Lyft, the ride-hailing service that once used a kooky pink mustache as its corporate emblem, is getting even more festive — literally.
The San Francisco company is rolling out Lyft Nation, a club for the top 10% of its passengers in each city that includes secret parties and exclusive partnerships. Lyft passengers who made the cut have received emails announcing the new program, along with a personalized summary about their use of the service like the date they first took a Lyft ride and the number of miles they’ve been taxied around town.
It’s unclear how long the company has been working on the program or what the first rewards will be. But we’ll update the story if we hear back from Lyft.
Lyft’s main rival, Uber, has quietly rolled out an UberVIP service in the last several months in cities like New York, Denver, and Washington D.C. Customers in those cities who take at least 100 rides qualify for a program through which they can get access to drivers who have at least a 4.8 rating (out of 5) and “high quality cars only.” But the special treatment will come with a price: Uber will charge the same rates as its UberBlack service, which is more expensive that its basic service.
However, the two programs seem to have different aims. While Uber’s seeks to provide an upgraded experience as a reward to frequent riders, Lyft wants to provide fun rewards to its top passengers to continue to maintain its friendly and fun image.