Both Lyft and Uber have been offering outrageously high bonuses and guarantees to get drivers back on the road, most especially since the Covid-19 vaccine has come out and people are getting back into their regular routines and starting to go out once more.
But what happens when these platforms don’t honor their guarantees and bonuses? Below is the experience of a driver in the Philadelphia area.
Philadelphia Driver Offered $8,000 to Drive for Lyft – Great! Right?!
Juan joined Lyft specifically for the $8,000 guarantee he was offered, but Lyft is refusing to pay out.
That is a huge hook. $8,000 guaranteed is unheard of. That’s the potential for a lot of money. 
When Juan signed up, he was told he’d have to give 200 rides in his first 30 days. That’s an average of about 7 rides per day if he drove every day during his eligibility period. Very doable.
That would also mean, in order to get some kind of payout, he’d have to average less than $40 per ride. Most rides don’t pay anywhere near $40 to the drivers, so this appears to be a very achievable goal.
After he’d completed his 200 rides, he’d received a total of $4,172.56 in earnings.
This means Juan should have received at least $3,827.44 to make up the guaranteed amount offered. I say at least because his tips should not be included in his earnings for his guarantee, so I personally believe he’s owed much more than that.
Instead? He’s gotten the complete runaround from Lyft. They are able to confirm he used the correct promo code, but aside from that, he’s been told to wait around for an email response from a specific team concerning these earnings he’s owed.
Juan reached out to support multiple times and was told it was being escalated only to hear crickets after that.
Plus, he’s done his due diligence to make sure he was eligible and met the criteria needed. He confirmed with support when his guarantee start date was, that he had the correct promo code, and so his final attempt was to send an email directly to the CEO at Lyft.
We know mistakes happen and glitches and all that, but it doesn’t mean that the company shouldn’t take responsibility for their mistakes. Juan completed the guarantee and is owed thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, Juan is not the only one facing this issue, or something similar.
Other Guarantee Issues
A driver in the Minneapolis market reached out to me and told me that he had some hiccups along the way when he had his guarantee offer for returning drivers.
Barry told me, “It is not uncommon for the guarantee referral code not to apply correctly for returning drivers. This was the case for me, so I have been working with local Lyft staff to ensure I am paid (and also my friend who referred me) correctly.”
He ended up having issues with his background check not clearing quickly, so he was able to work with the local Lyft representatives to ensure his “clock” didn’t start until he was approved and actually able to be back on the road again. Not everyone is lucky enough to have that kind of good experience with support. But I’m glad he was able to get it worked out.
On Reddit, I came across someone who had issues getting their guarantee because they didn’t realize that streak bonuses count against your earnings. There was a big argument among posters on if this is true or not.
But, the OP shared communication they’d received from Lyft stating:
Holly (Lyft) Jun 24, 2021, 11:00 AM CDT
Hi Dale,
Thank you for reaching back out, I will be happy to double check this for you.
After talking with the experts, I was able to confirm that streak bonuses do count in your earnings, before an earnings guarantee calculation. The only bonuses that will not be included is the specific ‘Ride Challenge’ promotion.
I can understand that this could be laid out more clearly and am working with the right teams to get that changed. Please understand that this calculation aligns with all other drivers earning this bonus, so we are not able to change it.
All of your hard work offering needed Lyft rides throughout your community is incredibly appreciated, and I hope you have enjoyed your earning experience.
Please let us know if you have questions anytime.
Kind regards,
Learn more about Lyft’s Earnings Guarantee guidelines and eligibility here.
Next Steps
I know Juan has done everything possible to resolve this with Lyft directly.
If he still hasn’t gotten a solution, his next plausible step would probably be to take Lyft to small claims court or at least threaten to sue. Especially since there’s been no clear communication from Lyft as to why he is not eligible (if that’s the reason), or any other explanation for not receiving the deserved funds.
Have you had problems getting paid out for your guarantee? How did you resolve it or is it an ongoing issue?
-Paula @ RSG
