Jump to
Find Job Write Review
  • Find Job
  • Write Review
  • Account Login

    Forgot Password?
    Don't have an account? Signup

    Use a social account for faster login or easy registration.

    Log in with Facebook

    Account Registration

    Already have an account? Login

    Reset Password

    Remember your password? Login
Gigworker.com
  • Start Here
    Start HereWhat is the gig economy and how does it work?
    – Delivery Quickstart GuideThe basics of delivering food, groceries, and packages.
    – Lifestyle Quickstart GuideAn overview of lifestyle, care-related gigs.-
    – Lodging Quickstart GuideHow to get started renting your home on lodging platforms.
    – Freelancing Quickstart GuideHow to enter into the gig economy as a freelancer.
    – Rideshare Quickstart GuideThe basics of providing safe rides via rideshare services.
    – Tasks Quickstart GuideThe basics of making money performing common tasks.

  • Find Gigs
    SVG
    Browse All JobsBrowse all available gigs
    SVG
    Browse CompaniesBrowse all companies offering gigs

    Featured:

    1. Postmates Courier
    2. Instacart Shopper
    3. DoorDash Driver
    4. Uber Driver
    5. Lyft Driver

    Submit a Gig – list your gig on our gig marketplace
    Submit
  • Browse Companies
  • Read Content
    SVG
    App-Based GigsInformation for the Care, Delivery, Lifestyle, Lodging & Transportation sectors
    SVG
    Business AdviceHow to set up and run your own business as an independent contractor
    SVG
    FreelancingInformation for freelance consultants and gig workers
    SVG
    Reviews & RoundupsOur take on gig economy platforms, products, tools, and services
    SVG
    Side HustlesUnique and interesting ways to make money in the gig economy
    SVG
    NewsThe latest news and information about the gig economy

    Resources:

    • State of Remote Work in 2020
    • Stats About Remote Work
    • How An Increase in Remote Work Helps Employers
    • Why Gig Work Is Here To Stay for Good
    • Timeline of the Gig Economy

    Find Your Gig Today

    START HERE

  • Products & Training
    SVG
    Finance Accounting, finance, and funding
    SVG
    Products Essential products to get the job done
    Apps Smartphone apps to improve efficiency and earnings
    SVG
    Training Ebooks, courses, and certifications to advance your skills

  • Create Account
Home » Blog » App-Based Gigs » Transportation » Ridesharing » Use a Lyft Fare Estimator to Pinpoint Your Ride Cost

Use a Lyft Fare Estimator to Pinpoint Your Ride Cost

If you want to determine the cost of your next Lyft ride, look no further than a Lyft fare estimator. Using one can help you determine how much your ride will cost and what types of service levels are available in your city.

Brett Helling
Updated on May 28, 2019January 31, 2021
Share:
  • Share this on WhatsApp
  • Share this on FaceBook
  • Share this on Twitter
Gigworker.com is supported by our visitors. When you click through the links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions.

If you’re someone who uses the Lyft app often, you may be confused about how the company determines the cost of a ride. Fortunately, we’re here to help, providing you with everything you need to know about Lyft prices in the United States.

Obtaining a price estimate before you hail your next Lyft ride could help save you money. It could also allow you to determine whether you’re better off calling a Lyft or Uber ride.

Lastly, a fare estimator will enable you to decide whether you’re better off with becoming an Uber driver or Lyft driver. Below, you’ll find a complete guide to Lyft fare estimators.


Jump To:

  • How Does Lyft Calculate Prices?
  • Where to Obtain a Lyft Fare Estimate
    • Lyft App
    • Lyft Website
  • Determining the Cost of a Lyft
    • Surge Pricing
    • Tipping

How Does Lyft Calculate Prices?

Many factors go into calculating the price of your Lyft ride. Below are the criteria the company uses when calculating its prices:

  • Base Fare — You’re charged this flat rate when you begin your trip.
  • Cost Per Mile — The company bases this charge on the total distance traveled during your trip.
  • Cost Per Minute — The company bases this charge on the total time of your trip.
  • Service Fee —This flat fee is not for the drivers. Instead, it goes to Lyft directly.
  • Other Fees — This accounts for things such as tolls and airport pick-ups.
  • Tip — This is an optional cost that goes to the driver after your ride is complete.

