Lyft announces a frequent-driver rewards program

Life can be tough for car-hailing app drivers. They’re not really employees of the companies they drive for and when their cars need maintenance, it’s up to them to pay for it out of their own pocket.

To make life on the road a bit easier for its drivers, Lyft has announced a driver rewards program called Accelerate that offers discounts on goods and services that drivers might need. The tiered program has three levels that are determined by the amount of rides a driver gives each month; Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Here’s Lyft’s breakdown of each level and what they entail:

Silver Status: Every Lyft driver starts with access to Silver Status, including support for taxes through Intuit, health insurance options through eHealth, vehicle purchases through AutoNation Direct and more.

Gold Status: By giving 20 rides each month, drivers unlock Gold Status, with dozens of ways to save on car expenses, health, entertainment and wellness services (think gym memberships and movie tickets!). Some of the 600+ new perks for Gold status holders include discounts at Firestone, Jiffy Lube, Goodyear, TireBuyer, and Advanced Auto Parts.

Platinum Status: Drivers who cruise all the way to 200 rides per month will earn Platinum Status. All Lyft drivers already have access to a fast and responsive support team, but any time our Platinum VIPs want to reach Lyft HQ, their message will be moved to the front of the queue for the fastest reply.

Some of the discounts include 15 percent off at Firestone and Jiffy Lube and 20 percent off from Advanced Auto Parts. Non-vehicle discounts include 15 percent off house cleaning from Homejoy and Handy, 34 percent off a gym membership at 24 Hour Fitness and 40 percent off AMC movie tickets.

I’m not sure how often drivers are trying to reach Lyft HQ and if an additional 180 rides given a month is really worth being moved to the front of the support queue. Still, discounts to do something you already planned on doing is pretty nice.

➤ Lyft Accelerate