Updated on November 23, 2015
$1000 Bonus For New Lyft Drivers ($500 in NYC) – FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!
Update: 8/20/15: $1000 Bonus for new drivers in Boston!
Update: 6/1/15: Lyft new driver bonus now up to $750
UPDATE: 2/27/14: THE PROMOTION FOR ALL THE CITIES BELOW IS VALID FOR ANYONE WHO APPLIED BEFORE 3pm EST FEBRUARY 27, 2015! FOR ANYONE APPLYING AFTER 3PM EST on FEBRUARY 27, LYFT REDUCED THE NUMBER OF CITIES AND EXTENDED THE DEADLINE FOR THE FIRST RIDE TO 11:59 p.m. LOCAL TIME, SUNDAY, MARCH 8. Click here for the updated details.
Lyft is offering huge bonuses for new drivers for 1 week only ($1,000 or $500)! Looks like they signed up so many passengers with their recent free ride promotion and now they desperately need more drivers to meet demand. If I only had a car I would sign up right now! If you sign up, and successfully finish all the steps in time, we will each get a $1000 bonus. It sounds too good to be true but according to this Lyft page, this is the real thing.
DETAILS
- Apply using this link starting today Feb 26, 2015
- Complete your first ride (just 1 ride!) on or before March 5, 2015 (March 2 for NYC) (usually they require a lot more rides to get the bonus)
- Enter the promo code below for your city (you can also use the code BENJAMINS which will only get you the bonus, I will not get anything). Thanks in advance if you use the links!
- Drivers who get an email can do 30 rides by March 1 at 8pm will receive a $500 bonus in Boston or NYC and in $300 in Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Nashville, Washington DC, Philadelphia. See more here.
*Note – Lyft's background check, photos, and mentoring session takes a few days so you would need to sign up and go through Lyft's process as soon as possible to have enough time to take your first ride and get the bonus.
PROMOTION CITIES
| City | Offer | Link |
| Philadelphia | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Boston | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Chicago | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Washington DC | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Denver | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Seattle | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Atlanta | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Austin | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Dallas | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| San Diego | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| San Jose | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Miami | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Nashville | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| San Francisco | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| Los Angeles | $1,000 New Driver Bonus | Link |
| New York City* | $500 New Driver Bonus | Link |
*New York City includes all of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island. Here is Lyft's coverage map for NYC.
HOW TO APPLY
- Click here to apply or use a link for your city in the table above. I checked with Lyft and they said passenger referral codes will not get you the bonus, unfortunately.
- Make sure you give your first ride by March 5, 2015 to collect your bonus
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (More Q&A is being updated/added here)
Is this real?
Check out this Lyft page.
Q: How are taxes handled?
A: Lyft will issue you a 1099. Make sure you figure how much the taxes will be before spending it all.
Q: What are the requirements for enrolling as a Lyft driver?
A: From Lyft's website.
- Be at least 21 years old
- 4 door car with at least 5 seatbelts (including driver's)
- Vehicle from year 2003 or newer (More details on car requirements). Note: In our Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis-St. Paul regions, government regulations require cars to be no older than 10 years. Newer markets may also be subject to a 10 year car requirement.
- Be licensed to drive for at least a year prior to applying (More details on driving history requirements)
- In-state insurance with your name on the policy
- In-state license
- In-state plates with a current registration (commercial plates are acceptable as well)
- Clean driving record
- An iOS or Android smartphone that meets the minimum requirements to run the latest version of the app.
Some of our markets have specific requirements in order to comply with local government. You can learn more about those region-specific requirements here.
To view more about our safety requirements, please visit lyft.com/safety.
Q: How does the welcome ride work?
Read the details on Lyft's website.
Q: What is the process for new driver enrollment?
See the requirements above.
Q: I still have more questions.
Click here: https://www.lyft.com/help/contact/applicant
Please mention that you only get the bonus after 50 rides.
CJ, this is a new promotion and its 1 ride. Not 50. This is confirmed directly with Lyft.
Wow – that sounds almost too good to be true – sign up to be a Lyft driver, drive someone once and earn $1000. Thanks!
I agree, I just wish I had a car. Its a very short promotion with the hopes that the people stay on. I think this may be related to money that they are raising (or raised already) to grow their business.
I signed up as a new driver for the promotion a couple days ago and just waiting for them to give me clearance. They say it typically takes 2-3 weeks to get through the clearing process and the fact that I have to finish my first drive by 3/5 I really don’t feel all the confident I can make it. How do I know that Lyft is really doing this honorably? I mean they can delay my application in purpose as well as 99% of new applicants so they don’t have to pay the $1,000 promotion. Wouldn’t those who signed up but missed the promotion feel obligated now to stay on with Lyft? I hope Lyft is for real but really, how do I know? I guess no matter what it was worth a try.
I have heard from some people that they have moved through the process already. Lyft told me the process would take a few days. Where are you in the process? The more people who write in the better we can help each other.