Lyft uses the following equation to determine the cost of the trip:

  • Base fare + (cost per mile * distance traveled) + (cost per minute * ride time) + service fee + other fees + tip = Total fare

As we’ll detail more below, these costs are not standard throughout the United States. Instead, they can fluctuate depending on the city you’re traveling in.

Where to Obtain a Lyft Fare Estimate

If you’re looking to obtain a Lyft fare estimate, there are a couple of methods you have at your disposal to do so.

Lyft App

One of the best places to receive a real-time estimate is in the Lyft app. You can download the Lyft app for either Android, iOS, or Windows devices.

Upon opening the app, you’ll see a prompt that asks you to set the drop-off location for your trip. You could then set various starting points to ensure you receive accurate upfront pricing.

You can also scroll through various options at the bottom of the “Results” page. For instance, Lyft will tell you the cost of a Shared Ride for one to two people or the price of an entire car for four people.

Lyft offers different ride sizes to its customers, including:

  • Lyft — Your personal ride. No matter if you’re traveling solo or with four other people, you’ll get the entire car to yourself.
  • Shared — You’ll match with others who are going in the same direction as you. The company says that its Shared pricing is always fixed upfront and will not fluctuate based on things such as “Per Minute” costs. You’ll find the price of a Shared Ride cheaper than the cost of a Lyft.
  • Lyft XL — If you need more than four seats, you’ll need a Lyft XL. A Lyft XL guarantees up to six seats.
  • Lux Black — This black car service is sleek and luxurious. Lyft ensures that its top drivers are behind the wheel of all of its black cars.
  • Lux Black XL — This is the same as a Lux Black, except that it can hold six people instead of four.

Lyft Website

If you’re trying to plan the cost of a future trip, you may want to use the fare estimator located on the Lyft website. The site allows you to pinpoint the price of a fare, no matter what city it’s in.

Once you select a city, you can enter the pick-up location and drop-off location in that area.

So, for instance, imagine you’re taking a trip to New York.

Before you go into the “Big Apple,” you want to know the cost of ordering a Lyft to take you from Madison Square Garden to the Empire State Building. Lyft then provides a breakdown of the expected time and cost for any of its car options, as demonstrated in the picture below.

Lyft fare estimator on Lyft site

Determining the Cost of a Lyft

The cost of a Lyft depends on the type of ride that you order and the city that you’re in. Shared Rides are typically cheaper, while XL and Lux rides are more expensive.

When using the Lyft website to secure a fare estimate, you can see relevant information for a given city, such as the Base Fare, Minimum Fare, and Maximum Fare.

Below, you’ll see a breakdown of Lyft pricing in New York City.

New York City pricing for Lyft fare estimator

Whether you’re traveling for vacation or work, you should look up fare estimates before heading on your trip. The cost of a Lyft can vary significantly from city to city.

Consider, for example, the price of a Lyft in Los Angeles compared to the cost of a Lyft in New York.

Los Angeles Lyft pricing

As the above graphics show, the cost per mile in New York is $1.46, while it’s $1.06 in Los Angeles. Additionally, the NYC cost per minute is 66 cents while the cost in LA is 17 cents. Such differences exist from city to city in the United States.

Fortunately, Lyft’s website provides the cost of hailing a ride in every American city. With a little bit of research, you can quickly determine the price of a Lyft anywhere you travel.

Surge Pricing

Another thing that can factor in the cost of the Lyft is surge pricing, which Lyft calls Prime Time. When demand is high, the company institutes Prime Time pricing in an attempt to get more Lyft drivers on the road. This is nearly identical to Uber’s SURGE pricing.

If this pricing is in effect, you’ll see a small lightning bolt in your app next to a price estimate. Lyft typically increases the price by 25% increments. The more demand for Lyfts, the higher the Prime Time pricing.

