Lyft Referral Program Rules

Last Updated: April 15, 2022

These Lyft Referral Program Rules (“Program Rules”) govern your participation in the Lyft Referral Program. The Program Rules are in addition to any agreements between you and Lyft, including the Lyft Terms of Service, as applicable (collectively, the “Lyft Terms”). The Lyft Terms are incorporated by reference and shall apply to your participation in the Lyft Referral Program, including, if necessary, to resolve any disputes between you and Lyft related to or arising out of the Referral Program.

Program Overview

The Lyft Referral Program (“Referral Program”) is offered by Lyft, Inc. and its affiliates (together referred to as “Lyft”) and provides Users who are interested in referring their family and friends (“Referrers”) the opportunity to refer eligible individuals to join the Lyft community as new Riders or Drivers. These Program Rules apply to both Referrers and referred Users (“Referred Users” or “Referred” Riders and Drivers, respectively), so please read carefully to understand your respective rights and obligations.

Referrer Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the Referral Program as a Referrer, you must (a) be a legal resident of your country; (b) be the age of majority in your territory of residence; and (c) continue having Lyft accounts in good standing at the time of payout - if any of your Lyft accounts are permanently deactivated prior to payout, you will not be eligible to receive the Referral Bonus even if all other terms have been met.

Referrers may be Drivers or Riders. A single person may use the Lyft Platform in several ways (for example, as a Rider and Driver). However, if you violate the Program Rules, the Lyft Terms of Service or any other applicable terms, Lyft may suspend or terminate your ability to participate in the Referral Program under any or all of your accounts. For example, if you are a Rider and Driver and you engage in prohibited referral activity under your Driver account, Lyft may terminate your ability to participate in the Referral Program under all of your Lyft accounts.

Lyft Codes

Under the Referral Program, Lyft may provide you with a unique alphanumeric code (“Lyft Code”) to distribute to eligible individuals to become new Riders or Drivers. Lyft owns all rights in and to any Lyft Code, and may reclaim, deactivate, invalidate or terminate your Lyft Code at any time at its discretion.

How to Refer Users

a. Referred Riders.

Through the Lyft passenger app, you may refer eligible individuals to become new Riders on the Lyft Platform. In order to be eligible for a Referral Reward (defined below) for a new Rider, the person must (i) have never previously created a Lyft account; (ii) be at least the age of majority in their territory of residence, and (iii) satisfy the applicable Reward Criteria, as discussed below. If these conditions are met, the person shall be considered your “Referred Rider.”

b. Referred Drivers.

You may refer eligible individuals to become new Drivers on the Lyft Platform. In order to receive a Referral Reward for a new Driver, the individual must (i) have never previously been a Driver or started an application to become a Driver; (ii) meet all eligibility requirements and be approved to drive on the Lyft Platform, and (iii) satisfy the applicable Reward Criteria. Previously approved Drivers, who have been deactivated by Lyft are not considered a new Driver for the purposes of this promotion. Lyft driver eligibility and approval is determined at the sole discretion of Lyft, and is not guaranteed. The duration of the review process may vary. If these conditions are met, the person shall be considered your “Referred Driver.”

c. Invitations through the Lyft Platform.

You may invite your family and friends to become new Users directly through the Lyft Platform by entering or providing Lyft with your invitee’s contact information (all information collected by Lyft under the Referral Program shall be governed by Lyft’s Privacy Policy). Inviting an individual through the Lyft Platform may generate an automatic invitation text (SMS) or email (the “Invitation”) to the person which may be sent through your phone number or a number controlled by Lyft. The Invitation may contain a promotional offer of Lyft credit to a new Rider or a bonus to a new Driver. You represent that you have the necessary consent from your invitee to send them the Invitation (either directly or through the Lyft Platform). If your invitee follows the links in your Invitation and creates a Lyft account using the information provided, your Lyft Code will be automatically applied on the new Rider’s account or the new Driver’s application, as applicable. Note: Lyft does not accept Rider referrals through the Driver application. If you wish to refer Riders, please use the Rider application.

d. Other Invitations.

You may also invite eligible individuals to become new Users by distributing your Lyft Code directly and instructing them to manually input your Lyft Code into the Lyft App. A Rider will not be able to apply your Lyft Code if (i) they’ve already applied another User’s Lyft Code or a different promotion code, (ii) they’ve already received Lyft credit from Lyft or another source on their User account prior to entry of your Lyft Code, or (iii) they take a Lyft ride prior to entering your Lyft Code in their Account. A Driver will not be able to apply your Lyft Code if they start their application without entering your Code or with entering another User’s Code. If a User does not enter your Lyft Code you will not receive attribution for the referral and they will not be considered your Referred Rider or Referred Driver. Lyft reserves the right to supply new Users with Lyft credit or sign-on bonuses at its discretion.

Referral Rewards

a. General.

