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The ever-changing world of ride sharing apps, currently dominated by Uber, is making another sharp turn, again. But this time it's the riders who are on the hook in the face of innovation.

An update to the Uber app noticed by a high profile user on Monday revealed that tardy app users will now have less time to dally, with the penalty being additional charges.

"Starting today, you may incur a fee if you cancel a trip more than two minutes after requesting OR if the driver has to wait more than two minutes to begin your trip," read the message that popped up in the update.

However, after speaking with Uber and getting a detailed breakdown of how the update works, it appears that the wording of the update doesn't correctly reflect the exact nature of the changes.

Here's what Uber told us: First, in the new update, if you order a car and cancel after the two-minute mark, you will be charged a cancellation fee. That part of the app's update message is clear (previously the cancellation time limit was five minutes). But that policy only applies to a small number of cities involved in the company's pilot program. (Calling it a "pilot program" means that the company is just testing this out; the change isn't permanent, yet.)

Those cities include New York City, New Jersey, Phoenix and Dallas. And the fee will be anywhere from $5 to $10 depending on the city you're in.

.@uber reduces the amount of time before you can cancel without a penalty: From 5 min to 2 mins. REAX? pic.twitter.com/d8emKWUlDg

— sree sreenivasan (@sree) April 26, 2016

Second, you will not be charged a "fee" if you make a driver wait more than two minutes (the app's wording is misleading on this point). Rather, you will be charged the per minute rate in your city starting "after" the two minute mark as opposed to only being charged for your trip once you get into the car.

So yes, making a driver wait longer than two minutes will now cost you a bit more, but you won't be charged a flat fee as you will be in the event you cancel after two minutes.

When asked why the pilot program had been enacted, an Uber spokesperson told Mashable that it came about due to demand from drivers who feel waiting for riders is costing them money.

"Drivers' time is valuable, and while we expect riders to request a ride only once they’re ready, we know that waiting for a rider at their pickup location can be frustrating," Uber's spokesperson told Mashable. "In select cities we are running a small pilot so that drivers are compensated for their time even when riders are running a bit late or have a change of plans. When riders and drivers are respectful of each other's time, the whole system runs more smoothly and the Uber experience improves for everyone."

One thing that should also be made clear is that drivers will still be required to wait at least five minutes for a rider before canceling on a rider – that part hasn't changed. If the driver, for some reason, cancels the trip before the five minute mark, that driver will not earn a cancellation fee.

At present, Uber says that it has no plans to expand the policy to other cities. Nevertheless, the newly stringent policy in those four densely populated cities could ultimately turn some riders away who were initially attracted to the app for its seemingly more affordable and rider-centric approach.

But as the company has grown, certain realities of the car service business — namely balancing driver needs against rider needs — have become unavoidable. The coming weeks and months will tell if riders in those pilot cities decide that Uber's updates are reasonable, or an excuse to go back to traditional taxis, which have their own apps now, too.

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