Going somewhere? Get a free ride from Lyft (worth $25).

Okay, I’ll admit that I am a little under Uber’s spell. I mean, who wouldn’t be?

But I’m also a fan of the deal. And I’m always willing to try something new. With that in mind, I’m definitely going to give Lyft a try. Especially since I’ve got a $25 credit from a friend burning a hole in my pocket.

What is Lyft?

It’s kind of like Uber. But it’s more “of the people, for the people.” Their tagline is “your friend with a car.” In other words, Lyft has more of a community focus. Currently, they are in 19 cities. They’re adding more as quickly as they can.

The way it works is that background-checked, interviewed, insured drivers rent out seats in their cars for a fee. They’ll pick you up and drop you off. Lyft’s cut is 20% – the drivers keep the rest.

Lyft’s got a fun, relaxed vibe. Every Lyft car wears a pink fuzzy “carstache.” Riders normally sit in the front seat. Drivers greet you with a fistbump.

To access Lyft, you need to have an iphone or an Android. Paying for your Lyft rides is done entirely through an app, and is completely cash-free…just like Uber.

When you want a ride, you open the app and see a map with the locations of the Lyft cars that are nearest to you.

 

You click to request a ride, and your phone immediately shows you the driver’s name, his/her rating by past passengers (out of five stars) and photos of him/her and his/her car.

Afterwards you rate your driver and pay through the app. The driver rates you, too, so be on your best behavior. 🙂

How much does Lyft cost?

You can click here to see pricing for each city. Here are the details for San Francisco:

For comparison purposes, here is the UberX chart (their least expensive option) for San Francisco.

I have to say that I was surprised by this comparison, but as I think about it, it makes sense: Uber recently slashed prices in many cities in order to become more competitive.

If you decided to use Lyft for a 10-mile ride that took 10 minutes, you would pay $26.50.

With UberX, you would pay $21.

So, why use Lyft if it’s more expensive?

Well, you might as well try it if it’s free. If you use my referral link, we will both get a $25 credit. Once you’ve got an account, you can refer folks as well. Feel free to post your own links in the comments below.

Once you try it – you might like it more than Uber! It’s got a different vibe – less formal, more fun.

Another reason is that Lyft could have better availability in your area.

I’m definitely going to give it a try.

If you’ve already tried Lyft – what did you think? If you haven’t – would you give it a shot?

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