You are eligible to earn a referral incentive (“Referral Reward”) for each Referred Rider and Referred Driver that you refer to the Lyft Platform (subject to certain maximum limits and the other terms in these Program Rules). Referral Rewards can only be earned for Referrals in your country of residence, and cannot be earned for cross-border referrals. As discussed above, in order to qualify as your Referred Rider or Referred Driver, the new User must satisfy the applicable reward criteria (“Reward Criteria”) as communicated to the Referred User by Lyft. The Reward Criteria are set by Lyft in its sole discretion and are subject to change at any time. The Reward Criteria may vary by market or within a particular market. Lyft, at its sole discretion, may make available certain promotions with different Reward Criteria or Referral Rewards to other Users or prospective Users. These promotions, unless offered to you, shall have no bearing whatsoever on your Agreement or relationship with Lyft.

If the new User that you refer satisfies the Reward Criteria, the type of Referral Reward you are eligible to receive may depend on (i) which Lyft User account you used to refer the new user (in general, Drivers can earn cash for Referred Users paid out in their weekly earnings, whereas Riders receive Lyft credits in their Lyft account -- the amount of the Referral Reward may also vary depending on which User account you use), (ii) the Lyft region associated with your Lyft account (which may be the last location you have logged into the Lyft application), (iii) the Lyft region associated with the Referred User when they apply your Lyft Code, (iv) the Lyft region where the Referred User gave or took their first ride; or (v) other factors as determined and communicated by Lyft.

Both the Referrers and the Referred Users may be presented in the Lyft App with the amounts of the Referral Rewards they may receive if all the Referral Criteria and other conditions described herein are met. These amounts are calculated based on certain assumptions, such as, without limitation, the Referrer’s or the the Referred User’s location at the time they give or take their first ride or download the Lyft app, and may not be accurate based on the actual behavior of the Referred Users. Such amounts, therefore, are only estimates and may differ based on a number of factors. Lyft will make a good faith calculation of such amounts based on the location of the Referrer and the Referred User. The Referrer and the Referred User will see the final applicable amount of their respective Referral Bonuses at the time when such Referral Bonuses are applied to their User Accounts and/or paid out.

b. Earning Referral Rewards for Referred Riders.

New Riders you refer may receive Lyft credit upon creating their new Lyft account (“Referral Credit”). Referral Credit is only valid for use on the Lyft Platform and is not transferable or redeemable for cash. Referral Credit may contain certain restrictions such as expiration dates or geographical use limitations which will be communicated to the new Rider. New Riders should check the Promos tab within their Lyft app to determine whether they have Referral Credit and any restrictions on its use. In order to satisfy the Referral Criteria, the referred Rider must take their first Lyft ride before the Referral Credit expires, but in no event later than thirty (30) days from the creation of their Lyft account. All terms and conditions for the distribution and use of Referral Credit are determined by Lyft in its sole discretion.

c. Maximum Referral Rewards for Referred Riders.

The maximum amount of Referral Rewards that Lyft will pay for Referred Riders is $2,000 per week (either in cash, Lyft credit, or a combination of the two). For example, if the Referral Reward is $10 per Referred Rider and you generate 230 Referred Riders in a single week, the maximum you can earn is $2,000 (in cash or Lyft credit) for such week. This maximum Referral Reward amount shall apply across all of your Lyft accounts (Rider (including your Business Rider account) or Driver). You may not create multiple Lyft accounts to circumvent the Referral Reward maximum, and Lyft may withhold or deny any amounts above the maximum Referral Reward. Lyft reserves the right to change this maximum amount, and it is your responsibility to review the Program Rules for the current maximum limits.

d. Earning Referral Rewards for Referred Drivers.

When you refer a new Driver to the Lyft Platform you may be eligible for a Referral Reward if the Driver is approved, satisfies the Reward Criteria, and is not waitlisted to become a Driver. The applicable Reward Criteria varies by time, market, and promotion. Details about the applicable Reward Criteria for the Referred Driver (if any) can be found in the Lyft Driver App. As a standing rule, and unless modified by a specific offer's Reward Criteria, the new Driver applicant must complete their Driver application, become approved to drive on the Lyft Platform, and give their first ride within the time frame identified in their offer in order to be eligible to complete the Reward Criteria. In addition, the Reward Criteria for new Drivers always includes providing a certain number of rides on the Lyft Platform within a certain number of days of becoming approved to drive (the specifics shall be confirmed upon application).

e. Maximum Referral Rewards for Referred Drivers.

Lyft reserves the right to set a maximum amount of Referral Rewards you can earn per week (or any other time increment) for referring new Drivers to the Lyft Platform. It is your responsibility to review the Program Rules for the current maximum limits. In addition to the foregoing, if you have received Referral Rewards for twelve (12) or more referred drivers within one (1) calendar year starting midnight January 1, Lyft, at Lyft’s sole discretion, may automatically terminate your eligibility to participate in this Lyft Referral Program. Participation in all programs is subject to Lyft’s sole discretion and Lyft does not guarantee participation.

f. Resolving Disputes over Referrals.

Only one person can earn a Referral Reward for a single Referred Rider or Referred Driver. In the event that multiple persons claim credit for a particular referral, Lyft has full discretion to determine which person earned such referral according to Lyft’s systems.

g. Reservation of rights.

