Uber vs. Lyft: Which recovery service saves you more money?

Uber or Lyft? The two titans of ridesharing applications focus on your loyalty, but also on your money. Both have been in hot water on their policies. Uber was particularly shaken by the scandal. Recently, his drivers protested, demanding fair pay and reasonable hours of work before a multi-billion dollar IPO. Earlier in May, Lyft was sued by investors for overestimating its market share.

But if saving you to choose Lyft or Uber over another, you need to know a lot about everything that is included in the cost, up to the subscription services and how much you are encouraged to tip.

Uber and Lyft offer different levels of service, ranging from simple basic routes to shared routes (UberPool and Shared Lyft, respectively), to a luxury car (Uber Black, Lux and Black SUV on the one hand and Lyft Lux, Lux Black and Lux ​​XL on the other). As it is about saving money, we will put aside the luxury lines and focus on the economic rides and the shared trips.

Unfortunately, Uber and Lyft make it very difficult to select the "winner" because the price varies a lot depending on the time, where you are and the number of people wishing to drive. now. But there are some good rules to follow that can help you get the best rate possible. Here's everything you need to know about Lyft and Uber's ability to save you money. (Go to the end for the final breakdown.)

How does Uber and Lyft pricing work?

Lyft and Uber allocate travel expenses by basic fare, distance, journey time and fixed service or booking fees. Prices may change depending on demand and traffic for both services, making it difficult to determine the cheapest price. For example, if there are fewer drivers on the road during a peak period, one or the other of the applications may be more expensive even when charging 1.5 times the normal price during peak hours.

Best advice: Load Uber and Lyft apps on your phone and compare prices when you want to leave. It only takes a few extra seconds that can save you money. The further you go, the more you can save by comparing them at the same time.

For example, Uber estimates an 8-minute ride to Louisville, Kentucky (where I live) on a Thursday at 2 pm. would cost $ 7.20 minimum. It is important to know that the minimum cost of a Uber trip is a fixed amount of reservation that is added to each trip.

To test the prices on the ground, I took a Uber lunch and a Lyft to the office an hour and a half later. The traffic was equivalent, as was the duration of my trip. This is not at all a comparison of apples to apples, but I wanted to see if there was a big price difference:

Uber vs. Lyft: field test

	Uber	Lyft
Basic rate	$ 1.00	$ 1.00
Distance	$ 2.97	$ 2.92
Time	$ 1.08	$ 1.30
Booking fee	$ 2.75	$ 2.75
Total	$ 7.80	$ 7.97

For my trip, the basic rates for Lyft and Uber were $ 1.00. Uber's cost per minute is $ 0.22 higher than Lyft's, but Lyft's cost per mile was five cents less than Uber's. I also gave $ 2.00 to both drivers. On a different day, these prices could easily be reversed depending on pbadenger demand and driver availability at a given point in time at a given intersection.

The only concrete conclusion to remember is that once you pick up an Uber or Lyft, you earn $ 7.50 to $ 10, even if you drive only three blocks.

Shared trips will save you money, but there is a problem

Uber and Lyft offer shared routes, which put you in touch with another pbadenger with similar places and care destinations. You can organize a carpool with up to two people, and basically you divide the cost of the trip, but rely on complicated algorithms, which include the time.

In some cases, a shared ride costs half the price of a private car; other times, there is little difference.

Tip: Savvy runners will host a shared ride if they are in no hurry. If the driver does not take an additional pbadenger, you have just made a solo trip at the cost of a carpool.

Shared trips may take longer, and the time may be longer if the driver takes a pbadenger while you are on the road, especially on long journeys. In addition, you have no control over your landing priority. Therefore, allow enough time if you go to the airport, for example.

For my field test, UberPool was not available when I went to lunch a second time specifically to test these services on my own. Google Maps has calculated that the commute between Union Square California and San Francisco International Airport would be about 20 km and 21 minutes on Wednesdays at 2:30 pm.

Although a Uber shared ride may be a bit cheaper or less complicated in theory, you will still want to compare the two services simultaneously to choose the one that actually costs you the least on that day.

Tip: Uber wins on flexibility

Uber and Lyft encourage drivers to provide cash (eg, $ 1, $ 3) or percentage (for example, 15%, 18%), depending on the final price of the trip.

But Uber gives you a lot more flexibility compared to the supplement you will pay. Where Lyft has only let us add tips in dollar increments in our many rides, only Uber allows you to pay the amount of your choice, from a penny (but do not do it) to a specific target like 5 , $ 15, or more. probably $ 5.50.

Uber also lets you share tips with another runner. These concessions give you more control over your total expenses, which means that you do not have to feel overwhelmed if the appropriate amount for you is between the dollar increase (especially for short trips). ). Lyft had the habit of letting you do that, but removed the option in 2018.

Both companies give drivers 100% of the tip and allow you to add money up to 72 hours after the end of the trip.

The moral of this story is that if you want more control over tips, Uber will save you the most money if you want to thank your driver on your terms.

Subscriptions save you money if you drive a lot

Uber and Lyft both have a subscription plan for hard runners and trust us, it is worth considering the details.

Uber's Uber Ride Pbad saves up to 15% on rides

The Uber & # 39; s Ride Pbad subscription service for UberX and Uber Pool promises to save you "systematically" money on every trip, regardless of traffic, weather or weather conditions. time of day. Uber said that you can save up to 15%, but this number could vary and it is not clear if you will spend most of the time in the 10% or less than 15%. It's vaguely vague for our taste, especially as Ride Pbad costs $ 25 a month.

