Car-booking app Uber is targeting business customers as it ups the ante in its battle with taxi giant Cabcharge.
Uber, which allows users to book private cars or taxis, has launched an upgraded app that allows employees to book trips directly onto the company credit card.
That's a blow for Cabcharge, which has long enjoyed a virtual monopoly for business travellers, not to mention anyone paying for their fare by a credit or debit card.
"We are definitely bringing some competition, which is long overdue," Uber's Australian chief David Rohrsheim told AAP.
"Choice is good for consumers and we bring experience from 200 cities around the world."
The Uber for Business service lets companies use a single credit card for all staff bookings, with employers given a map of the route taken by employees at the end of the journey as a protection against fraud.
Matt Barrie, the chief executive of crowdsourcing website Freelancer said his staff had already been using Uber prior to the launch of the latest service.
"We've been using Uber for employee trips due to its convenience and reliability, and now Uber for Business takes it to the next level with reporting and employee management functions," Mr Barrie said.
The company charges a five per cent fee on fares, which is half that charged by Cabcharge in most states, except Victoria where the state government recently capped the charge at five per cent.
Cabcharge estimates the Victorian cap cut its revenue 4.5 per cent, which contributed to a 7.4 per cent slide in its net profit to $56.1 million.
Uber, which launched in Australia in late 2012, links customers with taxis and ordinary drivers, who've passed certain security checks.
In addition to the taxi-booking service, customers can choose from either the economy option UberX, which Uber says is around 50 per cent cheaper than a traditional cab ride, and Uber Black, which is 50 per cent more expensive than a cab fare.
Mr Rohrsheim said typical UberX users could typically expect to be driven in something like a Toyota Camry, while Uber Black vehicles could include a Mercedes or Audi and the like and came with a "chauffer service".
No cash is exchanged on uber bookings, with the fare booked directly to the credit card on the user's account.
And the company talks up the safety of the service, with customers able to see a driver's details and the rating given by previous passengers prior to the car's arrival.
