BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fasten, the only ridesharing company that treats its drivers as customers, ensuring a great experience for riders, today added confidential, in-app tipping for passengers to anonymously recognize great service from Fasten’s drivers. A long-requested capability by riders and drivers alike, tipping will further ensure a great riding experience for all passengers while ensuring drivers who provide excellent service are duly rewarded. The service is available today in Boston and Austin, the two markets Fasten currently serves.
In a recent survey of riders, more than 65% percent stated they wanted the ability to provide tips to drivers from within the app. Drivers, likewise have been seeking the ability to increase their earnings through tips, a capability unavailable through many other ridesharing apps, including Uber.
Without an automated means for tipping, Uber passengers can only give cash tips, which removes the “frictionless” convenience of driving without cash. It also requires drivers to accept cash, a potentially dangerous liability for them. Most riders opt not to tip, so drivers, who are already paying hefty commissions, are left without a means to increase their earnings.
Not so with Fasten’s new in-app tipping feature which, when coupled with its flat-rate charge to drivers of 99 cents or less per ride, allows them to drastically increase their earnings while delivering top service.
“Rather than investing in self-driving cars and other far-off developments that ultimately marginalize drivers, or forcing our riders to pay high ‘surge’ pricing and tip at their own peril with cash, we’re creating an easy-to-use, frictionless solution that benefits our drivers and riders alike, today,” said Kirill Evdakov, CEO and co-founder of Fasten. “Riders can anonymously reward drivers who provide excellent service; and drivers are incented to always provide their passengers with the best possible ridesharing experience.”
In-App Tipping: An Anonymous, Frictionless Benefit for All
Tipping is Fasten’s latest in-app feature that empowers passengers’ choice: in this case, the choice or tip or not to tip. Much like Fasten’s “Boost” feature allows the rider to choose when they want to pay more for a car to arrive quicker, customers can select whether they wish to tip, how much to tip, and do it anonymously, without the driver’s knowledge. Thus, there is no expectation of a tip, or the awkwardness of rewarding substandard service for fear of retribution. Drivers, on the other hand, are encouraged to provide further excellence for all rides, which will reflect in the combined tips received with their regular Fasten payment.
Fasten differentiates itself from other ridesharing companies by treating its drivers as customers, not commodities. It is the only ridesharing company charging drivers a flat fee ($0.99 per ride or less, whether it’s around the block or across the state) rather than the 20-30 percent commission for each fare levied by most providers.
The latest update to the Fasten app includes the new tipping capability. Riders can download the app to their smart device from Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store. Drivers can download their app for Android or iOS from these links as well.
The Fasten driver signup process is simple and an application can be accessed online at http://fasten.com/d. The company currently operates its ridesharing services in Boston and Austin, Texas, among the largest markets for ridesharing in the country.
About Fasten
Fasten is the Boston-based ridesharing service
that puts drivers first and charges riders less. Available in Boston and
Austin, Texas, it improves ridesharing by putting fairness and
transparency before profits. Fasten began operating in late 2015, is now
the leading ridesharing company in Austin and has shown continuous
growth in Boston throughout 2016. New riders in both cities can receive
a promotional code they can share. Every time the promotional code is
used by a first-time Fasten rider, users will be eligible to receive
credit of up to $5 off a single ride.
Learn why drivers and riders alike pick Fasten First at http://fasten.com.