One advantage, however, is that prices will not increase because of a traffic jam or a snowstorm, for example. If the trip costs $ 20 when you book it, it is the amount you will pay, whatever happens.

Price protection, as Uber calls this benefit, is already available to platinum Uber Rewards members, but it only covers two routes, such as your morning commute and your return trip. The price of the Ride Pbad protects each trip for subscribers.

The pbad also allows you to use free electric bikes and jump scooters, if they are in your city. It's a good bonus if you want to travel a short distance and do not want to stop, but Uber says it's an offer of limited duration, without specifying the limit (the deal is still in progress at the time of writing).

Lyft's subscription plans make crystal clear savings

Lyft has more subscriptions than Uber, which gives more choice to runners if they do not call every day. The table below shows the plan of Lyft. All the details under the graph.

Monthly plans of Lyft

	Lyft Smart Savings	Lyft All Access (entry level)	Lyft All Access (Premium)
Cost	$ 15 per month	$ 189	$ 299 a month
What you get	10% discount on each trip, unlimited	30 rides, up to $ 8 off per ride	30 rides, up to $ 15 off per ride
How much you spend or ride to break even	$ 150 per month	Average of $ 6.30 per way	Average of $ 10 per trip

Lyft Smart Savings Plan ($ 15 per month)

• This is the cheapest Lyft subscription plan if you make less than 34 trips in 30 days.
• Unlimited rides.

Map all Lyft access ($ 189)

• $ 189 for 30 monthly trips
• Up to $ 8 off per ride.
• If your trip costs more than $ 8, you will only pay the excess.
• If you use your 30 trips before the end of the month, Lyft will offer you a 5% discount on all additional journeys made during this month.
• Better for short trips.

Map all Lyft access ($ 299)

• $ 299 for 30 monthly trips
• Up to $ 15 off per ride.
• If your trip costs more than $ 15, you only pay the excess.
• If you use your 30 trips before the end of the month, Lyft will offer you a 5% discount on all additional journeys made during this month.
• Ideal for long trips.

More Lyft projects

Lyft also offers a transportation plan and a personal plan, which differ from Smart Savings and All Access plans. The transport plan applies to addresses that you have registered at home and at work. The personal plan applies to the points of care and removal designated at the time of purchase of your trip.

Both plans can cost between $ 2.00 and $ 10.00 depending on the route you have locked, according to Lyft information. Plans are also available only for certain invite-only runners. We have not learned what qualifies a driver for this plan or who sends the invitations.

The Uber Cash Rewards program saves money in points

The Uber Free Membership Rewards program gives you points for rides and Uber Eats orders that will be added to Uber Cash. You will not save on your bill as with these other programs, but you can recover some of your costs in some other way. Uber Cash can also give you a 5% discount on the money you add to your balance, and the funds never expire.

You earn different points with different Uber rates:

• UberPool, Express Pool, Uber Eats: 1 point per dollar
• UberX, UberXL and some rides: 2 points per dollar
• Uber Black and Black SUV: 3 points per dollar

For every 500 points, you get $ 5 in Uber Cash and you can use two of these rewards at once. Other rewards include price protection, free upgrades, free delivery of three Uber Eats orders and more.

You will not earn points for:

• Failover of drivers or deliveries
• Pay the costs of cancellation
• Trip portions covered by a promotion
• Portions of trips paid by another rider via a fractional fare
• Damage or cleaning costs
• Direct purchase of Uber Cash, credits or pbades
• Taxi, bike and scooter

Gift Cards and References

Lyft offers digital gift cards that you can email to friends and family for $ 10, $ 25, $ 50, $ 100, or a personalized amount. The rideshare company offers promotions that reduce your fare by a certain percentage, fixed discounts, and ways to pay a flat fare for your ride. You can enable text alerts in your notification preferences to be notified of these discounts and promotions. If you added your email address, Lyft should also send the promotions. The company also offers a free promo code for new users.

In addition, Lyft is badociated with World Elite Mastercard. If you are a registered cardholder, you can earn a $ 10 credit per month for five trips. The credits are valid for 30 days.

Regulars can get the most out of their subscriptions, while savvy ones can earn a few dollars here and there by using referrals strategically.

Lyft: If a friend signs up with your special referral code, you will get a $ 10 credit. If you refer a driver and they register with your referral code, you will get a $ 250 credit after they make 165 trips in the first 60 days.

Uber: When a friend signs up at Uber using your referral code, you get $ 5 off on a ride. If you sign up and use a friend 's invitation code, you will get $ 2 off your first three trips.

What allows you to save the most money?

Uber and Lyft are likely to be shoulder to shoulder for most urban areas and the real savings are often done on a case-by-case basis depending on factors beyond your control. In some areas you can choose a service or not at all. Our best advice for saving money on occasional solo and sharing trips is to compare prices on both apps a few minutes before you want to pick up your vehicle.

If you are a hard-working customer, Lyft's membership plans can save you more money because there are more options, and more flexible.

If you only ride Uber, its subscription service is always a must for daily bikers. We also appreciate the ability to share rates with another customer and with Uber Cash, allowing you to save money, as long as you spend it on Uber. But without more visibility into what you are actually saving, it's hard to recommend people who are open to both services.