Quick comparison of Philly Driver Rate Card vs. Estimated Passenger Fare
The Minimum Fare for a Lyft in Philadelphia is $6.50. That breaks down to $4.50 for the ride and $2.00 safety/service fee.
The Minimum amount a driver can be paid is $3.60. This represents the 80% I originally agreed to. It's $6.50 minus the service fee of $2 multiplied by .8 . OK, Great! Am I happy that Lyft get's two dollars from the ride, regardless? No, but at least the math "works".
Well why is there always a question? Because Lyft is telling us we are being paid based off distance and milage, and then charging the passenger on different rates.
Did you know, the maximum amount you can be paid for any ride is $320? That doesn't include tips, just time and distance.
The maximum amount that a Passenger Fare can be, is $700. Wait, what?! The passenger could be paying $700, and I'm only going to get $320 of that??
Yes, and they're clearly taking more than 50% in this case. This is the discrepancy, they are clearly taking more than they should be.
Now if there is such a disparity in the Maximums, which should logically reflect the 80% number, why is it hard to believe that this could happen on a $20 ride? Other than directly asking the passenger, "What did your Lyft cost?" there's really no way for us to know if "what the passenger paid" is accurate or not.
Now I will give Lyft some credit. I've given rides where I've checked "what the passenger paid" and it's negative. Their disclaimer says they picked up the slack on the ride, but I question why they simply wouldn't charge the passenger the correct amount. This difference raises more questions than it answers.
Posted Jan 10, 2019, 7:10 PM UTC
The reason for the despairing is in the drivers agreement. It states nothing about percentages but only talks about your base fare, milage, time and cancel fee.
You're missing my point. I understand that percentages are no longer included. I say this in every single comment I make about this. We were never given a choice, it was "Drive with the addendum" or "don't drive".
Why do people pull out the agreement, and go "look, you agreed to this", when clearly we are being screwed. Idc if it's agreed to or not, Lyft is taking advantage of people who need the money the most.
That Lyft driver who just gave that ride that cost the passenger $700 still has to drive back, on $320. He has to travel double the miles of the ride, and somehow Lyft thinks it's ok to take 55% of that fare?
The choice as an IC is either drive or don't. Worry about your P/L.