Ziro was founded in 2019 by Jai Rangwani and Santosh Sarma.
Headquartered in San Francisco, this rideshare company competes with Uber, Lyft, Wingz, and Flywheel for their piece of the $61 billion rideshare market.
But what is Ziro?
What makes them different, and why should rideshare customers consider them over the global giants already serving most of the market?
As it turns out, Ziro’s business is set up so that customers, drivers, and the company itself all benefit in ways other rideshare companies aren’t offering right now.
In this article, you will learn what Ziro is, how it works, how much it costs, and how it compares to some of the most entrenched services in the industry to help decide whether Ziro is right for you.
What Is Ziro?
Ziro is a ridesharing service similar to Uber and Lyft.
However, their marketing and business model are slightly different.
Ziro prides itself on how it serves both drivers and riders by offering cheaper rides for customers and allowing drivers to make more money per trip.
Ridesharing apps have gotten more expensive for riders over the years as demand has increased, especially in big cities around the globe.
Drivers have also found it more challenging to maintain a high enough side income or full-time income from driving for these apps.
The large rideshare companies take a cut from each ride and require drivers to cover the cost of specific fees.
Ziro is set up so that drivers keep 100% of their trip fares and tips.
They also get to keep the income generated from usage fees (more on that later).
This business model means Ziro has been able to transfer cost savings to riders and help drivers earn more money overall.
How do they do this?
Is there a catch?
Let’s see how it all works:
How Does Ziro Work?
Ziro’s business model starts by allowing drivers to make more money per trip than other ridesharing apps.
Ziro calls their drivers Captains.
The company highlights that their drivers are the boss.
Their driving is essentially their own business, and it’s the Captains that should get to keep everything they earn for picking up and driving people to their destination.
First, Ziro doesn’t charge Captains per trip commissions.
The company does not take a cut from the driver’s fare.
So if a fare costs $19, the driver keeps all of it.
Next, Captains also receive 100% of their tips and other fees.
Whether ridesharing or food delivery, all drivers rely on tips to make adequate income.
With Ziro, drivers keep 100% of their tips, and they even get to keep all waiting fees, cancellation fees, lost item fees, cleaning fees, and damage fees.
Other rideshare companies usually split these fees with the driver.
With Ziro, drivers get to keep 100% of the fees to make up for time spent waiting for customers, cancellations, cleaning up after spills in the vehicle, and more.
Besides the financial benefit, this can be an excellent quality of life upgrade for rideshare drivers.
Ziro also has the lowest booking fees compared to other rideshare companies on the customer side.
And this is the only fee Ziro keeps as revenue for the business.
So how does Ziro grow and stay profitable?
Ziro’s growth is in the hands of its Captains – its drivers.
By allowing drivers to keep more revenue per ride, Captains are inspired to tell others about Ziro and are rewarded through Ziro’s referral program when a new driver signs up.
As more drivers sign up and more people take rides using Ziro, the company earns more money.
Drivers make more money than they would with other apps, and riders pay less for their rides.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
Where Does Ziro Operate?
Ziro was founded in San Francisco, California, and continues to operate solely in that area.
However, the company has plans to expand to these cities and towns soon:
- Alameda
- Fremont
- Palo Alto
- San Mateo
- Berkeley
- Larkspur
- Richmond
- San Rafael
- Campbell
- Milpitas
- Redwood City
- San Pablo
- Cupertino
- Mountain View
- San Leandro
- Hayward
- Castro Valley
- Mill Valley
- San Jose
- Union City
- Daly City
- Oakland
- San Bruno
If you don’t see your city on the list, you can subscribe to Ziro’s newsletter, and they will notify you when they expand to your city.
How Much Does Ziro Cost?
Exact prices for fares can fluctuate with any rideshare app.
However, Ziro provides a rideshare calculator to help you understand how much Ziro costs and whether it is cheaper than other apps.
First, Ziro says that a ride from the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) costs $24.98 with Ziro.
The same trip costs $30.64 from other rideshare companies.
(These numbers are estimates.
However, they’re based on publicly available data.)
This is a savings of $5.66 or 18.5% if you choose to take this ride with Ziro instead of Uber or Lyft.
Although $5 might not seem like much, it can add up when taking dozens of rides.
Overall, Ziro estimates their customers can save up to 25% per ride by choosing them over other rideshare apps.
As prices continue to rise in major cities, these cost savings can be enticing for riders.
Does Ziro Cover Insurance for Drivers?
Insurance is necessary for all rideshare drivers just in case something happens while dropping off a passenger.
Ziro’s insurance program fully covers Ziro drivers.
Ziro’s insurance covers drivers as soon as they turn on the app and until they drop off a passenger.
So you are even covered before you receive a ride request.
The maximum limit for property damage is $25,000, the maximum for injury per person is $50,000, and the maximum per accident is $100,000.
Ziro Comparisons
Here is how Ziro compares to some of its competitors:
Ziro vs. Uber
Ziro offers cheaper fares than Uber, and drivers can earn more per ride.
However, Uber is more popular than Ziro, so wait times could be longer with Ziro.
Both companies allow tipping, offer insurance for their drivers, and operate heavily in the San Francisco area.
Ziro vs. Lyft
Ziro also offers cheaper fares than Lyft, and drivers can earn more per ride.
Lyft operates throughout the United States and Canada, whereas Ziro only operates in San Francisco (for now).
Ziro vs. Wingz
Wingz was one of the first rideshare companies to launch in 2011.
It’s one of Ziro’s main competitors in San Francisco.
Wingz separates itself by only offering pre-scheduled rides to its customers, primarily to and from airports.
In contrast, Ziro allows people to book rides on the fly, and drivers can receive ride requests any time they are online.
Ziro vs. Flywheel
Flywheel offers taxi rides at standard rates that never increase due to surge pricing or high demand times.
Flywheel offers riders more consistent fares than some of the larger rideshare companies.
Unlike Ziro, the drivers are also trained and familiar with the city they operate in.
How to Sign Up for Ziro
To sign up for Ziro as a rider, download the app from the Apple app store.
Ziro isn’t currently available in the Google Play store.
Then follow the on-screen prompts to create your account, input your payment information, and start requesting rides.
How to Book a Ride
Wondering how to book a ride with Ziro?
Here are some step-by-step instructions to make the process seamless:
Tutorial on How To Book a Ride With Ziro
To book a ride with Ziro:
- Start by opening the app on your smartphone.
- Input the destination you would like to go to.
- If you don’t know the exact address, use the search bar to find your destination.
Make sure your device’s GPS location is turned on.
If your location is turned off, the app won’t be able to find your current location.
Then choose your pickup location.
If it is different from where you are now, decide exactly where you would like to be picked up.
Then choose what type of ride you would like.
Ziro offers Economy, Business, XL, and more.
When you’re ready to be picked up, confirm your ride, and you’ll be all set.
Can You Book a Ride With Ziro Without a Smartphone?
At the time of this writing, Ziro rides can only be booked through a smartphone device.
They do not offer bookings through their website.
However, this could become an option in the future.
In Summary
Ziro’s business model is unique in the industry, allowing drivers to make more money per trip and offering lower fares to riders.
Ziro also covers their drivers with comprehensive insurance as soon as they start the app.
And the company seems to care about its drivers, putting them first in the business model.
The company only operates in San Francisco, but once it spreads, the cheaper fares and increased income could make waves in other parts of the state and the country.
Have a question about Ziro?
Leave a comment below, and we’ll be happy to help you out.
