Lyft is already known as the more affable, mustachioed alternative to more corporate-minded Uber. Now the company wants to make itself out to be friendlier to its drivers, too.
At an event for drivers at the on-demand ride company’s headquarters in San Francisco, executives described three new programs aimed to smooth over the way drivers use the service:
- A partnership with Hertz so drivers can rent cars on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, depending on their needs
- A feature called Express Pay, in partnership with payments processing company Stripe, that lets drivers instantly deposit earnings to their banks as soon as they make at least $50 on the road
- A tiered deal with Shell that gives drivers discounts on gas the more rides they gave to customers.
Lyft is doing everything it can think of to strengthen its position against its archrival, Uber, a global giant now valued at $51 billion, which also offers its drivers a range of perks. To gain global traction, Lyft recently agreed to partner with with China’s biggest ride-hailing firm, Didi Kuaidi. It's also joined with insurance company Allstate to provide driver roadside assistance and Starbucks to give drivers a faster route to Gold membership—this includes coffee discounts (and a place to use the bathroom).
The latest features for drivers are rolling out in phases, Lyft says. The company says they'll go wide by early next year.
