Uber Adds Parking to Its App With SpotHero Acquisition

Bringing Parking Into the Uber App

SpotHero, founded in 2011, operates a digital marketplace that connects drivers with parking at more than 13,000 garages, lots, and valet locations across over 400 cities in the United States and Canada. Over the past decade, the Chicago-based company has facilitated more than $2 billion in parking reservations.

Now, Uber wants to bring that capability directly into its existing mobility ecosystem.

According to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, integrating parking into the Uber app will make driving more convenient for users who choose to get behind the wheel instead of booking a ride. In practical terms, this means someone planning a trip could soon use the same app to:

• Order a ride
• Reserve airport parking
• Book event parking in advance
• Plan a daily commute

Uber also confirmed that members of its subscription service may eventually receive parking-related benefits as part of their plans.

Why Parking Matters to Uber’s Business Model

While Uber built its brand around helping people avoid driving altogether, parking has become a strategic gap in its broader vision.

Parking represents an estimated $30 billion market in the United States alone. Airports and event venues account for roughly one-third of that spending, making them predictable, high-demand use cases where drivers are often willing to pay for convenience.

From an automotive and mobility standpoint, this acquisition signals that Uber is trying to own more of the full transportation experience, not just the ride itself.

Rather than simply moving passengers from point A to point B, Uber is positioning itself as a planning platform for entire trips. With SpotHero integrated into the app, Uber could potentially capture revenue from the moment someone begins planning a journey until they arrive and park their vehicle.

Industry observers have long pointed to Uber’s global user base, which exceeds 150 million monthly active users, as a key competitive advantage over standalone parking apps that lack the same scale.

SpotHero CEO Mark Lawrence said that joining Uber’s platform will allow the company to reach significantly more drivers while helping parking become a more natural part of everyday trip planning.

Strategic Expansion Beyond Ride Hailing

The move also aligns with Uber’s broader push into adjacent transportation and logistics services.

In recent years, the company has expanded into:

• Food delivery through Uber Eats
• Freight logistics
• Grocery and retail delivery

Adding parking to that list connects directly to Uber’s core ride hailing business while opening a parallel revenue stream from users who drive themselves.

Uber’s latest financial results showed strong revenue growth in its delivery segment, even as softer profit guidance weighed on its stock earlier this month. With a current market capitalization of approximately $146 billion, Uber remains the dominant ride hailing company in the U.S., far ahead of competitors like Lyft.

What Comes Next

Integration will not happen overnight. Uber has said the SpotHero-powered parking experience will roll out gradually, beginning with select markets and venue partnerships.

One open question is whether SpotHero will continue operating as a standalone brand or be fully absorbed into Uber’s app. The answer could determine how existing partnerships with transportation and hospitality platforms evolve after the acquisition.

For now, the strategy appears clear. Uber is not just trying to move people. It wants to manage every step of how they get where they are going.

If successful, this acquisition could reshape how drivers think about parking by turning what was once a separate task into something handled automatically within the same app they already use to travel.

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