New Lyft drivers are eligible for a huge sign-up bonus worth up to $2,500 when they use a Lyft driver promo code during the signup process.
The Lyft new driver sign up bonus can range from $10 to $2,500, depending on the city you drive in.
The bonuses change often depending on the level of driver supply in a region, so make sure to claim yours now before the amount drops.
When claiming an earnings guarantee, there are a few important terms to note:
If you have questions at any point during the application process, feel free to email us or contact Lyft customer service to get help.
Every driver has a unique Lyft referral code tied to their account that unlocks cash bonuses for referring new drivers and riders.
Often referred to as a “Lyft driver referral code”, this is the key to claiming new driver sign up bonuses.
For a new driver to obtain a cash bonus or a passenger to obtain free ride credit, this promo code must be applied during signup.
Drivers can have the bonus automatically applied by applying through our referral link during the signup process, and passengers enter it into the Lyft app when opening an account.
This step is important, as most drivers who forget to enter one often find that Lyft will oftentimes not retroactively apply this promotion to their account at a later date.
Each code pretty much works the same, and choosing one code over another won’t change your bonus amount.
If you’ve paid attention to Lyft driver promotions, you’ll notice that all bonuses are not alike.
In fact, depending on which city you sign up to drive in, bonuses can vary by amount, or type altogether.
Historically, bonuses are split into two types:
There are notable differences between the two types of driver promotions, and understanding how each works is critical to your success of the highest payout.
What is offered in your city at the time of signup is what you get.
Unfortunately you can’t pick which one you’d like to claim, as it’s up to your local team to determine the payouts.
In certain cities, Lyft is testing what they are calling Earnings Guarantee promotions that pay drivers a set amount of money for completing a simple ride requirement.
These promotions are very similar to Uber’s Quest promotions.
Instead of paying drivers a cash bonus for each ride they give, they will guarantee a driver will make a certain amount, and if they don’t, Lyft will pay the difference.
Drivers wanting to cash in on this type will need to drive during Lyft guaranteed hours, which usually fall within times of high demand.
Examples:
Weekly guarantees are a great way to earn a lump sum of money in a set amount of time.
From what I can tell, they’re geared more towards drivers who do rideshare full time, as the ride requirements are typically pretty high.
These are usually a relevant bonus for cities with high passenger demand and a lot of driver turnover.
Bigger cities like Boston, Dallas, San Diego, Seattle, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Philadelphia are just a few examples where Lyft needs plenty of cars on the road.
But regardless, making a large amount of money, like $1,000 in the first 30 days, is something that is worth checking out.
The second type of promotion that Lyft has previously offered is called a drip promotion.
Drip promotions pay out a cash bonus for every ride given during a set time frame.
Instead of having to complete an incredibly high amount of rides in a set amount of time, Lyft drivers can earn extra money regardless, allowing them to be as ambitious as they want.
Here is a hypothetical example.
Let’s say the promotion in an example city was a $300 total bonus, if the drier gave 200 rides within the first 28 days of signing up.
If they gave all 200 rides, they earned the full $300 payout.
If they only gave 50 rides though, they still earned an extra $75 without having to lose the entire bonus.
Chicago drivers have recently been offered the chance to claim an extra $1.50 for every ride they give in their first 28 days, up to $300.
The introduction of this incentive was a vast improvement over previous Lyft sign up bonuses.
In the past, bonuses were either win or lose, meaning you’d be required to give a certain number of rides within a timeframe.
If you didn’t hit that number of rides, you’d lose the entire bonus, even if you were short by just one ride.
And these promotions paid out incredibly well too.
Some of the best paying cities for signup bonuses at one time paid out:
Other high paying cities include Denver, New York City, Atlanta, Phoenix Orange County, and Washington D.C.
But as Lyft grows, there is less need for these types of promotions, meaning they will continue to change and evolve as time goes on.