Lyft ride-sharing service announced Tuesday a new way to enjoy discounts of up to 50 percent on rides during off-peak hours.
Lyft, the popular ride-sharing service, introduced a new way to help users save a couple of bucks during odd hours. Prices tend to go up during peak hours and major events or holidays like the New Year. Lyft and its biggest rival Uber recognize this as the busiest times to board a cab and offer "prime time" and "surge pricing" to let users decide if they want to pay higher fares to reach their destination. While users have frowned over the rising cab prices, Lyft is now offering "Happy Hour" prices for cheaper rides.
According to the company's official announcement, Tuesday, Lyft said Happy Hour will help users get discounts between 10 to 50 percent on a ride. But these discounts will be available during slow hours when drivers are on empty roads with fewer passengers to pick up.
"We created Happy Hour as a straightforward way to keep Lyft busier for drivers and more affordable for passengers. For instance, a driver who would normally have one ride per hour at $12 may now see two or more rides per hour at $9."
As for passengers, Lyft says, the extra $3 can go for those extra drinks without worrying to sit behind the wheel.
In addition to the Happy Hour pricing, Lyft is also capping its rates at 200 percent higher than normal during its Prime Time. Though, more than double rates sound extreme, compared with Uber's no limit, it is still a decent option.
Earlier this month, Uber also announced a way to help its users tackle the surge pricing with "Surge Drop." The new option for iPhone users allows users to get alerts when lower rates are available.
Lyft users can take advantage of the new feature only after updating the app or downloading the latest version of the app.
