Millions of people around the world use what3words to find, share and navigate to exact locations. They also use them to tell taxi and ride-hailing companies exactly where they’d like to be picked up or dropped off. 💡Fleet operators can ask customers for a what3words address. We have a handy guide that’ll help here. 💡
Here are some of the ways people will find a what3words address, which can be then shared with drivers for smoother rides:
<aside> 📱 Discovered using the what3words app or website
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You can discover the what3words of a pick-up or destination via the free what3words app or website.
<aside> 👬 Shared by friends
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People use what3words to share the precise starting points of activities as well as their favourite spots.
<aside> 🧑💼 Provided by a business
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This might be in a hotel or Airbnb booking confirmation, or on a location page on a website - here are some examples with Premier Inn, Emirates Stadium or more recently the Cheltenham Festival. Click here to see more.
<aside> 🎪 Shared by organisers
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Events and festivals can create temporary taxi ranks/car pick-up areas with what3words addresses - here's how Winter Wonderland did this.
<aside> 🧑💻 Discovered by operators
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Operators themselves discover and use what3words addresses for tricky locations - we see this a lot on corporate jobs when it might be dropping off passengers and kit to film shoots, temporary worksites (such as HS2), or at sea-ports for example. The operator/driver can use the what3words address both to plan their jobs and also share with passengers in confirmations so that they know exactly where to meet.
<aside> 🔎 Discovered via a dedicated web page
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There is a functionality enabled with some of our dispatching software providers called the 'Find Me Link' which is useful in situations when a passenger calls you and says "help, I need to be picked up but I don't know where I am”.
The advantage of this tool is that passengers don't need to have the app installed or understand what3words. They just need to simply read out the 3 words that are shown on their screen.
See the taxi operators already accepting what3words addresses: