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Travel · head to head

Careem vs Travelport Smartpoint

Careem logo

Careem

Travel

Middle East ride hailing super-app, owned by Uber since 2019 but operated as a separate brand across the region

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Travelport Smartpoint logo

Travelport Smartpoint

Travel

Travelport GDS booking desktop for travel agents, now on version 12

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Careem has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Careem despite Uber owning Careem since 2019, the two apps remain fully separate with different pricing, driver networks and accounts, so a rider gets no combined benefit or shared account between them despite the common ownership.; Travelport Smartpoint travelport retires older Smartpoint versions on its own schedule, and agencies that do not track release notes can lose sign-on access to Travelport+ or Apollo with little warning.
  • They diverge on capability: Careem covers Ride hailing, Travelport Smartpoint covers Graphical and cryptic modes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Careem and Travelport Smartpoint actually diverge.

Attributes where Careem and Travelport Smartpoint differ
AttributeCareemTravelport Smartpoint
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree app, pay per ride with dynamic pricingquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWindows, Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Travel).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Careem

  • Ride hailing
  • Careem Now
  • Careem Pay
  • Careem Box
  • Bus and mass transit booking
  • Careem Bike

Only in Travelport Smartpoint

  • Graphical and cryptic modes
  • Multi-GDS content
  • Smartpoint Cloud
  • Automation scripting
  • Marketplace distribution
  • Queue and PNR management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Careem

  • A rider in the Middle East or North Africa comparing Careem against Uber, since both operate as separate apps in overlapping cities despite common ownershipnot Travelport Smartpoint
  • Someone wanting food or grocery delivery alongside rides in one app through Careem Nownot Travelport Smartpoint
  • A rider in a market where Careem has stronger local driver supply than Ubernot Travelport Smartpoint
  • A traveller wanting Careem Pay wallet integration for in-app and, in select markets, other paymentsnot Travelport Smartpoint

Travelport Smartpoint

  • A retail agency already on a Travelport segment agreement needing the current supported desktop versionnot Careem
  • A TMC running mixed cryptic and graphical booking teams on one workspacenot Careem
  • An agency migrating from an older Smartpoint build after Travelport retired 8.1 to 9.1not Careem
  • A consolidator wanting Apollo, Galileo or Worldspan content behind a single agent interfacenot Careem

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Careem

  • Despite Uber owning Careem since 2019, the two apps remain fully separate with different pricing, driver networks and accounts, so a rider gets no combined benefit or shared account between them despite the common ownership.
  • Coverage, while strong across the Middle East and North Africa, does not extend meaningfully outside that region, so it is not a relevant option elsewhere.
  • Fares are dynamic with demand-based surge like the rest of the category, and no published flat rate card makes advance cost estimation difficult during peak periods.
  • Feature availability, including Careem Now delivery, Careem Pay external payments and bus ticketing, varies significantly by country and city within the region.
  • As with other ride hailing platforms operating under a large parent company, driver classification and commission structures have drawn periodic regulatory and labour scrutiny in some of its markets.

Travelport Smartpoint

  • Travelport retires older Smartpoint versions on its own schedule, and agencies that do not track release notes can lose sign-on access to Travelport+ or Apollo with little warning.
  • Pricing is never published and is folded into a segment incentive agreement, so two agencies of similar size can be paying materially different effective rates with no way to compare.
  • Cryptic command knowledge is still needed for a meaningful share of servicing tasks, so a newly hired agent takes months to reach full productivity.
  • It is a Windows-weighted desktop product, and agencies wanting fully remote or Mac-based teams need Smartpoint Cloud or virtual desktop infrastructure to compensate.
  • Switching to Sabre or Amadeus means retraining staff on a different command language and renegotiating a separate incentive deal, which locks agencies into their existing GDS relationship longer than pure product quality would justify.

Pricing, plan by plan

Careem

Free
  • CareemFree
    • App is free; riders pay per trip at dynamic, demand-based fares
    • Fares vary by country and city across the Middle East and North Africa
    • No published flat rate card, fares vary by city, time and route

Travelport Smartpoint

On request
  • Travelport Smartpoint$undefined/year
    • Usually bundled into a GDS segment agreement
    • Distribution and version entitlement managed per country via the Marketplace
    • Segment incentive payments to the agency

Which should you pick?

Choose Careem if

  • You need ride hailing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want careem now.
Careem review

Choose Travelport Smartpoint if

  • You need graphical and cryptic modes.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want multi-gds content.
Travelport Smartpoint review

Questions people ask

Is Careem or Travelport Smartpoint better?
Neither clearly leads. Careem starts at Free and Travelport Smartpoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Careem or Travelport Smartpoint?
Careem has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Careem and On request for Travelport Smartpoint.
Does Careem or Travelport Smartpoint run on more platforms?
Careem runs on iOS, Android. Travelport Smartpoint runs on Windows, Web.
Can I use Careem for free?
Yes. Careem has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Travelport Smartpoint starts at On request.
What is Careem best used for?
Careem is most often used for a rider in the middle east or north africa comparing careem against uber, since both operate as separate apps in overlapping cities despite common ownership, someone wanting food or grocery delivery alongside rides in one app through careem now, a rider in a market where careem has stronger local driver supply than uber, a traveller wanting careem pay wallet integration for in-app and, in select markets, other payments. Of those, a rider in the middle east or north africa comparing careem against uber, since both operate as separate apps in overlapping cities despite common ownership and someone wanting food or grocery delivery alongside rides in one app through careem now are not what Travelport Smartpoint is typically brought in for.
What can Careem do that Travelport Smartpoint cannot?
Careem covers Ride hailing, Careem Now, Careem Pay, Careem Box. Travelport Smartpoint covers Graphical and cryptic modes, Multi-GDS content, Smartpoint Cloud, Automation scripting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Careem: Is Careem the same as Uber?

No. Uber acquired Careem in 2019 for roughly 3.1 billion dollars but operates it as a separate brand with its own app, pricing and driver network rather than merging it into the Uber app.

Travelport Smartpoint: Do we pay a separate licence fee for Smartpoint?

Usually not directly. It is typically bundled into a GDS segment agreement in which Travelport pays incentives per booked segment.

Careem: Where does Careem operate?

Primarily across the Middle East and North Africa, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan among other countries in the region.

Travelport Smartpoint: What happened to older Smartpoint versions?

Travelport retired versions 8.1 through 9.1 as of 30 April 2026; agencies must be on Smartpoint 12.0 to keep signing on to Travelport+ or Apollo.

Careem: Can I use my Uber account on Careem?

No, they are separate apps and accounts despite common ownership; you need a distinct Careem account to use the service.

Travelport Smartpoint: Is there a browser version?

Yes, Smartpoint Cloud runs in a browser for agents without a managed Windows desktop.

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