Passengers using Uber or Lyft are now able to buy drinks, snacks and even phone chargers while they are on their way from A to B.
The initiative comes from tech company Cargo, which has installed boxes of products including protein bar RXBAR, Sour Patch Kids sweets and hangover cure tablets into cars in U.S. cities including New York, Chicago and Baltimore.
Passengers can use their smartphone to choose from a menu on the Cargo mobile site while in transit, tap in their driver's code and choose and pay for their products. Drivers then unlock the display box when the car comes to a stop.
Cargo announced Wednesday that Coca-Cola is now a partner, with the brand providing its Smartwater drink to riders. On Wednesday, the company added Atlanta, home of Coke's global headquarters, to its list of cities where taxis will offer products for sale.
Drivers will earn $1 for each product sold, plus 25 percent commission per sale. They can also earn a weekly $10 bonus when at least 10 items are sold, and Cargo claims that drivers can earn up to $500 a month. Some products, including Smartwater, are free to passengers and therefore won't provide the 25 percent commission (although drivers will still earn the $1 fee). Cargo will ship products to drivers who must agree to keep their display boxes fully stocked at all times, according to the company's online terms and conditions.
Uber and Lyft now represent a new retail outlet, said John Carroll, vice president and general manager for eCommerce at Coca-Cola. "We're very excited to enter this new distribution channel in rideshare with Cargo. Cargo offers an innovative solution to helping Coca-Cola deliver refreshment to consumers in their moment of need in a space that was previously hard to reach at scale," he said in an emailed statement.
Passengers who sign up to Cargo can expect to be sent promotions and content if they opt into marketing, while the tech company will be able to analyze data on what people purchase and how often, as well as where they buy.
Cargo plans to expand to West Coast cities during 2018 and hopes that international expansion will follow. It said it will reach more than 25 million passengers in 20,000 vehicles this year.