Lyft has partnered with Hertz Global Holdings Inc to offer rental cars to its drivers, the ride-hailing company said on Thursday. Zimmer said that it’s about putting people first, with community the top priority; empowering great drivers by honoring their stories and giving them tools to reach their goals; delivering extraordinary experiences to the riders, where the company exceeds its expectations to provide better transportation; and listening and innovating, where the community is the key stakeholder.
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And finally, Lyft announced a new product called “Express Pay” which will give drivers the ability to deposit their earnings directly to their bank accounts whenever they want, instead of waiting for a weekly deposit as has been the norm until now.
At an event at the company’s headquarters attended by a mixture of press and drivers, Laura Copeland, who manages the company’s relationship with drivers, praised them for helping make Lyft a great service. Says the company, “Now you don’t even have to own an auto to be” one of its drivers. It isn’t clear whether the company plans to expand it elsewhere, nor when. The ridesharing service has also announced a partnership with Shell Fuel Rewards and a new Express Pay for same-day payments. The partnership is also expected to benefit existing Lyft drivers in case their cars break down and have to go in the shop for a few days. The partnership begins in San Francisco, Chicago and Boston in about a month and will roll out nationwide by year’s end.
Thursday’s partnerships were the most recent unveiled by San Francisco-based Lyft to give it an edge against Uber [UBER.UL], the ride-hailing market heavyweight. Through independent contracts, Lyft and competitor Uber avoid paying payroll tax, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and state taxes. This is a selling point for Lyft in attracting drivers because other ridesharing platforms, like Uber, don’t make it possible for passengers to tip within the app.
“The more you drive, the more you save”, said David Rust, Lyft head of operations strategy. From pink mustaches and fist bumps when the ride-hailing app launched three years ago to carpooling and tipping today, the company wants everyone, both drivers and passengers, to be happy. That partnership will start in Las Vegas – Lyft’s newest market. The deal seeks to keep riders from jumping to Uber when they travel by launching a service will allow Lyft users to hail a Didi when travelling in China and vice versa. Approved drivers will be able to rent Hertz vehicles at special daily, weekly and monthly rates.
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But another driver, who asked not to be identified because he thought Lyft might deactivate him for criticizing it, had a more cynical view.
