1. Lyft Business
  2. Coordinator
  3. Managing Concierge rides

Sending a Flexible ride in Concierge

You can send Flexible rides in Concierge. This means that your riders can request Lyft rides at their own convenience instead of being restricted to a specific pickup time.

In this article, we'll cover:

What is a Flexible ride? 

When you schedule a Flexible ride in Concierge, your rider will receive a SMS text message that they can use to request their Lyft ride when they're ready to go. They can do this by either tapping the link in the message or by calling 1-800-836-LYFT. Unlike on-demand and standard scheduled rides, riders don't have to remember or adhere to a specific pickup time.

Riders will have 24 hours to use the link and call their ride.

  • If you schedule the Flexible ride for the current day, the rider will have 24 hours to use the ride link starting from the moment you complete the ride request.
    • For example, if you complete the Flexible ride request in Concierge at 11:50 AM, the rider will have until 11:50 AM the next day to use the link
  • If you schedule the Flexible ride for a future date (up to thirty days in advance), the rider will have 24 hours to use the ride link starting at 12 AM and expiring at 11:59 PM on the date of the scheduled ride.
    • For example, if a ride has been scheduled for October 1, the rider will have from 12 AM-11:59 PM on October 1 to use the link. Additionally, a rider will be sent a reminder message when their Flexible ride becomes active if it is scheduled over 24 hours in advance.

You can schedule Flexible rides up to thirty days in advance. 

Concierge API clients can now schedule and send Flexible rides for their people. They’ll have 24 hours to request their ride OR you can set a specific time window (only for Concierge API clients) that their ride will be valid for.

How to send a Flexible ride

  1. Log in to Concierge and click 'Request'
  2. Enter the rider’s first name, last name, phone number, and preferred language. Currently, Flexible rides do not support landline phone numbers
    • If the rider has a mobile phone with internet access, they can use the ride link that will be sent to them via SMS to request their ride
    • If the rider has a mobile phone without internet access, they can call 1-800-836-LYFT to request their ride
    • If the rider does not have any access to a mobile phone, you will not be able to send them a Flexible ride. Instead, request a pre-scheduled Concierge ride and include the best phone number that can be used to reach the rider in the required ‘Mobile number’ field
  3. Enter in the rider's desired pickup and drop-off address. When you can click the 'Pickup location' and/or 'Destination' fields, the map turns into a draggable map to pinpoint the passenger's exact pickup and destination spot
  4. If you have specific details you’d like to share with the driver about this ride, write a message by clicking '+ Add a pickup note for the driver.' It will be sent to the driver as soon as they accept the ride
  5. Click 'Ride details' to move on to the next page of the request
  6. Select the pickup date for the Flexible ride—this can be the current day or a future date up to 30 days in advance 
  7. Select 'Flexible 'as the pickup time 

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  8. Select the ride mode you'd like to send for this ride — Standard Lyft (4 seats), Lyft XL (6 seats), Extra Comfort (4 seats), Lux Black (4 seats), Lux Black XL (6 seats) — from the drop-down menu.
  9. Select if you would like to include an optional tip for the driver, if enabled. 
  10. In addition, you can select Wait & Save, Priority Pickup or Preferred for your riders.
    • Wait & Save is Lyft’s most affordable ride mode for non-time-sensitive rides. In exchange for your riders being willing to wait to be matched with a driver, you’ll get lower prices.
    • Priority Pickup is for riders in a hurry. For a fee, priority pickup offers riders a faster ETA than a standard ride. On average, priority pickup is $5 more expensive than a standard ride.
    • Preferred is for riders who would like a newer, more spacious car with a top-rated driver. 
  11. Your company can add an internal memo to this ride for accounting or reconciliation purposes by clicking '+ Include an internal memo'
  12. When you’re ready to send the ride, click 'Send ride link'
    • If you scheduled the ride for the current day, the rider will receive the SMS text immediately with their ride link to request the ride when they’re ready
    • If you scheduled the ride for a future date, the rider will receive an SMS text immediately letting them know a Flexible ride has been scheduled for them. When the link becomes active for them to take a ride, they will receive an additional SMS text

How riders can initiate their ride

Riders can initiate their Flexible ride by either tapping the link in the SMS message they received or by calling 1-800-836-LYFT. When requesting their ride via SMS message, they can follow the below steps: 

  1. The rider will receive an SMS text with a link to request a ride on the date of the scheduled ride, they have 24 hours to use the link before it expires
  2. The link will open up their default mobile web browser. From there, they’ll see ride details, such as the pickup and drop-off location, and a 'Request now' button
  3. To complete ordering the Lyft ride, they must click 'Request' again in the pop-up. They will then be matched with a nearby driver
  4. Once a driver accepts the ride, the rider will receive another text be able to track their ride on a map as the driver is picking them up
  5. The rider will receive updates about their ride via SMS text

To request a ride via phone call: 

  1. When the rider is ready to be picked up, they should call 1-800-836-LYFT
  2. They will hear the following script once the call is connected:

     "You have a Lyft ride available. Your pickup is at [pickup address], and your dropoff is at [dropoff address]. To repeat this message, press 1. When you’re ready to go, press 2 to request your ride. If you need to change the ride’s destination or other details, please contact the organization that requested your ride."
  3. The rider should make sure they are at the pickup location stated in the phone call and press 2 to request their ride. After they hang up, they'll be matched with a nearby driver
  4. Once a driver accepts the ride, the rider will receive updates about their ride via SMS text as usual

Learn more about the SMS texts the rider will receive during the pickup experience with Flexible rides. 

How to initiate the ride for your rider

If your rider needs additional help dispatching their Flexible ride, you can also follow the steps below to request the ride for them in Concierge. 

  1. In Concierge, navigate to the 'Upcoming' rides tab and then select 'Flexible' to locate the ride you want to request
  2. In the ride card that appears, select 'Request now' 
  3. You'll see an additional prompt to confirm your request
  4. The ride will be requested for the rider and they're receive an additional SMS notifying them that the ride has been requested 

FAQs

My rider said they didn’t receive the ride link via SMS. What should they do?

If your rider is not receiving the SMS with their ride link, it's possible they have previously opted out of receiving SMS texts from Lyft. They can opt back into receiving SMS texts at any time by texting the word STARTALL to 46080. 

If they are still not receiving the ride link after opting in to receive SMS, your rider can always call 1-800-836-LYFT from mobile phones to request their ride and hear their ride details or you can request the ride for them in Concierge. 

What is the cancellation policy for Flexible rides?

The standard Lyft cancellation policy applies to Flexible rides. You must cancel the ride within two minutes of a driver accepting the ride to avoid any cancellation fees. After two minutes, a cancellation fee will be incurred if the ride is cancelled.

Are Flexible rides available for landline riders?

Not at this time, but we are continuously exploring how we can provide more access for more riders to ensure sure that anyone can have a great rideshare experience. 

What happens if a rider has multiple Flexible or scheduled rides?

A rider can easily manage and request the proper ride for themselves if multiple rides are occurring on the same day. The rider will be sent a different message for each ride, but the link they need to use to request each ride will remain the same. When the rider clicks on that link, they’ll be shown a full list of their upcoming rides.