Lyft Plus vs UberXL: Which is Better for Drivers?
Since the launch of Lyft Plus a few weeks ago, rideshare drivers with six passenger vehicles have more choices for getting the most money out of their vehicles.
Its time for Pros and Cons! (Yes, cheap ripoff from How I Met Your Mother, CBS can come sue me)
Lyft Plus
Pro:
Its live in all lyft cities (more than UberXL)
Get 1.5x the regular lyft rates even with Prime Time Tips
Cons:
As of this post, you cannot see if its a Plus Request before pickup nor can you see it in your daily summaries.
UberXL
Pro:
You can see if its an XL request before pickup
You can choose to accept XL only requests (feature only in some cities)
Usually more XL surges than X surge pricing but most times they are at the same level.
Same driver can use two different cars. Can choose smaller car for quieter times, SUV/Minivan for XL for more busy times (Thanks Grace!)
Con:
Not available in every UberX city
Uber commission is 28% on XL rides, similar to that of UberSUV
Which is Better?
If you drive more than 40 hours a week, it is better to do Lyft as you get 15% more (on average) than Uber due to its Power Bonus (20% if you drive over 50 hours a week). Power Bonus is for drivers who drive more than 20 hours a week. The more you drive, the higher the bonus is. The bad part is that you can’t see Plus pricing on Lyft trips, either before or after the trip, whereas you can only get UberXL requests if you like.
As usual, its best to do both. I have not confirmed this strategy, but here are my thoughts:
- If Prime Time/Surge Pricing are at the same levels, do Lyft with Uber set on UberXL requests only.
- If the Surge/Prime Time Tip isn’t the same, then find the highest one and turn on that service. You can use your smartphone to check pricing via the passenger app. I can usually check both within 20 seconds.
- New Uber Drivers will get up to a $800 bonus after signing up: Sign up for Uber.
- New Lyft Drivers will get up to $800 if you sign up here using this link.
