Many students find themselves in need of a ride home after a night out with friends. Someone could call a cab — if anybody had cash on them.

For these situations, there’s Uber.

Uber is a free app that allows users to summon a car to their exact location. They pay automatically when Uber charges the credit card linked to their account.

To use it, download the app and create an account.

Whenever a student at MSU is desperate for a cab, but has no cash on them, they can use this app.

Uber allows users to get a fare estimate before they even request a car. This way they can see if it’s worth paying for, or if they should just walk instead.

The company subjects their drivers to background checks and when a cab is requested, the customer receives a driver profile. This profile includes the name of the driver, their license plate number, a photo of the driver, the average rating of the driver and also the car that they will ride in.

When the app is first opened, a map pops up and it shows you where Uber drivers are. A pin will appear where the customer is located, but there is also an option to enter an starting address manually.

Once the destination address has been entered, the app calculates a fare estimate. Users can hit “request pick up” if they think the fare is reasonable.

The closest driver will head over to the customer, who can see the driver’s location in the app and are given a time estimate on the driver’s arrival.

If someone requests a car and they are with other people, they can invite them through the app into their fare. Each person is charged an equal amount.

Media and information freshman Luke Olosky said the app is especially useful for freshmen, who are not allowed cars.

“Uber is an easy, inexpensive way to get around that eliminates the need to carry cash for cabs,” he said.