A Comprehensive Guide on Using Your Smartwatch for Ride Sharing Services Like Uber or Lyft Requesting Rides Quickly and Easily
Your Rideshare Questions, Answered
Potential Surge Pricing!
{{ r.service.company.name }} varies their pricing based on demand. The estimate here is abaseline estimate. To see how demand-based pricing would change the estimates you see here, use theSurge Pricing tool.Surge Pricing tool on the left.
The actual multiplier used when you take your trip may vary depending on time of day, the number ofdrivers on the road, and the number of users looking for rides.
Uber's "upfront pricing," which is their guaranteed rate, can contain a surge multiplier withoutwarning. If RideGuru's estimate is noticeably different from Uber's proposed price, you may be lookingat this secret surge pricing. Beware!
If youve never tried ridesharing, theres no need to worryusing Lyft is much simpler than you may think.
So how does Lyft work, exactly? Here are answers to six FAQs:
What is Ridesharing, Anyway?
Ridesharing matches you with a nearby driver who will pick you up and take you where you want to go.Lyft is the appyou use to get a ride in minutes. Just tap request and a drivers there. By taking Lyft, you can help your community reduce traffic and take cars off the road.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Lyft Ride?
After just a few taps in the Lyft app, acarefully-screened driverwill be on their way to you just set your pickup point. Youll see a photo of your driver and the car, as well as their ETA. You can even watch as they approach on a map and call your driver if something changes, like if it starts to rain and you want to head down the block to take cover. Once the driver arrives, confirm your name and destination, get in, and youre off.
Do I Have to Sit Up Front, or Can I Chill in the Back?
Its your ride, so set the tone depending on how you feel. If you want to hop in the backseat, put on your headphones, and not say a word, thats no big deal theres no need to sit in the front seat and chat. But you can always ride shotgun and ask your Lyft driver for advice about the date youre about to go on, too!
How Much Does a Lyft Ride Cost?
Depends on where youre headed and when. There is a base charge and a cost per mile and per minute, with extra added on when your pickup point is in Prime Time, which happens during higher-than-normal demand to encourage drivers to get on the road. For price estimates of rides in your city, check out theLyft city page. Oh, and never worry about carrying cash payment happens seamlessly through the app.
Can I Tip My Driver?
Yes! The Lyft app letsyou tip your driverwhen you pay at the end of the ride, but dont feel like you have to. If you dont want to or simply cant afford a tip, dont sweat it.
Whats the Rating System for Drivers and Passengers?
When your ride ends,you can rate your driveron a scale of 1 to 5 stars. You can also write a comment, which is shared anonymously with the driver.
If youre satisfied with your ride, theres no reason not to give your driver a 5-star rating. A 4-star rating or less means that you were somehow dissatisfied, so reserve those for if, say, a driver gets lost. You can explain your rating in the comments to help the driver improve.
Passengers can see a drivers overall star rating, so giving a driver a 1-star rating for no reason does impact the driver. And its a two-way street. Drivers rate their passengers after every ride, so make sure you act with respect.
Lyft vs. Uber: What's the Difference?
Lyft and Uber are ride-sharing services that launched in 2012 in competition with taxi companies. To order a Lyft or Uber ride, you need a smartphone, the Lyft or Uber mobile app, and an account with the service. Both services connect drivers and passengers using location services and accept payments through the app. There are a few differences between the two organizations, but is one better than the other? We explore the similarities and differences to help you decide which ride-sharing service is best for you.
Overall Findings
Lyft
Generally found in and around major cities.
Mostly restricted to North America.
More casual atmosphere and feel.
Brighter and friendlier app design.
More service options and economical rides.
Uber
More widely available.
Larger global presence.
Corporate and professional feel.
More conservative app design.
Simple pricing and service levels.
Lyft and Uber looked very different at launch. Uber mostly used black cars and SUVs, drivers dressed up, and passengers sat in the back seat. Meanwhile, Lyft cars featured giant pink mustaches on the grill, and passengers were encouraged to sit up front and fist bump the driver. Lyft has mostly gotten rid of the pink mustaches and fist bumps, and passengers now sit in the back seat.
The services are nearly identical now. Uber and Lyft work in the same way. Request a ride through the app, get matched with a driver, track the driver on a real-time map, and pay the fare using the app at the end of the ride. Drivers of both ride-sharing services are considered contractors, not full-time employees.
Price: It's a Close Race
Lyft
Location-dependent pricing.
Price increases with demand.
See estimate before booking.
Periodic discounts.
Uber
Location-dependent pricing.
Price increases with demand.
See estimate before booking.
Periodic discounts.
The number one concern for most people is the cost. For Uber and Lyft, pricing depends on your location, the time of day, and local traffic. Both services raise prices when demand is high. Uber calls it surge pricing, while Lyft calls it Prime Time.
The higher rates are meant to encourage drivers to go online to meet the demand. Due to fierce competition between the two companies, pricing is about the same, according to ridester.com, a ride-sharing monitoring service. In most cases, riders see a price estimate before accepting a ride.
Passengers also benefit from free or discounted rides from time-to-time, sometimes tied to an event or holiday. Chances are if Uber offers discounts on a particular weekend, Lyft will follow suit.
Areas of Service: Uber is in Slightly More Places
Lyft
Initially more exclusive.
Coverage in most places and growing.
More focused on North America.
Both Uber and Lyft are mature services that have built their reputations and scope of services over the years. Because of that, the service areas of both of these are similar.
Uber originally served a wider area than Lyft, covering more of the U.S. than its competitor and expanding away from major cities. Now, Uber boasts the wider range, but the difference isn't nearly as great as before.
Lyft started exclusively on the west coast and slowly spread to other major cities. Now, it's available in most areas of the U.S., but it's still centered primarily around cities.
