Do you want to make more money as a Lyft driver?
The answer is obvious.
Any Lyft driver would be happy to get some extra cash.
To get some extra cash, you’ll need to learn about the Lyft Power Zone.
The Lyft Power Zone is a way for Lyft drivers to make some more money by driving passengers in high-demand regions and getting a bonus from this ride.
When the bonus money starts flowing, you will be sure to get that same amount on the next request as long as you complete the ride before leaving driver mode.
What Are Lyft Power Zones?
Lyft Power Zones show you where there is high demand for a ride and what regions will earn you a bonus.
According to the Ride Guru publication, the Lyft Power Zone is personalized based on where a driver is.
As such, they are also known as Personal Power Zones (PPZ).
There is also greater transparency with Lyft’s Personal Power Zones since you will see the total amount of the next bonus before you accept a ride from a passenger.
The Lyft Power Zones show up on your Lyft driver app whenever there is a high demand for drivers in the nearby areas.
The app will show you exactly where you can earn a bonus and how much of a bonus you can make per ride.
How Do Lyft Power Zones Work?
The demand of a particular region stimulates Personal Power Zones.
These zones will show up on a map whenever there are lots of passengers looking for a ride.
This oftentimes occurs during times of high demand, which are referred to as “Lyft Peak Hours“.
The Personal Power Zones come from the location of your car, which makes it easier for you to discover where you can get a bonus.
The Lyft driver app also has scheduled Personal Power Zones located in the earnings’ tab section of the app.
The scheduled zone will also provide you with the time a passenger is looking for, the location of the ride, and the bonus amount.
You will earn a bonus through the Personal Power Zone if you are located in the zone when you accept a ride or when your passenger is located in the Lyft Power Zone when you agree to the drive.
However, remember that it is always your choice to accept to drive a passenger via Lyft.
You have the final say on your bonuses and compensation.
How To Get The Power Zone Bonus
When you are in a Personal Power Zone, you can get a bonus on your next ride if you follow the tips below.
- The purple zone will ensure that you get a bonus on your next passenger ride once you drive into this zone
- The pink zone will give you an even larger bonus as long as you’re driving in this zone
- The more time you spend in the pink zone, the bigger your bonus will be
- You’ll need to drive a passenger to get that bonus
- Stay online to accept the next ride request and obtain the guaranteed bonus
Once you’ve completed that ride, you’ll receive the bonus.
If you leave your Personal Power Zone, you won’t lose your reward.
However, the bonus will not get any larger if you’re out of the zone.
On the app, the bonus notification will become grey-colored.
In addition, your bonus will not get any larger when you submit Destination Mode.
There are also other important points you’ll need to keep in mind as a Lyft driver.
Related: How much do Lyft drivers make?
Things to Keep in Mind
There are certain ways that you may lose your power driver bonus before you can receive it.
Lyft drivers may see their bonus canceled if they do not respond to the next drive request or scrap their next ride.
If you exit Driver Mode and go offline, you will also be forfeiting your bonus.
Furthermore, you could lose the bonus if your ride is re-tallied because you were not estimated to arrive within 5 minutes of the first estimated time of arrival.
You will also want to keep in mind that your map on the Lyft app will show hotspots of rider demand.
These hot spots will have colors of orange and yellow, but they will not guarantee any incentives for Lyft drivers.
If you keep these things in mind, you will be much more likely to obtain the bonus available via Lyft Power Zones.
Lyft Power Zones vs. Lyft Prime Time
Lyft Prime Time (PT) was a feature that allowed Lyft drivers to make more money using surge pricing during busy times.
Passengers were expected to pay more for their rides if there were not enough Lyft drivers when the demand was high.
The passenger pays an extra amount, which comes from a percentage.
For example, if there is a 50% Prime Time fee associated with a ride, the passenger will need to pay $30 for a ride that would have normally cost $20.
However, this cost does not include taxes or other fees such as an airport fee.
Lyft Prime Time had been around for years, but Lyft Power Zones replaced it in 2019.
However, while Lyft claimed they had replaced Prime Time with Lyft Power Zones based on feedback from its rideshare drivers, many found that they had never asked for this feature to be replaced.
Many veteran drivers feel that Lyft Power Zones are merely a way for the company to change each fare in their favor to raise their profit while drivers are left in the lurch.
Who Benefits from Power Zones? Lyft or Drivers?
Drivers faced multiple disadvantages when Lyft decided to replace the Lyft Prime Time feature with Power Zones.
For example, Lyft provides only one bonus for a string of shared rides.
Lyft can add another passenger or multiple passengers to an existing shared ride in which you’ll be picking up and dropping off multiple people while only garnering one bonus.
Many rideshare drivers have complained that their driver pay has decreased since the introduction of Power Zones and the loss of Lyft Prime Time.
Even if Prime Time wasn’t always available, it was reliable if major events or holidays took place in a particular city or town.
Rush hour was another reliable time for Prime Time for drivers in large cities.
In Los Angeles, rideshare drivers protested with the Rideshare Drivers United organization in 2019 when they saw their profits decline.
It seems that Power Zones are more beneficial for the Lyft company executives instead of the drivers that the entire business relies on.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re still confused about the Lyft Power Zone program, take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions below.
How do I unlock my Lyft bonus?
If you follow the directions for getting a bonus in a Lyft Power Zone, you will get a bonus added to your account.
All payments from Lyft can be paid directly to your bank account when you request an “express pay.”
This includes your bonuses.
How does the Lyft Power Zone program change my driver income?
If a Lyft rideshare driver has been driving for many years.
In that case, they may find that the Lyft Power Zone program negatively impacted income since they can no longer make bonuses as a percentage and only receive a flat rate bonus.
However, while the bonuses may have decreased, Lyft does state that more drivers are now making bonuses than before.
Why don’t I see Personal Power Zones when I go online?
You will not always see Personal Power Zones when you go online since the demand for rideshares may be low.
Personal Power Zones will only pop up on the Lyft map when the demand for rides is high in your local region.
What happens if I get a ride before I reach a Personal Power Zone I’m driving towards?
If the passenger that requests a ride is in the Personal Power Zone, you will still be eligible for the bonus.
If you choose to accept a ride request for someone located outside of the Lyft Power Zone, you will not be entitled to get the bonus.
Wrapping Up
With this guide, you should have learned all about the Lyft Power Zones and how they work.
You should now understand how the program can provide you with a bonus and the steps you need to earn.
Remember that the purple zone will provide you with the original gratuity, while the pink zone will reward you with an even larger profit.
Even if Lyft Power Zones may have decreased overall profit for rideshare drivers ever since it replaced Lyft Prime Time, it can still provide you with more cash in your pocket.
To garner more income, keep your eye out for the Personal Power Zone on the Lyft map.
