If you ride Lyft for work without a business profile, you are passing up cash back and travel rewards. A free Lyft Business profile earns 6% to 8% back in Lyft credit on work rides, and it can also add airline or hotel points on top.
The profile is a separate account for work trips that keeps them apart from personal rides. Enrolling is free and immediate, and rides can be billed to a business card or directly to an employer. It works with common expense tools, which removes the receipt chase after a trip.
How much Lyft Business pays back
Business rides earn 6% back on Standard, Priority Pickup and XL rides, and 8% back on premium, airport and scheduled rides. There is no subscription and no minimum spend. The employer must have an active Lyft Business account, and riders activate the offer by entering a phone number and opening the link Lyft texts them.
The cash back lands as Lyft credit, which can be spent on later rides, personal ones included. The credit launched with a 60-day window for use after it is earned, so it suits regular riders better than occasional ones. Check the current terms before relying on that window.
| Ride type | Lyft credit back |
|---|---|
| Standard, Priority Pickup, XL | 6% |
| Premium, airport, scheduled | 8% |
Airline and hotel points
Linking the business profile to a travel partner earns miles or points toward flights or hotel stays. The partners at launch were Hilton Honors and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (now Atmos Rewards, shared with Hawaiian), with Hilton paying six points per dollar on most business rides, double the personal rate. Alaska miles were set at four to six per dollar on most business rides, against two to three on personal rides.
United has since joined the list, with business rides earning two to four miles per dollar. United pays one to four miles per dollar on personal rides, so the business bump is small; Hilton and Alaska are where linking is worth it. Some riders have kept earning the personal Alaska rate after linking, so check that your first few rides post at the business rate.
Who qualifies and how to start
Your employer needs an active Lyft Business account and has to invite you to its programme, then you activate the business profile and take an eligible ride. In the app, pick the business option on the home screen before you book. Rides on your personal profile do not earn the business rates.
If you also collect hotel points elsewhere, it is worth reading how to choose a credit card for hotel points alongside this. Terms apply to all of the offers, and partners and rates can change.
