Lyft Will Allow Riders To Donate To Charity Through Its Round-Up Program

Lyft is about to distinguish itself from its biggest rival in the ride-sharing industry, Uber. While the latter company has been beleaguered by claims of its negative and sexist work culture, Lyft is positioning itself as a kinder, gentler alternative as it is about to launch a program which will allow riders to donate to charity.

According to The Verge, Lyft will introduce a new program called Round Up & Donate, which will allow riders to make a charitable contribution when they take a ride with the service.

In a blog post on Sunday, March 26, Lyft reposted a full-page ad that appeared in the New York Times on the same day, which points out that “parking your backsides in car seats across the nation is a way to rebuild our communities around people, not cars.”

In a subtle jab at its competitor, Lyft adds, “And treating people better along the way is just the way we do it.”

In the recent weeks, it was reported that Uber cultivated a misogynistic work culture, and the video of CEO Travis Kalanick’s spat with a company driver certainly didn’t help matters for the ride-sharing company.

Lyft’s new program will take effect in a few weeks, and those who opt in can automatically have their fare rounded up to the nearest whole dollar and “push the difference toward issues impacting everyone everywhere, from climate change to the pursuit of equality.”

This means that if a passenger has opted into the program and their fare is $12.75, Lyft will round up the total to $13. The difference of $0.25 will be donated to a charity.

The program isn’t mandatory, as passengers can choose to opt in or opt out. To take part in Lyft’s Round Up & Donate, one can simply turn on the feature on the Lyft app’s Settings.

Lyft says that the program isn’t only for riders, as they are also working on ways to get their drivers to actively participate in the cause.

For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on the Uber employee who revealed details of a company trip to a South Korean escort bar.

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