So, let’s say you saw a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. When the show lets out, there are likely tens of thousands of people looking to secure a ride. There are not nearly enough drivers to handle this sudden demand. So, Lyft charges a premium and increases the cost of a trip through surge pricing.

Surge pricing can fluctuate in a matter of minutes. If you’re looking for a cheaper ride, consider waiting a couple of minutes and then try to hail a Lyft driver again.

Unfortunately, surge pricing can be unpredictable. If you’re looking for a real-time price estimate during Prime Time hours, your best bet is to use the Lyft app.

Tipping a Lyft Driver

Another component that could change the price of your Lyft is the tip that you leave your driver. According to Lyft’s website, you have up to 72 hours after a ride to add a tip.

One option you have is to tip as soon as your ride is complete. After the trip is over, the Lyft app will prompt you to rate your driver. After rating your Lyft driver, you can choose a predetermined tip or enter a custom amount.

The other option you have is to add a tip after the fact when looking at the “Ride History” section in profile. Your Ride History will display the various Lyft drivers who you’ve ridden with.

You can click on the driver and then select “Tip driver.” Then, you can enter your tip amount.

Lastly, Lyft will email you a receipt of the ride. In this email, the company will provide you with a link that you can use to tip your Lyft driver.

So, how much should you tip your Lyft driver? Diane Gottsman of the Protocol School of Texas told the Huffington Post, “There’s no set amount, but I think you should consider tipping like you would tip a taxi driver, which is about 15 to 25%.”

The Lyft app and website will not build a tip into the fare estimate. Be sure to consider the tip that you’ll leave when securing your price estimate.

Use Lyft to Hail Your Next Ride

New York City street with taxis and cars

Now that you know how to obtain a price estimate, you can use Lyft to hail your next ride. Be sure to look for various Lyft promo codes and offers when doing so.

By securing price estimates, using promo codes, and ordering when it’s not Prime Time, you can find yourself saving a lot of money the next time you use Lyft. And who doesn’t love saving money?

  • Author Details
Brett Helling
Owner , Gigworker.com
Brett Helling is the owner of Gigworker.com. Since an early age, he has started business ventures and worked various side hustles in many different niches. He has been a rideshare driver since early 2012, having completed hundreds of trips for companies including Uber and Lyft. In 2014 he started a website to share his experiences with other drivers, which has now become Ridester.com. He is currently working on a book about working in the Gig Economy, expanding his skill set beyond the rideshare niche by building and growing Gigworker.com. As the site grows, his insights are regularly quoted by publications such as Forbes, Vice, CNBC, and more.
Web
https://bretthelling.com/
follow me

Tags

  • Lyft

Recent Posts

  • Prevent Eye Strain While Working From Home
  • 10 Tips to Make Your Home Office a Productive Workspace
  • Guide to Rideshare and Food Delivery Driving on New Year’s Eve

Related Articles

How much does Instacart pay for grocery shoppers
March 20, 2019

How Much Does Instacart Pay? Find the New Instacart Pay Structure Here

Grubhub Tipping: What’s a Fair Amount to Tip Your Driver?
January 10, 2019

Grubhub Tipping: What’s a Fair Amount to Tip Your Driver?

January 10, 2019

9 Ways to Make More as an Uber Eats Driver

Post a comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ImageHow the Gig Economy…As of 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that…
ImageThe State of Remote…Remote work isn’t new. Telecommuting has long been a part…
ImageAn Increase in Remote…Remote working, or telecommuting, has been around since the invention…
ImageWhy Remote and Gig…Working remotely — add it to the long list of…
ImageThe Ultimate Guide to…According to Upwork’s annual “Freelancing in America” study, it won’t be…
ImageThe 11 Best Cities…The gig economy is booming, but where is the best…
ImageWorking Remotely in a…We are entering the golden age of remote work. As…

Account

  • My Account
  • My Bookmarks

Company

  • About
  • Blog

Resources

  • Contact
  • Terms
  • Privacy

Featured

  • Basics
    Intro to The Gig Economy
  • Basics
    Gig Economy Timeline

Gigworker.com Copyright © 2020