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Lyft makes its On-Time Pickup Promise permanent to credit riders for delayed rides

also contributed to this story
June 26, 2024
•
5 min read
Veronica B
Lyft makes its On-Time Pickup Promise permanent to credit riders for delayed rides
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It's already been a record-breaking summer travel season, with U.S. airlines expecting 271 million travelers between June 1 and Aug. 31, according to Airlines for America.

Lyft has long been in the business of getting travelers where they need to be when they need to be there.

After launching as a holiday travel promotion, Lyft's On-Time Pickup Promise is now a permanent feature for riders as of this summer, meaning you get paid if you don't get picked up on time.

On-Time Pickup Promise

LYFT

As of Wednesday, prescheduled airport rides will be covered by Lyft's On-Time Pickup Promise, ensuring your ride arrives on time or you'll be compensated.

Users can schedule Lyft rides up to 30 days in advance so they can lock in their pickup date, time and price to avoid having one more thing to worry about. Scheduled rides are also given priority when it comes time to be matched with a driver, and drivers can accept rides anytime after they are scheduled. Prescheduled rides can be canceled or modified up to an hour before pickup time.

If you aren't picked up on time for your scheduled airport Lyft ride, you'll automatically receive Lyft Cash credit in your account as follows:

  • $15 Lyft Cash if your driver is more than 10 minutes late (down from $20 during the initial rollout)
  • $50 Lyft Cash if you’re not matched with a driver 10 minutes after your scheduled pickup time
  • Up to $50 more Lyft Cash if you aren't matched with a driver and your ride with another company is more than $50

The first two will be paid out automatically, but you must contact Lyft through the help section of its app to submit the receipt from your alternate transportation to be compensated for the additional $50.

Lyft's On-Time Pickup Promise is currently available in more than 50 North American markets, specifically:

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  • Atlanta
  • Austin
  • Baltimore
  • Boston
  • Charlotte
  • Chicago
  • Cincinnati
  • Cleveland
  • Columbus, Georgia
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in Texas
  • Denver
  • Detroit
  • Honolulu
  • Houston
  • Indianapolis
  • The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area in California
  • Jacksonville, Florida
  • Kansas City, Missouri
  • Las Vegas
  • Los Angeles
  • Louisville, Kentucky
  • Miami
  • Milwaukee
  • The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota
  • Nashville
  • Nassau County, New York
  • New Jersey
  • New Orleans
  • Northern Georgia
  • Orange County, California
  • Orlando
  • Philadelphia
  • Phoenix
  • Pittsburgh
  • Portland, Oregon
  • The Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area in North Carolina
  • Richmond, Virginia
  • Sacramento
  • Salt Lake City
  • San Antonio
  • San Diego
  • The San Francisco Bay Area
  • Seattle
  • Tampa
  • Toronto
  • Tucson
  • Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Virginia Beach Hampton Roads, Virginia
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Westchester County, New York

Extra Comfort mode

LYFT

Lyft's Extra Comfort feature is also available for travelers to get into rest and relaxation mode from the moment they step into their car. Rides designated as "Extra Comfort" offer roomier cars, top-rated drivers and preset preferences for temperature, a quiet ride or luggage assistance.

These features follow the successful launch of Lyft's Women+ Connect, which matches women and nonbinary riders and drivers in select cities.

As a reminder, a variety of credit cards offer additional points, miles or cash back for Uber and Lyft rides when you use them to book rides, including:

The information for the Amex Green credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related reading:

Updated 8/20/2025

Featured image by LYFT
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.