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Express Drive rental deposit and charges

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Rental deposit
A refundable deposit is required to rent a vehicle through Express Drive. You'll pay the rental deposit after you schedule a reservation. You're required to have a valid credit or debit card in your name to pick up your rental.
You’ll see the rental deposit amount when you reserve your vehicle.
Once we receive your deposit, we’ll confirm your reservation.
You won’t pay for anything else when you pick up the vehicle.
Accepted card types
You must have a valid credit or debit card in your name as your primary Express Drive payment method for rental charges.
We don’t accept the following as primary payment methods:
  1. Prepaid cards
  2. Commuter cards
  3. Apple Pay
  4. Google Pay
  5. Venmo
  6. Cash App
  7. Paypal
You won’t be able to rent with Express Drive if your payment method isn’t valid.
To add a valid payment method:
  1. Open the Lyft driver app’s main menu.
  2. Tap ‘Account.’
  3. Tap ‘Pay and Tax Info.’
  4. Under ‘Payments’ tap ‘Manage.’
  5. Tap ‘Add Payment Method.’
To check the status of your rental deposit:
  1. Open the Lyft Driver app main menu, then tap 'Vehicles and Devices.'
  2. Tap 'Your Vehicles.'
  3. Tap ‘See details’ on your Express Drive rental.
  4. Tap ‘Rental deposit.’
My deposit was returned
Your deposit will be returned if you:
  1. Don’t pass the DMV/background check.
  2. Cancel your appointment before picking up a rental car.
  3. Return your rental in the same condition you picked it up.
Check deposit status
To check the status of your rental deposit:
  1. Open the Lyft Driver app main menu, then tap 'Vehicles and Devices.'
  2. Tap 'Your Vehicles.'
  3. Tap ‘See details’ on your Express Drive rental.
  4. Tap ‘Rental deposit.’
Getting your deposit back
It takes about 3 weeks to process your refund.
If you have any outstanding rental costs from your rental reservation (such as rental charges, tolls, or damages), your deposit will cover those charges.
You’ll see your rental deposit refunded to the card originally charged 2 weeks after the return is finalized. After the refund, the deposit will be in your account within 5-7 business days.
My deposit wasn't refunded after I returned the rental
It takes about 3 weeks to process your refund.
If you have any outstanding rental costs from your rental reservation (such as rental charges, tolls, or damages), your deposit will cover those charges.
You’ll see your rental deposit refunded to the card originally charged 2 weeks after the return is finalized. After the refund, the deposit will be in your account within 5-7 business days.
Rental bill and charges
With Express Drive, you don’t have to pay for your rental upfront.  Your earnings, including tips and bonuses, will first go towards your rental bill. Once those rental costs are covered, you can get paid out for the rest of your earnings.
Base ride earnings for Express Drive renters are lower than they are for personal vehicle drivers to account for renter costs incurred such as insurance premiums and a lower deductible, vehicle service and maintenance, and roadside assistance. The actual difference in base ride earnings is approximately 17% on average, varies by market, and is subject to change.
How billing works
Lyft’s billing week begins on Monday. This means that you have until Mondays at 4:59 AM to earn enough to cover rental charges.
Each week, your earnings, including any tips and bonuses, go toward your rental bill. Your earnings will first cover weekly rental costs, then cover other rental costs (like tolls, damages, or personal mile overage fees).
If you earn more than enough to cover these items in a billing week, you will automatically receive a payout on Tuesdays.
Week over week, any unpaid rental charges will carry over. Earnings will apply to your current week’s rental costs first. Once those costs are covered, your earnings will begin to apply to any outstanding debt in chronological order of previous failed rental charges (oldest first) until the balance is repaid.
If any of your earnings are applied to previous weeks’ outstanding balance, you’ll see this line item to show where your earnings were applied.
If you do not earn enough to cover your full rental cost, you may see multiple charges on your default card, one for each uncovered line item on your rental bill.
Example:
  1. In the last billing week, you had total rental costs of $600. You had $400 in weekly rental costs, and $200 in other rental costs.
  2. During the same billing week, you earned $100.
  3. On Tuesday, you will see two charges There will be one charge for $300, to cover what was remaining of your weekly rental costs ($400 minus $100 earnings). Another charge will be for $200 to cover your other rental costs.
You can keep track of earnings and rental costs in your Weekly Summary:
  1. Open the Lyft Driver app.
  2. Tap the dollar amount at the top of the home screen.
  3. Tap ‘View weekly breakdown.’
For a full history of your bills and card charges go to ‘Pay & Tax Info’ and tap ‘Express Drive billing history.’
Your rental costs
Your weekly rental costs is the amount you owe every seven days for your rental. This amount should usually be the same every week.
Your weekly rental costs can include the following (plus any applicable taxes), depending on your specific plan and optional add-ons:
  1. Base rental rate and required fees (such as vehicle licensing fee or standard insurance).
  2. Additional insurance coverage.
  3. Personal mileage plan (for Flexdrive renters).
Other rental costs include miscellaneous costs incurred when driving your rental (plus any applicable taxes), such as:
  1. Bridge fees, tolls, or citations.
  2. Damage fees or equipment charges.
  3. Personal mile overage fees (for Flexdrive renters).
Los Angeles citations (CA drivers only)
Any violations received while driving an active rental in Los Angeles must be resolved directly with the city and will not be deducted from your weekly rental charges.
