Lyft Pink membership program now available nationwide
If you're a frequent Lyft rider, you're going to be happy to hear that the rideshare app new monthly membership called Lyft Pink is now available to riders nationwide. This membership will give riders elevated access to even more savings and perks on daily rides.
Lyft Pink will cost members $19.99 a month, which could be appealing for regular riders who take at least 2-3 rides a week. With this membership, riders will enjoy a host of perks including...
- 15% savings on all rides
- 3 complimentary bike and scooter rides a month
- Priority airport pickups
- Surprise offers and upgrades
- Free cancellations up to 3x a month when cancelled and rebooked within 15 minutes
- Waived lost and found fees
Exclusive partnership benefits, car rental perks and surprise offers to come
Further reading: I saved $43 with Lyft Pink. Here’s why you may (or may not) want to get it.
Here's a quick tutorial on how to enroll:
Before you enroll, make sure you're using a credit card that earns extra rewards on ride-hailing trips and link your account with Delta and Hilton — this tactic will allow you to triple dip your points all while simply taking a ride.
Comparing Uber's Ride Pass to Lyft Pink
A ride-hailing app membership isn't quite new — Uber has been toying with memberships for some time now and launched a loyalty program last year. Currently there are four levels of status you can earn with Uber Rewards and they're all based on the amount of cash you spend with Uber. Depending on your status, you can unlock different benefits like waived cancellation fees with Gold status and if you make it all the way to Diamond status, you'll enjoy things like surprise complimentary upgrades.
While Lyft doesn't have a loyalty program, they do have partnerships with Hilton and Delta that allows you to simultaneously earn points with both programs and with whatever credit card you use. Uber's Ride Pass membership is most similar to Lyft Pink in the sense that they're not based off spend and you can enjoy the perks instantly. However, there are a few key differences. Let's compare:
| Lyft Pink | Uber Ride Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (per month) | $20 | $25* |
| Savings | 15% on all rides | Ride pass allows you to lock in your price on all eligible routes so you're not subject to surge pricing. |
| Perks | Free bike and scooter rides
Priority airport pick-up Free cancellations 3x a month | Avoid surge pricing
Free JUMP bikes and scooter rides up to 30 minutes when available |
| Availability | Nationwide by end of 2019 | Select U.S. cities |
*Pricing depends on the city you want to buy the pass for
You'll likely find the most value in either ride-hailing company's pass with the savings on actual car rides. When looking at the 15% savings you get with Lyft Pink versus the ability to avoid surge pricing with Uber's Ride Pass, the 15% may result in more savings on everyday rides if you're not constantly traveling during peak times. However, the ability to avoid Uber's surge pricing is really worth it if you are constantly traveling at peak times or along notoriously busy routes.
Related: I almost always chose Lyft over Uber — here's why
With the 15% discount, you'll need to spend about $135 on Lyft rides over the course of a month to recoup the $20 monthly fee — spend anything more than that and you'll be coming out ahead with Lyft Pink.
Another highlight of Lyft Pink is the priority airport pick-up. Uber offers this to Platinum Uber Rewards members, but it's not a feature of their Ride Pass membership. In order to qualify for Uber Platinum, riders will need to spend $1,250+ on UberX rides in a six month period, which is much more of an investment than the $20/month you can pay to instantly enjoy priority pick-up with Lyft Pink.
Bottom Line
Lyft Pink makes sense for regular riders who also want to enjoy enhanced perks. Uber Ride Pass makes sense for riders who are constantly traveling during peak times. All in all — Lyft Pink has the potential to save regulars a decent amount of cash while also triple dipping between a credit card, Delta and Hilton.