Lyft reserves the right to withhold or deduct Referral Rewards or Referral Credit obtained through the Referral Program in the event that Lyft determines or believes that the receipt of the Referral Reward or Referral Credit was in error, fraudulent, illegal, or in violation of these Program Rules or any other applicable agreement between you and Lyft.

Restrictions

In connection with your participation in the Referral Program, you expressly agree to the restrictions listed below. When distributing, promoting or communicating your Referral Code(s) you agree that:

  1. No spamming. You agree that you will not “spam” anyone with invitations to join the Lyft community, and that you at all times will remain compliant with CAN-SPAM, the TCPA, and other applicable laws. The following specific activities are prohibited:
    1. Mass emailing, texting or messaging people you do not personally know;
    2. Use of automated systems or bots through any channel to distribute, post or respond to your Referral Code;
    3. Use of scripts, programed or automatic dialers to send invites or to communicate Referral Codes; and
    4. Posting Referral Codes on event or venue pages without express permission from the event or venue owner.
  2. No Misrepresentations. You agree that you will not attempt to mislead anyone in connection with the Referral Program, either by affirmative representation, implication, or omission. In particular, you agree that you will not:
    1. Impersonate any person or entity;
    2. Create fake accounts, blogs, webpages, profiles, websites, links or messages;
    3. Misrepresent your relationship with Lyft or any other third party (Don’t create content or communications that could have the effect of leading a consumer to believe that it is an official communication from Lyft.);
    4. Suggest that an affiliation or partnership exists with a third party where none exists. Some examples include:
      1. “Use code ‘JOGAN’ to get up to $10 off your Lyft ride to the US Open! #USOPEN #LYFT”;
      2. “Beyonce loves Lyft! Use code ‘JOGAN’ to get up to $10 off your Lyft ride to the Beyonce concert tonight!”; or
      3. “Little monsters love Lyft! Use Lyft to get to the Gaga concert tonight!”; and
    5. Don’t make misrepresentations with respect to the characteristics or qualification requirements for any Referral Rewards. You acknowledge that Lyft may change the characteristics or qualification requirements for Referral Rewards in its discretion, and therefore you shall not represent any fixed characteristics (e.g., amount of Lyft credit, expiration date).
  3. Prohibited content. You agree that you will not use the Lyft brand without Lyft’s explicit written permission in connection with:
    1. Disparaging or defamatory content concerning Lyft or third parties;
    2. Content which promotes racism, bigotry, hatred, discrimination or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual;
    3. Offensive, abusive, intimidating or harassing content
    4. Content that is sexually explicit, obscene and/or contains nudity
    5. Any political and/or religious statement;
    6. Content containing images or reference to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weapons or firearms
    7. Content that violates someone else’s privacy
  4. Other restrictions. You also agree that you will not:
    1. Specify the monetary amount of the Referral Code unless authorized by Lyft in writing;
    2. Create websites, domains, URLs, social media handles or email addresses containing the word “Lyft”;
    3. Use the names or marks of Lyft competitors;
    4. Use images of celebrities or other public or private figures without their written consent;
    5. Use someone else’s brand name or intellectual property without their written consent (for example, referencing “Superbowl” or “Coachella” would be prohibited);
    6. Engage in phishing or attempting to obtain financial or other personal information;
    7. Solicit passwords or personally identifiable information;
    8. Sell your Referral Code. You agree that you will only distribute your Lyft Code free of charge only for promotional purposes. You may not sell, trade, or barter your Lyft Code under any circumstances. You may not pay or provide anything of value to an invited user beyond any Referral Credit or collateral supplied by Lyft;
    9. Violate or infringe the rights of a third party. You will not create any Lyft Code that infringes on the intellectual property rights of any third party. You will adhere to the license terms in any use of the Lyft Marks.
    10. Advertise. You agree that you will not pay to advertise your Lyft Code or the Referral Program, including via Google, Facebook, Twitter, Bing and Craigslist.
    11. Create printed materials other than those authorized by Lyft (including but not limited to: VistaPrint)
    12. Post printed materials on public or private property without the express written consent.
    13. Engage in fraudulent activity. You agree that you and your Referred Users will not defraud or abuse (or attempt to defraud or abuse) Lyft, the terms of the Referral Program, or any invited Users.

If you violate any of these restrictions Lyft may, in its discretion, remove your eligibility to participate in the Referral Program, and/or deny you any Referral Rewards earned in violation or suspected violation of these restrictions.

Other Terms

The following terms shall also apply to your participation in the Referral Program.

  1. Referred Drivers who earn a Referral Reward for satisfying the Reward Criteria are not eligible for other sign-on bonuses or sign-on guarantees;
  2. Referred driver's approved driving state/province must match the state/province indicated in their application. Any change to the approved state/province will result in disqualification from receiving referral bonus/earnings guarantee bonus;
  3. Users cannot earn Referral Rewards for referring themselves;
  4. In exchange for allowing you to promote your Lyft Code online (subject to the restrictions above), you agree to include a link on any such promotion page back to Lyft’s promotion page (or such other page as Lyft designates);
  5. All Lyft promotions run for a limited time only and are subject to change at Lyft’s discretion.