We’re obsessed with improving drivers’ experience on Lyft. Earlier this year, we set a new standard in driver pay and transparency. Now our pay standard is going national for all drivers.
“Lyft is the first and only rideshare company to guarantee drivers their share of rider payments,” said David Risher, CEO of Lyft. "We're thrilled to extend this to all 1 million+ drivers on the Lyft platform nationwide."
Expanding our earnings commitment nationally
In February, we committed that drivers will always earn 70% or more of rider fares each week, after external fees. This is a rock-solid floor: if drivers are ever under 70% at the end of the week, they’ll be paid the difference. And drivers can check the math on rider fares with completely transparent receipts.
The pay standard launched in 20 of our top markets, and initial results have been incredible:
Within one month of launch, an additional 20% of drivers said they were paid fairly.
Overall 75% of drivers say they have a better understanding of their earnings.
More than half of drivers in launch cities have benefitted from being topped up at the end of at least one week so far.
We’ve also heard directly from drivers who appreciate the commitment:
“I trust Lyft more because of the earnings commitment. By allowing drivers to see the breakdown, we can see what we’re earning and where the money is going.” - Jackee W, a driver with Lyft
“Lyft is looking out for me to make sure I don’t have any bad weeks.” — Kenneth L, a driver with Lyft
In addition to earnings, we know drivers are concerned about expenses related to driving from gas to additional vehicle maintenance and cleaning. That’s why we published a report on what a typical driver in the US might expect to make after these expenses. We've updated those numbers since the original report and in the first three months of this year, the median US driver earned $31.10 including tips and bonuses for every hour they were either on their way to pick up a passenger or had a passenger in the car. After taking expenses into account, we estimate a driver's net earnings are more like $24.25 per hour. While this is illustrative of what a driver might expect to make after marginal expenses, we encourage drivers to do the math on their own expenses and earnings to make the right driving decisions for them.
We’re launching even more driver improvements beyond the pay standard, including:
Turbo: a new type of bonus that helps drivers earn more when they’re on the platform
Lyft Maps: clearer, smarter pickup and dropoff guidance
24/7 phone support: access to support lines for Silver Tier drivers
Turbo
We introduced a new type of bonus called Turbo to reward drivers for getting on the road during times that we expect to be high demand for rides. During Turbo times, drivers will earn 10–40% more on every ride.
Drivers can count on seeing Turbo bonus times added to their weekly planner throughout the week, which helps them plan ahead to maximize their earnings. These bonuses are available to every driver in regions where Turbo is live.
Riders will benefit too: As we develop more effective tools to encourage drivers to drive during high demand times, riders will benefit from reduced wait times and fewer price spikes.
“Having the opportunity to plan and maximize my earnings for the week gives me time back with the people I love.” — Luis S. Flores, a driver with Lyft
Smarter, clearer Lyft Maps
Since we launched Lyft Maps, we have continually made improvements to help drivers save time and money navigating the unique street-level challenges of ridesharing. Each challenging pickup is an opportunity for us to make our maps smarter to address pain points like efficiently connecting riders and drivers. After listening to drivers, our team has added:
Buildings highlights: Providing simple and effective visual indicators on the map to help drivers pick up and drop off riders on the correct side of the street.
Seamless pickups and dropoffs at gated communities: Riders can safely and securely share gate codes with drivers to help with pickups at gated communities
Context for ETAs: More transparency in-app helps riders understand if their driver is delayed due to traffic or long red lights.
So far, these improvements are helping drivers pick up and drop off riders without delays, while reducing rider cancellations, further maximizing drivers’ time and their earnings.
Expanded Phone support for Rewards drivers
Our Lyft Rewards program provides our most loyal drivers with perks that reduce costs and improve the driving experience, including: a dedicated phone support line, 25 to 32 cents cash back per gallon at the pump, lower-cost EV charging, and free or discounted roadside assistance. Based on driver feedback, we are now opening 24/7 phone support to Silver Rewards drivers — nearly doubling the drivers with access to the feature.