Keep an eye on your email inbox. Soon, select Lyft riders in Charlotte and some other markets will be invited by email to join the waitlist for a Lyft Pass, part of the company’s newest subscription model. The Verge compared it to a Netflix or Spotify monthly subscription model, but for transportation instead of entertainment.
The deal: If you accept the email invitation you can request a spot to get an all-access pass where you pay $200 up front, but then get 30 “free” rides for the month, up to $15 each. If high-frequency Charlotte riders took all 30 rides, that means they could save up to $250 (since 30 rides for $15 each would typically bring your bill to $450).
Three questions linger as the test phase approaches. Do enough individual Charlotteans take 30 rides a month? That number seems high for a city that is still heavy on car traffic (no matter how many bike-sharing and scooter-sharing apps come our way), and when Millennials seem to use Lyft more for weekend transportation and rides to the airport than for actual commuting.
Plus, what happens if a monthly subscriber exceeds that $15 ride limit?
Lastly, I love that you can choose to tip your Lyft driver. It’s a valuable part of the service industry that allows customers to express gratitude. Will that option still be available?
The test will tell.
VIA CHARLOTTE FIVE
