Uber and Lyft both encourage driver tips with suggestions for either a cash amount (e.g. While a shared ride with Uber might be a bit cheaper or less complicated in theory, you'll still want to compare both services simultaneously to pick which one actually costs you less that day and that time. Google Maps calculated a trip from Union Square in California to San Francisco International Airport to be about 12.7 miles and 21 minutes on a Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. You also have no control over your drop-off priority, so build in plenty of time if you're headed, say, to the airport.įor my field test, UberPool wasn't available when I went to lunch a second time specifically to test these services for myself. Shared rides can take longer, and the time can add up if the driver picks up a passenger while you're en route, especially on long rides. If the driver doesn't pick up an extra passenger, you've just had a solo ride for the price of a carpool. Tip: Savvy riders will hail a shared ride if they're not in a rush. In some cases, a shared ride costs half the price of a private car other times there's little difference. You can hail a carpool with up to two people, and essentially, you're splitting the cost of the ride, but based again on complicated algorithms that include the time of day and all that. Shared trips will save you money, but there's a catchīoth Uber and Lyft offer shared rides, which pair you with another passenger with similar pickup locations and destinations. This isn't an apples-to-apples comparison by any means, but I did want to see if there was a big difference in pricing: Uber versus Lyft: Field test ride Traffic was equivalent and so was the duration of my ride. It's important to know that the minimum cost for any Uber trip is a flat booking fee that's added to each trip.įor a field test of the pricing, I took an Uber to lunch and a Lyft back to the office an hour and a half later. The farther you're going, the more you can save by comparing them at the same time.Īs an example, Uber estimates an 8-minute, 2.9 mile trip in Louisville, Kentucky (where I live), on a Thursday at 2 p.m. It only takes a few extra seconds that can save you dollars.
For example, if there are fewer drivers on the road during a busy time, either app might be pricier, even charging 1.5x the normal price during peak hours.īest tip: Load both the Uber and Lyft apps on your phone and compare the price at the time you want a ride. Prices can change based on demand and traffic for both services, which makes it tough to nail down which is cheaper when. Lyft and Uber both break down trip fees by the base fare, the distance, the duration of the drive and a fixed service or booking fee.
Lyft and Uber go head to head for your business. (Skip to the end for the final breakdown.) Here's everything you need to know about Lyft's and Uber's ability to save you cash. It also helps to know how the services work, so you can be well informed when you pick a ride.
That kind of calculation doesn't make it easier to understand which service will save you more bucks.īut there are some good rules of thumb to follow that can help you get the best possible rate, especially if you're a frequent rider. And so much about the final price comes down to where you are on a certain date at a certain time and how many Uber or Lyft drivers are on the road nearby. Uber's far less transparent pricing system makes it harder to see how much it costs on certain rides compared to Lyft. When it comes to saving money with ride-hailing apps, is one of them better than the other? The answer is yes, but not like you think. It could turn out that Uber is the cheapest option, as well as the most comfortable! You can budget your trip in advance with the fare estimator and your buddies will be happy to know exactly how much they’ll have left to spend on good food and drinks.The Uber and Lyft ride-hailing apps have seemingly inscrutable ways for calculating how much you'll spend on a ride, and - while convenient - the prices do add up. If you’re planning a weekend away with friends for example, you can compare the splitting the fare of your Uber ride to the price of petrol, renting a car, and public transport. The Uber fare estimate feature means you always know where you stand on travel costs. You’ll be notified in big bold letters when there is a price increase, and you can always choose to wait a while before leaving. The dynamic pricing model is used by Uber when traffic is heavy and the demand for rides exceeds the number of drivers available. You can also check online to get a price estimate for a trip in any city in the world where Uber operates. This price is based on the traffic and the hour at which you check the estimator, meaning it is subject to change depending on the availability of drivers. Open the Uber app, choose your pickup location and the destination and your estimated price will appear at the bottom of the screen.