Grab rebrand introduces new app, with added features

Aside from a unified name and logo, Grab – formerly known as MyTeksi in Malaysia (and GrabTaxi in other markets) – also introduced a more user-friendly Grab app at its rebranding event in Singapore today. The updated app is said to be lighter and provide even faster access to ride bookings.

“The updated Grab app is about improving the core experience – we want to make it as simple as two clicks to book a ride,” said Grab co-founder Tan Hooi Ling. She explained that pick-up and drop-off points will now be pre-filled based on a user’s favourite places. Preferred locations will be ranked by the day, time and users’ physical location, which will enable bookings to be made faster.

She also said that the registration process for new users had been simplified. Android users can now sign up more quickly for Grab using their Facebook profile – the app will automatically confirm the user’s identity and mobile phone number. The feature will be rolled out to iOS in the near future.

Other enhancements include a better estimation of pick-up times in the app’s live driver tracking function. With real-time driver tracking on the map, users can better estimate the arrival time of their driver.

The app also has an “auto-retry” feature, which minimises repeated booking attempts if a passenger does not get a vehicle within the first attempt, without having to manually go through the booking process again.

A feature called Flash has also been introduced – now, with the touch of just one button, Flash searches all of the closest taxis and GrabCars to find the best vehicle for users across both services, meaning there will be more choices available to consumers at any single time. Flash is already available in Singapore, Philippines and Vietnam, and will be rolled out in Malaysia on January 30. It will be available to Thai users next month.

There’s also GrabPay, which offers multiple credit card support. Users still retain the freedom to choose between cash or cashless option as and when they like, but will be able to use multiple credit cards and easily toggle to choose which to use.

GrabPay is available in Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia, and multiple credit card support is currently available in Singapore, and will be available in and Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia in February. GrabPay will be introduced in Thailand and Vietnam sometime in the first half of 2016.

Finally, there’s GrabWork, which allows business rides to be charged separately, and is available to users across all six markets. New in-app features include the expense code and trip detail fields for tracking and expense claims purposes.

With multiple credit card support, users can add a corporate card and easily toggle between personal and corporate payment options, and business users can login online to Grab Passenger Hub (hub.grab.co) to download their consolidated business or personal statements for claims submission purposes.

The Grab app is available for free in Google Play and Apple App Store for Android and iOS users respectively. Existing GrabTaxi and MyTeksi users will automatically have their apps updated from today, if auto update is enabled on their mobile devices.

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