Lyft is marking a milestone, saying that its drivers have received more than $200 million in tips over the past 5 years. What makes this interesting is that it took the company nearly 5 years to hit the first $100 million, but only 9 months to double that.
“$200 million is a huge testament to the service our drivers provide every day, in cities across the country,” the company wrote in a blog post.
In an Economic Impact Study report released in December, Lyft touted the benefits of its service for the economy at large. At the time, it highlighted that drivers received $1.5 billion in earnings, including $100 million in tips. A company spokesperson confirmed that this was to date from August 2012.
How much of the next $100 million in tips were spurred by outside factors, such as the #DeleteUber campaign and the other controversies that have befallen its main U.S. competitor, is unknown, but the fact that tip earnings have doubled in such a short time will likely give Lyft momentum as it brings on more drivers in the more than 100 new markets it launched in this year.
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Lyft believes that the reason for its success is how drivers are treated by the company and how that affects the rider experience in turn. Earlier this month, a poll by research firm Ipsos indicated that Lyft earned a reputation of being friendly, welcoming, cool, and trustworthy compared to other ridesharing apps.
Today’s announcement comes days after a U.S. federal judge approved a $27 million settlement agreement between Lyft and drivers. Some drivers had sued with a claim that they should be classified as employees and subsequently be entitled to reimbursement for expenses. Under the settlement, drivers will continue to be deemed independent contractors.
