Uber and Lyft, which are two of the most popular ride-hailing apps available, will soon be serving Coca-Cola snacks to their passengers. The refreshment orders will be handled by Cargo, a startup that has been profiting from selling beverages and snacks to the ride-sharing audience. The system is currently being tried out in Atlanta, where passengers can choose from a selection of toys, chargers, as well as food and drink.

Coca-Cola wants in

Coca-Cola and Uber did a short collaboration during the Share a Coke campaign in 2015 where passengers riding between 4 PM and midnight received a free Coke and a free ride.

But only if they requested a ride within an area in Manhattan. The campaign may have only lasted that day but Uber’s cameo was considered a successful factor in delivering the personalization concept Coke was introducing to the market.

Many other companies recognize the idle time consumers spend inside their ride-sharing vehicles as an untapped opportunity. Among them is Cargo’s founder, Jeffrey Cripe, who raised up to $1.75 million of seed funding to be able to sneak in treats inside ride-hailing cars. With his app drivers will be able to earn extra income.

How to order and pay on the road

Currently, Uber and Lyft that work together with Cargo carry little snack boxes that are attached to the vehicles.

Once a passenger gets in, the drivers will offer them the selection of drinks and snacks. After making their choices, each passenger then can use their credit cards to pay, or they can use the Apple Pay payment option. According to TechCrunch, each item adds as little as 50 cents extra income for each driver.

Cargo is already operating inside rides in several other cities in America, including Boston, Baltimore, and New York City.

With the new deal, drivers can offer Coke’s smartwater, along with a bunch of other brands, some of which are currently free for the drivers. Although products will only be distributed when the car stops and not when it’s moving, there is still a chance of drivers being distracted as they work long-hour days.

For the sweet tooth of passengers

According to Cargo, an average ride-sharing driver makes up to $100 a month with the snack boxes, while the top percentage is raking in close to $300 a month. The company plans to get their vending boxes inside 20,000 cars by the end of the year, and to achieve that goal it has raised an additional $5.5 million. Coca-Cola will be joining other big brands, such as Kellog’s and RedBull, in offering their products with the in-car app.
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