Apps: Both Are Great
Lyft
Sign up on desktop or mobile.
Simple to select levels of service.
Bright, friendly design.
Get immediate fare estimates.
Both services are primarily mobile-based, although Lyft allows you to request a ride from a desktop web browser. So, they each invested time and resources to make their mobile apps as intuitive and user-friendly as possible.
With either app, you won't encounter much, if any, difficulty setting up an account and requesting a ride. With either one, you can go from not having the app installed to waiting for a driver within a few minutes.
Uber and Lyft make it simple to choose your current location, destination, and level of service from a live Google map that displays drivers in your area. You can get real-time estimates for each level of service and see how long you'll wait for a ride. Both apps also track the driver on their way to your location.
If there's one major difference between these two, it's design. Uber feels dull and almost corporate. Lyft, in contrast, is livelier and friendlier in style. None of this makes a difference in terms of functionality, but Lyft just feels nicer.
Levels of Service: Lyft Offers a Few More Options
Lyft
More choices.
Ridesharing.
More economical options.
Both services offer a range of options and different levels of service. Each one provides a series of vehicle options and ways to ride at different price points. Lyft and Uber also include ride-sharing options if you want to be more economical.
Uber breaks its service into Economy and Premium rides. Uber's economy options include the standard UberX option for regular sedans and UberXL for SUVs. You'll also find the ride-sharing option here.
Uber's premium service has only two options, Uber Black and Uber Black SUV. These are essentially the same as their economy counterparts but in higher-end vehicles.
Lyft follows a similar pattern. Their primary option, Lyft, falls under their economy umbrella, along with ride-sharing. Lyft also lets riders save more by walking to a shared pickup.
Lyft's luxury service, Lux, offers rides in luxury vehicles. Lyft goes one step further with its Lux Black service, which only includes high-end luxury rides with leather seats.
Lyft categorizes SUVs separately under a section for vehicles with extra seats. Like Uber, Lyft lets you choose between a regular or luxury SUV.
Final Verdict
In general, Uber is more corporate, while is Lyft more casual, though Lyft offers some high-end vehicle options. If you want to impress a client or customer, Uber might be a better choice. If you like chatting with your driver, Lyft might be a better option. Our take? Download both apps and pit them against each other. In some cities, Lyft is the better choice, while in others, Uber rules. When demand is high, pricing can vary widely; get the best deal you can.
Download Uber For:
Download Lyft For:
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How to Save Money Using Uber & Lyft: Frequent Rider Programs and Commuter Passes
Are you someone who uses rideshares often? If only there was a way to reward passengers for using services like Uber and Lyft frequently
Rideshare companies are trying many new programs to reward frequent riders. These programs are still new and are currently being rolled out in limited cities in the United States.
1) Frequent Rider Programs
Uber and Lyft have both experimented with frequent rider programs, where you are rewarded with free trips or ride credits. We are not aware of any of these being offered consistently, but here are a few links:TechCrunch Article,UberVIP in NYC and Dallas.
Fastenis a company based out of Boston that has successfully implemented a frequent rider program. This generous program offers credits for future rides and are applied to all riders automatically.Currently, they are offering $5 credit for taking 10 rides.
2) Prepaid Gift Cards
Uber and Lyft offer prepaid gift cards, and they are available at major retailers.Check out this Uber Gift Card page to find out stores where they are available. These gift cards can be used as a payment method in your Uber app.
Occasionally, retailers like Target or Walmart offer discounts, so you could purchase an Uber or Lyft gift card at a discount and save money. You may also be able to buy them through gift trade programs at a site likeGiftCardZen.
Try buying these gift cards using your credit card that offer rebates, cash back, or points. This may also be a way to save a few percentages on Uber rides. Uber launched their own credit cardrecently that will give passengers rewards for using the card.
3) "Ride Passes" or Commuter Passes
Both Uber and Lyft have offered passes and pre-paid cards in the past.The one for Uber is called "Ride Pass" and the one for Lyft is called "Lyft Line Pass."Unfortunately, these passes are only offered in limited quantities, and you must receive an email from the company to be eligible to purchase the pass.
Lyft - "Lyft Line Pass" - One option is to pay $20 upfront and every ride will be $2 for that month.The other option is to pay $29 upfront and all the rides are covered.This may not be available anymore, but here's a link to a past blog post:https://blog.lyft.com/posts/now-on-sale-membership-passes-for-november
Lyft - "All Access Pass" - A new plan announced in May of 2018 is the monthly subscription of Lyft.Those interested in joining the plan would pay $200 upfront for $15 off 30 rides. So any ride $15 or less is free, and for rides over $15, passengers pay the difference." (more info here)
Uber - "Ride Pass" - In exchange for an upfront fee, Uber guarantees the price or discount for all the rides within that month. The price and discount amount depend on the city, but in oneexample, a rider paid $12 upfront and for the rest of the month paid $3.49 for UberPool (capped at $15) and $6.99 for UberX (capped at $20). If the price of the ride is higher than the cap, the rest must be paid by the rider.Its a pretty good deal! What is Ride Pass - More information from Uber
Sign Up and Check Availability
This program is limited in both city span in quantity.Uber and Lyft will internally determine which customers are eligible for these programs and they do not disclose the qualifying criteria. If you qualify, you will be sent an email with an invitation to sign up. If you think you might be eligible, check your email a couple times a month to see if you received an invitation.
Check out this forum post for cities where this has been offered before.
UPDATE - May 2018:Lyft announced an "All Access Pass" for a monthly subscription fee in major cities. There is currently a waitlist.Lyft's All-Access Pas. Monthly subscription coming to major cities. (invitation and waitlist only)
