Since Uber and Lyft first began offering users the chance to make extra money as independent drivers, the ridesharing model has exploded in popularity. Today, Uber and Lyft drivers can take advantage of extremely flexible scheduling and generous sign-on bonuses to earn additional income on the side or even treat their driving as a full-time job. For top earners, the income from driving for Uber or Lyft can be very substantial, with some drivers earning several thousand dollars per month.
The obstacle that prevents many people from accessing the income they could be earning from Uber or Lyft, however, is the belief that drivers must use their own cars. Because both ridesharing companies have specific requirements for the vehicles that can be used, many drivers who have older vehicles find themselves unable to sign up. Fortunately, there’s an easy way around these requirements, as both Uber and Lyft now allow drivers to use rented vehicles.
Here are three of the top rental services that you can use to get a suitable vehicle and start earning money with Uber or Lyft today.
1. Getaround
Available for Uber drivers in the Philadelphia, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego markets, Getaround has the massive advantage of charging a flat rate for rentals by the hour with no deposit. Getaround rents cars out for just $5 per hour, leaving plenty of room for drivers to turn an hourly profit on the driving they do. Amazingly, the cost of insurance and maintenance fees are both built into that hourly price. It should be noted, though, that not all Getaround cars are eligible to be used by Uber drivers.
Booking a rental car to drive for Uber is relatively easy and can be done entirely within the normal Getaround smartphone app. To book a rental that is eligible for Uber use, you can simply open up the “Drive with Uber” tab in the app’s drop-down menu. From here, you’ll be able to select an eligible vehicle, book it and then go pick it up.
As an added bonus, Getaround offers a special promotion for first-time users. With this promotion, you can book your first car for up to 12 hours at no cost.
2. Fair
With rates starting at $130 a week and a one-time nonrefundable deposit of $500, Fair is the most initially expensive of the rental companies that are currently partnered with Uber. If you’re renting a car by the week and plan to drive on a full-time basis, though, a Fair rental can still be worthwhile.
With Fair, your rental car is allowed unlimited mileage and comes with maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance built into the cost. Fair is also much more widely accessible than Getaround. Some of the major markets in which you can rent cars from Fair to drive for Uber include:
- Los Angeles
- Phoenix
- Miami
- Boston
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Richmond
- Austin
- Houston
- Seattle
- Dallas
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- New York
- Sacramento
- San Diego
Thanks to Fair’s official partnership with Uber, you can easily rent a car for rideshare driving through the Fair app. You can even begin setting up your Fair account through your Uber Driver app.
Inside the Fair app, you can choose from a wide range of car types, including SUVs and hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles are especially popular with drivers who rent using Fair, so you may have to check the app frequently in order to find one that is available.
3. Hertz
Hertz represents a middle ground between Getaround and Fair in terms of pricing. While its weekly rental rate is higher than Fair’s with a starting point of $214, its deposit requirement is only $200 and is refundable. A Hertz rental car can also be renewed on a weekly basis for up to 28 days, making it a good solution for drivers who need long-term rentals. Best of all, Hertz is partnered with both Uber and Lyft, which gives you greater flexibility and more opportunities to offer your services as a driver. Hertz rentals are available in Denver, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston, among other major metropolitan areas.
You can sign up with Hertz through Uber, after which you’ll have access to the partner dashboard that will allow you to reserve a car. After that, you can pay for and pick up your car from the nearest Hertz rental branch. Be aware that you will have to return the car to the same branch you picked it up from. Hertz branches aren’t open on weekends, so you’ll need to time your rental accordingly.
Thanks to partner car rental companies such as these, it has never been easier to get started driving for Uber or Lyft. Even if your car doesn’t meet the requirements needed to be used for ridesharing, you can easily rent a car from one of these partnered companies and begin making money as a driver. When choosing the company to work with, be sure to carefully consider the fee schedule and how it will fit with how much driving you plan to do, as this will help you calculate which rental arrangement will leave you the most room to make money.
Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock
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