dedicated courier or delivery gig work outside of Uber, DoorDash’s Dasher program is the closest live equivalent in NYC — bikes, cars, and in Manhattan specifically, walking deliveries are all options. We don’t run a Dasher-specific referral link, but if you’re a customer rather than a driver, or food delivery interests you as a side gig, check our DoorDash promo code page for our current working DoorDash link.
View the current offer ↗Why UberRUSH Shut Down
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UberRUSH still operating in New York City?
No. UberRUSH shut down everywhere, including NYC, on June 30, 2018. There’s no active courier program under that name to sign up for.
Does the UberRUSH promo code HBX1ARSQUE still work?
The code itself still works, but it now applies to Uber’s standard driver-partner signup (rides plus optional Uber Eats delivery) rather than the discontinued Rush courier role it was originally built for.
Can I still get a bike messenger delivery through Uber in NYC?
Not through a dedicated Rush-style service. Uber Eats covers food delivery, and DoorDash’s Dasher program (bike, car, or on-foot in Manhattan) is the closest active equivalent for general courier-style gig work.
Why did UberRUSH shut down?
Uber moved restaurant deliveries — most of Rush’s actual volume — over to the newly launched Uber Eats in 2017, which left the standalone courier service badly underused. Uber discontinued it entirely in mid-2018.
The UberRUSH NYC — Discontinued June 2018 offer is history.
The record lives here.
The original details are preserved above — and the intro points to what still works today.
See the current alternative