You’ll receive a notification email from Flexdrive containing citation information, and you may receive a physical copy of the citation in the mail.
Please reach out to the local Department of Transportation directly for more information or to pay any related fines.
Chicago citations (IL drivers only)
Any violations received while driving an active rental in Chicago must be resolved directly with the city and will not be deducted from your weekly rental charges.
You’ll receive a notification email from Flexdrive containing citation information, and you may receive a physical copy of the citation in the mail.
Please reach out to the local Department of Transportation directly for more information or to pay any related fines.
Philadelphia citations (PA drivers only)
Any violations received while driving an active rental in Philadelphia must be resolved directly with the city and will not be deducted from your weekly rental charges.
You’ll receive a notification email from Flexdrive containing citation information, and you may receive a physical copy of the citation in the mail.
Please reach out to the local Department of Transportation directly for more information or to pay any related fines.
Note: If you drive in Washington, see below for additional disclosures.
You can keep track of earnings and rental costs in your Weekly Summary:
  1. Open the Lyft Driver app.
  2. Tap the dollar amount at the top of the home screen.
  3. Tap ‘View weekly breakdown.’
For a full history of your bills and card charges go to ‘Pay & Tax Info’ and tap ‘Express Drive billing history.’
Express Drive deductions for Washington drivers
Note: If you rent a vehicle through Express Drive, you’ll be subject to a $0.17 per mile deduction (or $0.44 per mile for City of Seattle rides) for any Lyft rides given using the rented vehicle. The deduction may reduce your earnings below the minimum compensation requirements set forth under Washington law.
Prorated charges
The Lyft billing week begins on Mondays at 5 AM, and billing occurs on Tuesdays. Your rental costs are automatically prorated based on when you pick up or return your vehicle.
Example
  1. You pick up your rental on Thursday.
  2. Your weekly rental costs begin on Friday.
  3. On Tuesday, the weekly rental costs line item on your rental bill includes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Rental cost payment issues
Any earnings will apply to your current week’s rental costs first. Once those costs are covered, your earnings will begin to apply to any outstanding debt in chronological order of previous failed rental charges (oldest first) until the balance is repaid.
If you don’t earn enough to cover rental line items in a billing week, we’ll charge your default card on Tuesday to cover any remaining costs.
Unable to pay rental bill
If your payment method fails initially, you may be able to keep renting with Express Drive if you can repay or earn against any overdue balance within several days.
You can add a new card to attempt repayment.
To do this, open the Lyft Driver app, then:
  1. Tap the main menu, then tap ‘Account.’
  2. Tap ‘Pay and Tax Info.’
  3. Tap ‘Express Drive Default.’
  4. Tap ‘Add Payment Method.’
Week over week, any unpaid rental charges will carry over. Earnings will apply to your current week’s rental costs first. Once those costs are covered, your earnings will begin to apply to any outstanding debt in chronological order of previous failed rental charges (oldest first) until the balance is repaid.
If any of your earnings are applied to previous weeks’ outstanding balance, you’ll see this line item to show where your earnings were applied.
If you're unable to pay the entire balance, return the rental vehicle to the location you picked it up from to avoid further consequences.
You may be subjected to a recovery fee if you don’t take action once you’ve been notified of an invalid payment method.
Enabling backup payments
Enabling backup payments helps reduce failed charges on your account.
Unless you disable backup payments, you authorize Lyft to use any payment methods you have on file if your primary one fails.
Note: You may have issues renewing your rental or may be asked to return your vehicle if your payment fails.
To disable backup payments, open the Lyft Driver app, then:
  1. Tap the main menu, then tap ‘Account.’
  2. Tap ‘Pay and Tax Info.’
  3. Tap ‘Backup Payments.’
  4. Toggle ‘Enable backup payments’ off.
To enable backup payments, open the Lyft Driver app, then:
  1. Tap the main menu, then tap ‘Account.’
  2. Tap ‘Pay and Tax Info.’
  3. If you don’t have multiple cards for your payment method, tap ‘Lyft charges’ to add an additional card.
  4. Tap ‘Backup Payments.’
  5. Toggle ‘Enable backup payments’ on.
Accepted card types
To check the status of your rental deposit:
  1. Open the Lyft Driver app main menu, then tap 'Vehicles and Devices.'
  2. Tap 'Your Vehicles.'
  3. Tap ‘See details’ on your Express Drive rental.
  4. Tap ‘Rental deposit.’
Pay outstanding balance
While renting with Express Drive, unpaid rental costs carry over each week and collect into a total outstanding balance.
If you have an outstanding Express Drive balance after returning your rental, you can still give rides with your personal vehicle to earn towards repaying the rental costs. This will help you remain in good standing with the program.
You can pay towards your outstanding balance in the Lyft app, or you can contact 972-936-899 for other payment options during operating hours (Mon. - Sat. from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT).
To pay your balance:
  1. Tap the main menu, then tap ‘Account.’
  2. Tap ‘Pay and Tax Info.’
  3. Tap ‘Make a Payment.’
  4. Select your preferred payment method and tap ‘Confirm payment.’
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