Does Lyft Charge if You Cancel

When you request a ride from Lyft’s drivers, you may also cancel at any moment. But does Lyft charge if you cancel? Based on how quickly after the request you cancel it, you may have to pay.

Does Lyft charge if you cancel? Yes, you will be charged a $2 fee for canceling three or more rides in a timeframe of fifteen minutes. You can also be charged if you cancel Lyft Shared rides after a driver accepts the request. These fees will be used to compensate for the time and gas.

A cell phone with a map on display

If you change your mind about your ride, you can avoid paying by canceling within two minutes of your booking. Even when you’ve booked a trip up to a week ahead, you will not be charged if you quit before you’re matched with a driver.

Does Lyft Charge if You Cancel Your Ride

For years now, Lyft’s drivers have operated in more than 600 cities across America, offering help through the mobile app. They also offer food delivery, vehicles for rent, and several other conveniences. Booking up a trip through the app is straightforward. However, it may happen that you no longer require the ride you have requested or scheduled, but you are free to cancel it. In certain conditions, you will be charged a fee.

These fees are applied if a certain period has passed since your request has been accepted. You are also subject to it if the driver is on time to arrive within 5 minutes of the original estimation. They are used as compensation for the drivers’ spent time and gas if their passengers cancel them.

Besides Cancellation Fees, You May Pay a No-Show Fee as a Passenger

Besides a regular cancellation fee, you can also be charged a No-Show Fee in these situations:

  • Your driver managed to arrive to pick you up but has waited the maximum agreed period of time or longer.
  • They have attempted to contact you, or you contacted them.

The No-Show Fee will be listed on the receipt for the ride in question. As for Shared rides, you may be charged similarly if you aren’t present at the pickup location within one minute of the arrival of your matched driver.

A man typing on a phone

Health Safety Cancellations From the Rider or a Passenger May Also Apply

Since the start of the pandemic, everyone has been doing their best to be protected, and the Lyft Health Safety Commitment is a policy that ensures all their users agree to it. It implies that anyone using their services, both the drivers and passengers, must make sure the front passenger seat is left empty and that everyone using the car wears a face cover.

A passenger can cancel the ride if the driver that arrives isn’t wearing a protective mask. Also, they can call off the ride if the passengers aren’t wearing masks. This rule also applies in situations where the front passenger seat isn’t left empty.

A driver with a mask on

If You Want a Refund for a Ride, Report Through the App

Although Lyft’s service strives to be as seamless as possible, some things can go wrong. If you think you are eligible for a refund or want to file a dispute, you can do it through Lyft mobile app. Their policy is that the charges are disputed instantly, while you can also report anything that this service should be aware of.

You Can Also Cancel a Scheduled Lyft Ride

Lyft’s service comes in handy in many situations, and you can schedule them beforehand or request them within the allotted time frame. But it also may happen that you no longer need the ride because you’ve decided to walk or you should leave your place of work later or earlier. These are the situations where you’ll need to cancel the request, and you can do it in several simple steps:

  • The moment you decide to call off the requested ride, you should tap “Edit ride” at the bottom of the home screen.
  • Choose the “Cancel ride” option.
  • Confirm the cancellation.

If your trip was scheduled, the cancellation looks a bit different. You should find and tap the calendar icon on the home screen of the app. Next, you should tap the “x” located above “Cancel ride” and then tap “Cancel” to confirm.

Lyft's app on a smartphone

Cancellation by the Driver Affects Their Acceptance Rate

Drivers can also cancel a requested ride after they have already accepted it, but it will affect their acceptance rate. However, it will not be affected when potential passengers cancel or don’t show up at the designated location. If it occurs that a passenger has made contact with you and said they don’t require the ride anymore, ask them to cancel it through their app so that it won’t affect your acceptance rate.

A Driver Can Calculate the Acceptance Rate

A driver’s acceptance rate is calculated on the number of accepted and completed rides. It also includes the no-show passengers. However, the rate won’t change if the ride has been canceled from the passenger’s side. Here is an example of how the rate is calculated.

Ride requestsCompletedAcceptance rate
555193%
868498%
1009191%

It’s calculated by dividing the number of completed rides by the total number of requests. Also, note that if you have any missed requests due to connectivity problems or other technical issues, it won’t lower your acceptance rate.

A woman driving a car

You Won’t Have to Pay if You Cancel on Time

Lyft’s app makes it easy for anyone to book a trip and get matched with drivers. It’s a handy tool for anyone that doesn’t drive their own vehicle and needs help to arrive at a certain destination. It also makes it easy for each user to change their mind and cancel the service they have requested. However, to avoid paying for unnecessary fees altogether, make sure you cancel within that limited period, or you will pay to make up for the driver’s lost time and gas.