Lyft Business partnerships keep growing, but Uber still dominates for business travelers
The rivalry between Lyft and Uber isn't letting up anytime soon.
The two ride-hailing apps keep a close eye on new product features and growth into new industries: when Uber started a commuter benefits program, Lyft was right behind them. Same with a variety of carpool programs, and more recently healthcare partnerships providing rides for medical patients.
On Tuesday, Lyft announced big growth for its business and partnership arm. With an expected $1 billion run-rate by the end of the year, the company has seen an impressive number of partnerships most noticeably in healthcare transportation. The top five largest health systems partner with Lyft.
But Uber isn't falling behind by any means -- its Uber for Business platform is a popular choice for corporate travel. Lyft points out that since 2015 Lyft’s use for business travelers has increased nearly five times, according to expense management software company Certify.
But Certify also found that of 50 million expenses in 2017, Uber was the most expensed brand with 9 percent of all expenses. Starbucks was next with 4 percent.
A Certify report from last year comparing the two ride-hailing companies' business travel use found Uber dominated with 56 percent of ground transportation overall. Lyft was at 12 percent based on transportation receipts and expenses.
But Lyft is breaking into Uber's hold on the ride-hailing market. A Certify infographic from earlier this year shows this:
Uber partnerships are everywhere -- just in Uber's hometown of San Francisco new partnerships are announced fairly regularly, like for rides to local baseball, football, and basketball stadiums. These build on already existing integrations like Jump e-bikes within its app or Visa local offers for cash back deals at local businesses.
But Lyft is right there, ramping up partnerships with airlines like JetBlue and schools like the University of Southern California. Lyft announced that its business arm has grown 17 times since the beginning of 2016.
This rivalry is fierce.
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