I signed up Friday 2/27/15 and did my Lyfy mentor ride on Saturday the 28th. Now they have yet to process my background check and DMV check and if Lyft does not do this by today then I get no $1000 check? Because THEY can’t meet the deadline of 3/5/15 for clearing me to do my 1st ride?? How can this be ok? SHAME on Lyft for luring in people with this fake promise of a 1000 bonus. They need to do the honorable thing and extend the deadline for the 1st ride until they can get their act together w/ the processing side of things. What a sham!!!
Any confirmation that this is a real promo? Could not find anything on the lyft website to suggest you’re not making this up.
Yes. Please see the Q&A.
i can’t find anything about this bonus except on this website, you are saying you confirmed the bonus with lyft and that it is given after just one ride?
Yes. Please see the Q&A.
Question, the first ride mean the mentor ride or the actual first ride? In my understanding, it iwll take at least 2 weeks to become an active driver after the mentor session. There will be no way to do the first ride before March 5th.
@David, Lyft said the whole process takes a few days so people who want to sign up need to get moving.
Thanks, mentor ride is not considered as the first ride? They will speed up the background process for this promotion? Thank you and appreciate your time.
David – I’m not sure exactly about the mentor ride but they have told me the process should only take a few days.
Thanks for the article! So does the thousand automatically get transferred into your account after your first ride? Are there up-front taxes associated to the bonus?
You get the bonus in 1-2 pay periods. I’m not sure about the taxes, I think you just figure out your own taxes at the end of the year (so you have to put money aside yourself).
I m sooooo doing it now
But what they don’t tell you is that it can take up to a week for the background check to clear.
They told me the entire process takes a few days.
How long does the background check take? Will it be completed by the first ride deadline???
Lyft’s background check, photos, and mentoring session takes a few days according to Lyft. That means there is not much time if you want to take advantage of this.
Couple questions for you guys:
1. So I just signed up (but I need some time to clean my car, do the mentor ride, wait for background check to clear, etc). In the meantime can I refer other people using this $1,000 promo or do I need to wait till I am approved to drive before I can start referring people and racking up these $1,000 credits
2. If I had a speeding ticket a couple years ago will this be an issue?
Good questions. I’m not sure. You can ask Lyft directly here: or you can tweet Lyft
Yea I tried tweeting them multiple times but they don’t respond. Do you have any better contact info (other than twitter and their general Contact Us page)?
Is THOUSANDSJ your referrer’s code? How do I know it worked? I didn’t see any verification or fine print when I signed up.
Yes. I asked Lyft and they said they don’t a confirmation of the offer details (which I think is silly). Please refer to the links and screen shots I posted. Where in the process are you now?
Apparently if you were signing up using a referral code, it wasn’t active until Feb. 27th at 12pm. I signed up for this last night using the referral link and now i am already in the system and there is no way for me to get the first ride $1000 bonus :(((( everyone who signs up after this now using the referral links are fine. This is lame…
Sorry I just read it again, apprently there are two promotions! One that started on Feb. 25 and one that started today on the 27th. If you applied on the 25 and before the 27 then you have to complete your first ride before March 5
If you applied after 12pm on the 27th, then you just need to complete your ride before March 8th. So i might still be able to get the bonus! Woo!!
I clicked the first link you have listed above which automatically takes you to the Lyft page with promo code “THOUSAND” entered. I accidentally signed up without adding the city code after! Do you know if I’ll still be eligible? Also, I live 50 miles outside of LA – to get the money do I need to just complete a ride in LA or have an LA address?
Lyft just changed the terms of the promotion. If you applied before (12pm) or 3pm EST today Feb 27, you should be good. I’ve updated this post – please read the changes.
THIS IS DEAD. As of 3pm EST today, February 27th, the terms have changed (fewer cities qualify and now you have to complete 30 rides). Check the Lyft promotion website.
The new terms have been posted here and this post has been updated. Seems they are changing the terms on their website by the minutes. I posted screen shots from the website showing 1 ride but now the website says 30.
what if I applied yesterday, but have not done my mentor ride and had final approval yet? will they honor the $1000/1st ride as long as I do the first ride by 3/5?
According to the new screenshots I posted here, I think (and hope) they will honor it. Where are you in the application process?
i applied yesterday and took my mentor ride today and am waiting for final approval. i’ll let you know if i receive the bonus after the first ride. thanks for making those screenshots available to us just in case.
I don’t think you can get the final approval
check out all the negative comments here: http://jetsettershomestead.boardingarea.com/2015/03/03/lyft-1000-new-driver-promo/
I would be very interested to know if anyone gets the $1000 or at least get the final background approval back before mar. 5th. please let us know if you do. I Am a uber and sidecar driver for over a year now and it never took more than 2 days for my background check to go through. I signed up last Thursday morning and completed my mentor ride last Friday, and have been waiting since then for what they say is the background check holding up them from loading my driver profile onto the app.
One of my readers emailed me and said his background check was approved but he still cannot drive (the app allow it). I have read similar complaints too.
i refer my friend and he sign up Feb 27 and met the mentor on the 28th morning. up till now still not approve to drive. received email from lyft said too many application and still waiting for background and dmv check. we may not qualify if process not done. shame on you lyft.
Please add yourself to the list and take the survey here http://therewardboss.com/2015/03/05/poll-lyft-stiff-1000-lyftgate/