5 Best Ride Services to Make Money With in 2024

Uber is the world’s largest ridesharing app, with over 100 million monthly active users and an average of 25 million trips per day in over 10,000 cities worldwide. With this wide market coverage, driving for Uber means there are hundreds of passengers readily available to book rides with you.

Rides on Uber are available 24/7, and you can make more money during busy hours due to high demand. When you receive a ride request on Uber, you’ll see the passenger’s location, destination, and fees. With that information, you’ll know if a ride is worth it before accepting it.

How Much Does an Uber Driver Make?

The amount you’ll earn as an Uber driver depends on factors such as your location, the type of trip you make, and the exact time when you make it. According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly earnings of Uber drivers in the United States are $19. If you’re highly strategic and mostly drive during peak hours, you can make as much as $30 per hour.

There are several ways to maximize your Uber earnings, such as taking a set number of trips per day. Offering your passengers a great experience could also earn you tips, 100% of which you’re allowed to keep.

Uber Requirements

To use the Uber platform, you must meet the least minimum age requirement to drive in your city, have a valid driver’s license, and have at least a year of driving experience if you’re older than 23 (drivers under the age of 23 must have three years of driving experience).

Depending on your city, the vehicle requirement may vary. But in general, the vehicle you intend to use for Uber must be a 4-door vehicle that’s 15 years old or newer and in good physical condition. You’ll also need to provide your vehicle’s proof of insurance and registration documents.

As the second largest ridesharing app and Uber’s closest competitor, Lyft is a great place for starting your ride service journey. Lyft is available in all 50 states of the U.S., and it works pretty much the same way as Uber. You earn by providing rides to passengers who use the app to request and pay for rides.

Riders input their pickup and drop-off locations in the app to see a list of nearby drivers they can select from. You can set your availability to online or offline anytime, and get to decide which ride requests to accept.

You can maximize your Lyft earnings by participating in any of Lyft’s numerous bonus programs. There’s a guaranteed earnings bonus, ride streaks bonus, and ride challenge bonus, to name a few. Lyft also occasionally offers sign-up bonuses for new drivers.

How Much Does a Lyft Driver Make?

According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly earnings for Lyft drivers are between $17 and $20 per hour. Drivers working in busy cities earn a bit higher, between $20 and $25 per hour. That said, the actual amount you earn depends on the demand in your area, the time you need to take the ride, the travel distance, and more.

Lyft typically takes between 20% and 25% of the ride payment as commission. Say that you accept a trip worth $50 — you only earn $37.5 once you complete that ride. On the other hand, you get to keep 100% of the tips you receive from riders.

Lyft Requirements

To become a Lyft driver, you must meet specific eligibility criteria, which may vary by city and state. The age requirement is between 21 and 25 years of age, depending on your location. You must have a valid driver’s license, active auto insurance, and proof of registration.

Lyft will also run a background and driving history check to ascertain you don’t have any criminal or major violation record in the last seven years.

The car you intend to use for the ride service must have at least four doors and five seatbelts. Lyft doesn’t accept stretch limousines and taxis. On top of that, the car must fulfill the age criteria in your city/state, as well as pass the vehicle inspection test.

Wingz started as a ride-hailing service for airport rides, but has expanded into offering non-airport transportation options to daily commuters in major cities around the U.S. It’s currently available in 16 metro areas and 22 airports nationwide.

All rides on Wingz are prescheduled at least two hours in advance, up to a full week. If you’re looking for a ridesharing app that lets you plan your days around scheduled trips, becoming a Wingz driver is the right way to go.

Since most of its services cater to personal appointments, owing to their pre-scheduled nature, riders on Wingz pay more compared to general-purpose ridesharing platforms like Uber and Lyft. It’s easy to get booked for repeated trips on the platform, as Wingz encourages riders to create a list of favorite drivers.

How Much Does a Wingz Driver Make?

It’s difficult to determine an hourly rate for Wingz earnings due to the nature of pre-scheduled rides and intermittent trip requests. But, as stated on Wingz’s website, the average hourly pay for drivers on the platform is $55, including tips. Unlike other rideshare platforms, there’s no surge pricing based on distance and time, so all riders are charged at flat rates.

