Expanding upon its experimental All-Access plan, Lyft is rolling out the subscription service to another set of riders. As of Wednesday (May 9), TechCrunch reported that the company was gearing up to give select users an opportunity to join a waitlist for the plan.
A Lyft spokesperson told TechCrunch, “Testing our newest All-Access Plan is the next step in moving rideshare from one based on ownership, to one based on subscription. We’re excited to roll this out to more passengers in the coming weeks and continue offering Lyft’s affordable, convenient and reliable rides.”
Customers chosen by Lyft from the waitlist will have the ability to purchase a $200 pass, which will give them a $15 discount on 30 trips. While Lyft didn’t describe the extent of the test, TechCrunch said it would involve passengers from around the country.
The news comes as Lyft was reportedly testing the availability of monthly subscription plans in March for customers who use the service a lot. The Verge, citing comments made by Lyft Chief Executive Logan Green during a press event at the time, reported the company could take a page from Netflix and Spotify by bringing a subscription-based model to the transportation market. While terms of the subscription model may vary, The Verge reported the service would be geared toward those riders who spend at least $450 a month on rides.
A spokesperson for Lyft explained that the company has been testing its subscription plans for several months, saying, “We’re always testing new ways to provide passengers with the most affordable and flexible transportation options. For the past few months, we’ve been testing a variety of All-Access Plans for Lyft passengers.”
The report noted that in 2016, Uber tested subscriptions in several cities — but it’s not clear what happened with those trials. Lyft’s CEO and President John Zimmer have long predicted that personal car ownership will end in big cities by 2025.