How to Request a Lyft Car for Someone Else

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This wikiHow teaches you how to summon a Lyft ride for a friend using your Lyft app.

Steps

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    It's a pink app with "lyft" written in white on it. If you're already logged in, doing so will bring you to a map of your immediate surroundings.
    • If you aren't logged into Lyft, first enter your phone number, then type in the code that Lyft texts to you when prompted.
    • If you don't have an account already, you'll need to create one and add payment information to join Lyft.
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    This is the white box near the bottom of the screen, just above the Set pickup button.
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    You'll do so in the white bar at the top of the screen. If your friend is at a well-known location (e.g., an airport or a local restaurant), you can enter the location's name; otherwise, type in your friend's exact address.
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    It should appear below the search bar as you type. Tap the result that matches your friend's location.
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    It's at the bottom of the screen.
    • You can also tap the Lyft button (the car icon to the left of the Set pickup button) to change the car style if needed.
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    While adding a destination isn't required for starting a ride, Lyft recommends adding a destination so the driver knows ahead of time where your friend is going. [1]
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    You'll do so in the white bar at the top of the screen.
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    As you type, search results will appear below the search bar. Tap the correct destination that matches where your friend's needs to go.
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    This button is at the bottom of the screen. Doing so will prompt the Lyft driver to navigate to your friend at the pickup location you specified.
    • You can also change your payment settings or add a destination on this page before requesting the Lyft.
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    Lyft recommends that you contact the driver to inform them that the passenger they will be picking up is not the person who requested the ride. [2] This way the driver won't think your friend is trying to steal the ride you requested.
    • Once the Lyft has been initiated, tap Contact to contact the Lyft driver.
    • Provide the driver with your friend's name and a brief description of what they look like.
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    Once your friend arrives at the destination, your Lyft account will be charged using the payment method you previously selected.
    • You can have your friend reimburse you later if need be.
    • Since your friend is the one taking the ride, consider asking them to cover a tip in cash.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I pay a driver with cash?
    Community Answer
    Unfortunately, you don't. You can tip a driver with cash if you like, but the toll for the ride itself will be charged to your Lyft account.
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  • Question
    Can I schedule a ride in advance?
    Community Answer
    Absolutely! If you tap the clock icon to the right of the "Set pickup" button, you can schedule a ride for a different time (or even day).
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  • Question
    How do I contact the driver?
    Community Answer
    There is a button labeled "Contact" once you get matched up with a driver after you press "Request Lyft".
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      Tips

      • You can always ask your friend for their PayPal or card details to add to your Lyft account if you want to bill them directly.
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      Warnings

      • Some Lyft drivers will refuse to pick up passengers who aren't using the Lyft app. Don't take this personally--Lyft drivers aren't obligated to pick up a non-app user at an app-user's request, and doing so can result in liability issues or scams for the driver.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013080388
      2. ↑ https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013080388

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Lyft .
      2. Type your friend's pickup location in the address bar.
      3. Tap Set pickup .
      4. Tap Add destination .
      5. Type your friend's destination in the address bar.
      6. Tap Request Lyft .
      7. Contact the driver and inform them of your friend.

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      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 195,804 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Wally Perterson

        Dec 30, 2016

        "I am a first-time user. I wasn't too sure if I could make ride appt. for others, but it assured me I can."
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