How to Cancel a Ride on Lyft: Complete Information
It only makes sense that the app of a ride-hailing service like Lyft allows a rider to cancel a ride easily since it is all about ease of use.
When you suddenly decide to walk, must leave your home or office later, or for any other reason, you can cancel your Lyft ride using the Lyft app for iPhone or Android. This article is all about how to cancel a ride on Lyft.
It’s a good idea to cancel a Lyft within two minutes of requesting a ride before you’re charged a fee of $10 in most regions. If you change your mind about a Lyft, you must cancel before the driver matches you or you’ll be charged the same fee.
Can You Cancel Lyft Rides?
Lyft allows users to cancel a ride through the app, which is a great feature. There is no problem in canceling a ride almost at any time, even if the driver is minutes away from showing up. It makes getting around town incredibly easy since Lyft is available around the clock.
There is a mobile app that you can download on your mobile device so that you can connect a payment option and at the click of a button, a transportation service will be provided for you within a couple of minutes.
There are times when things don’t go as planned. It is possible that owing to a long wait time, you decide that walking would be more convenient than taking the bus. There are, however, some types of cancellations that are different from others.
How to Cancel a Lyft Ride?
Whether you need to cancel a Lyft ride you have requested or you want to modify it, you have two ways to do it. A ride request can be made immediately, while a ride request that is scheduled in advance will be handled via another option.
The editing options will be presented to you when you tap on that menu. On the list of options, you will find “Cancel Ride”. The changes will not take effect until you confirm that the cancellation is going through if you choose that option.
The app will not charge you a cancellation fee as long as you cancel the ride as soon as you see it and as quickly as possible.
Steps to Cancel Scheduled Lyft Ride
- Open the Lyft app
- Select the calendar icon, which can be found in the upper right corner of the display.
- Find the ride that you want to cancel and cancel it.
- Click on the X mark that appears above the preferred ride.
- Click on the “Cancel” button to confirm the cancellation.
Lyft allows rearranging rides only by canceling them first and scheduling them again after they have been canceled. The flexibility of canceling a Lyft reservation at any time does not make it free.
You would be required to pay a fee if you chose to reschedule after your driver reserved a time slot for you ahead of time. When you cancel a Lyft ride and the driver is en route to your selected location, an additional cancellation fee must be paid.
How to Modify a Lyft Ride?
There are several tools that Lyft has at your disposal that can help you modify your ride instead of canceling it outright. If you have just booked a ride and if you have booked a ride ahead of time, you can adjust the settings for just booked rides.
How to Modify a Lyft Ride You Just Booked
The “Edit Ride” option can be found in the bottom-left area, much like with canceling a ride. After you have pulled up that menu, some options allow you to examine the choices that you have made and make changes where necessary.
When you choose a new location for your drop-off, you can choose to drag the pin onto the map to a new location and you will be required to approve the new pricing information.
There is also the option of changing your ride-sharing service if you are not already waiting for a driver.
How to Modify a Scheduled Lyft Ride
It is very easy to make changes to a scheduled ride by going into your Lyft app calendar. You will be able to see on this calendar the rides you have pre-booked with rideshare companies.
You will then be able to edit one of the scheduled rides by selecting the “Edit Ride” option above it. Using this page, you will be able to edit the ride in real-time just like you would a ride that you book directly through the app.
Lyft Ride Cancellation Fee
When one of the following occurs, you will have to pay a cancellation fee:
- When a driver accepts your ride request and it has passed the cancellation window, it is now too late to cancel
- Exactly 5 minutes earlier than the original arrival estimation, your driver will arrive at the hotel on time.
In order to compensate your driver for the time he or she has spent and the gas they have used, these fees are charged. On the receipt that is attached to your canceled ride, you will find the cancellation fee.
In the event that you cancel three or more rides (of any type) in 15 minutes, you will be charged a $2 cancellation fee.
It remains the same even if you decide to cancel those rides within the cancellation period for those individual services. After a driver accepts your request, we may charge a Cancellation Fee in the case of Lyft Shared Rides.
No-Show Fee
If any of the following occurs, you will be charged a No-Show fee:
- A driver is waiting to pick you up
- Your driver waited for the allotted time or a longer period
- You may have contacted your driver, or your driver may have contacted you
Your driver receives these fees as a way of compensation for the time and gas they spend on your behalf. It is also possible to find this No-Show Fee on the receipt you will receive for the particular ride you are having trouble with.
Depending on the amount of time that passes between the arrival of your driver and when you are at the picking-up location, a No-Show Fee may be applied.
How to review a fee
If you feel that a Cancellation Fee or No-Show Fee was erroneously applied to your account, they are happy to assist you. The charge will be reviewed automatically in your app when you dispute it. To do so, follow these steps:
- If you are using the Lyft app on your device, select the ‘Ride history’ tab
- If you are having trouble with a ride, click on the ride that requires assistance
- At the bottom of the screen, you will see a link that says ‘Get help’
Lyft Cancellation Window
Lyft charges a cancellation fee based on the period in which you cancel the trip. If you can cancel your ride because of a time limit or for some other reason, you do not have to pay a cancellation fee.
Cancellations must be made at least 5 minutes before the scheduled driver arrives at the station for a scheduled ride to be canceled. Unless the ride is canceled five minutes before the stated pickup time, you will be able to cancel the ride without penalty.
Unscheduled rides are permitted within a limited time frame. Lyft enables neighbors to choose whether they want to pick up passengers because of the transparent way they operate. Whenever you request a ride, a Lyft driver is assigned the job and, once he has arrived, he begins the riding process.
Lyft Policy Refund
There is no room for doubt when it comes to Lyft’s refund policy. Lyft’s policy is completely non-refundable no matter the circumstances. As such, Lyft drivers are guaranteed to get paid for their time and efforts as a result of this refund policy.
The only thing you would expect is that you would have some flexibility in terms of charges if you were to terminate a ride on time, but that is not the case. However, it is also worth noting that Lyft may charge you if you decide to end a ride.
For a scheduled ride where the rider fails to show up, the termination is considered the same as a cancellation.
Travelers should also be aware of damage costs, as these are other expenses that should be taken into consideration. If you damage a driver’s property in any way, then it will be your responsibility to pay for repairs.
As per Lyft’s rules, they might not need to verify the allegation of a driver, which means customers might be held responsible even if there is no evidence against the driver.
Lyft does have the option of disputing the fee, but they usually side with the driver in such cases.
Conclusion
The cancellation policy for Lyft rides is not the easiest to manage, but there is a window in which customers can cancel rides until the driver gets inconveniently delayed.
When you cancel a ride outside the time frame, you will be charged a cancellation fee.
In the Lyft app, you have the option to dispute fees. If there is a dispute between Lyft and its drivers, do not forget Lyft tends to favor itself in these disputes.
For the best experience, you should generally cancel your rides within the cancellation period to avoid any complications for you and your potential drivers.