There’s a $4 platform fee per ride that applies to all drivers. For bookings where the driver is on the passenger’s favorite list, Wingz charges 5% of the shareable revenue. For general bookings where the driver isn’t on the list, Wingz takes 12% of the fare.

Wingz Requirements

Signing up for Wingz typically takes longer than for platforms like Uber and Lyft. That’s because the company only onboards drivers based on demand. Given that they only operate pre-scheduled trips, they don’t need a large pool of drivers.

Besides that, the Wingz onboarding process involves a mandatory in-person call, because each driver on the platform is considered a personal driver. There’s also a knowledge test and screening process that you must pass.

Wingz only accepts customer service-focused drivers who are at least 21 years old and have a driver’s license. Other requirements are that you own a vehicle that’s less than five years old, in good working condition, and an SUV, minivan, or full-size/premium sedan.

Via is another rideshare company that offers ride services, but it operates on a business model different from most platforms. As a Via driver, you earn money by providing rides for multiple passengers headed in the same direction. You only stop at street corners to pick up and drop off passengers.

Afterward, passengers walk the last block or two to reach their destinations, which makes the ride more efficient. Most rides on Via are shared, as the company mainly operates in busy urban areas. That means you won’t have to drive long distances, thereby putting fewer miles on your vehicle.

Since there are no door-to-door drop-offs, you reduce the wear and tear on your vehicle and spend less on maintenance. To add, Via takes a smaller commission (15% to 10%) compared to other apps like Uber and Lyft. The commission will reduce with the number of shared rides you take.

How Much Does a Via Driver Make?

How much you earn driving with Via largely depends on the payment option you select. Via allows its drivers to switch between hourly pay (Blue Mode) and per-trip pay (known as Flex Mode)

With Blue Mode, you earn a guaranteed hourly rate and get to pick up and drop off as many riders as Via assigns. Hourly rates change throughout the day based on peak demand and time of the day. Your earnings are guaranteed regardless of how many trips you complete.

Blue Mode hours aren’t available 24/7, so you can easily switch to Flex Mode on the driver app. On Flex Mode, your earnings depend on the number of trips and the number of additional passengers you take. You receive a bonus between 5% and 20%, called a sharing premium, for each additional passenger you pick up.

Via Requirements

To be a driver with Via, you must be at least 21 years old, have a valid driver’s license, and have at least one year of driving experience. Via will also conduct a criminal background check, which may require you to provide personal information like your SSN and more.

If you’re in New York City, you’ll need a TLC license, and Chicago drivers must pass a yearly vehicle inspection. You can use your car if it’s a non-luxury vehicle from 2019 or newer, or a luxury vehicle from 2005 or newer. If you don’t have a car, Via has partnerships with companies that provide short-term rentals.

If you prefer to offer a long-distance ride service, Hitch is the ride-sharing app for you. It’s a dedicated app for people traveling between cities. Getting started as a driver on Hitch can be as fast as within only a day since your application.

Hitch offers both one-way trips and round trips, meaning that you can make more money on your way home. Hitch rides can be pre-booked up to 30 days in advance, giving you a chance to plan your schedule and estimate your earnings.

You can sign up either as a “going-anyway” driver or as a professional driver. As a going-anyway (carpooling service) driver, you’ll set up your drive time and desired destination, and Hitch matches you with riders going to the same place. Each rider awaits you at a set pickup location, and you can decide if you want to accept or reject a rider. Professional drivers are employed to drive to neighboring cities and back.

How Much Does a Hitch Driver Make?

Your earnings on Hitch depend on the type of rides you opt for. The app pays its professional drivers by the hour, and you can earn as much as a guaranteed $30/hour on round trips. You get paid for the return ride even if Hitch doesn’t match you with any passenger on your way back.

If you’re a going-anyway driver, the amount you get paid for a ride depends on the number of riders, the destination, the day, and the time you decide to take the trip. Hitch drivers in this category make up to $130 on a one-way journey, with the possibility of earning more for round trips.

Hitch Requirements

Like other rideshare apps, Hitch has specific requirements regarding its drivers and the type of vehicles. You must be at least 21 years of age with a minimum of one year of driving experience. You also need to have a valid driver’s license, along with up-to-date vehicle insurance and registration.

On top of that, your vehicle must be a four-door sedan or larger, as well as a 2012 model or newer. Hitch also conducts background checks and standard Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) checks as part of its screening process.