Depending on your point of view, Uber is either the best thing that’s ever happened to urban travel, or a sneaky way of undercutting taxi drivers.

But love it or loathe it, you can’t deny its popularity. In just seven years of operation, the service has given more than 2 billion rides – that means that over its lifetime, it’s transported nearly a third of the world’s population.

So what’s the secret of its success? Buckle up, we’re about to find out.

As a customer, Uber is incredibly simple to use. Just download the app, install it, and it’ll find your location using your phone’s GPS (Global Positioning System). Tell it where you want to go, and it’ll send a car to take you there. There’s no need to hail a taxi in the street.

Uber sends you the car’s number plate and your driver’s name, so you can keep a look out for it.

Hop in, and it’ll take you to your destination.

It’s quick too. In busy urban areas, cars usually arrive within three or four minutes.

You can also book a ride in advance, just like you can with a mini cab. To do so, just press Schedule a Ride, choose your pick-up location and drop-off point, and when you’d like to travel.

Uber gives you a fare estimate before you travel, so you know how much you’ll pay. The price increases the longer your journey is, but unlike a black cab, the meter doesn’t run and run – you shouldn’t have to pay much more than the estimate.

Once you reach your destination, you don’t have to hand over any cash. Payment is taken from the credit or debit card you registered when you signed up to the app, so just hop out, and head on your way.

There are ways to save money, too. Choose the UberPool option, and your driver will pick up other passengers on the way who are heading in the same direction. Then you all split the fare between you. On average, this adds no more than five minutes to a journey, and could save you a lot of money.

Of course, you can spend more too if you like. Uber offers a range of bigger and more luxurious cars to travel in, known as UberXL and Uber Exec. Again, it’ll estimate your fare before you travel, so you know how much you’re spending.

Like a lot of app businesses, Uber lets you rate the service, which allows the company to root out substandard drivers. However, Uber also lets its drivers rate their passengers. This is to discourage disorderly and discourteous behaviour on both sides.

Once your ride has finished, just rate your driver out of five.

The company’s drivers aren’t employed by Uber, but work as independent contractors. In order to qualify, the driver must hold a Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) licence, and use a car that is fewer than five years old.