On October 23, 2020 we announced a fee increase for both drivers and passengers.
This change was required to ensure that we can sustain our community and continue growing in light of rising operational costs and losses due to Covid-19. More info in our blog
This article provides more details on the fee increase and answers to frequently asked questions on this topic.
What is the new passenger booking fee?
We added a $1 support fee for passengers on each booking, which is added on top of the 15% booking fee we already charge.
Previously, if a passenger booked a ride from Ottawa to Montreal, they would have paid $23 ($20 + 15% booking fee*); with the new fee, they will now pay $24*.
The additional $1 (which is less than a coffee at Starbucks) might seem like a small amount but it greatly helps us generate more revenue to help cover our growing operational costs and ensure we can continue offering a great service for passengers.
* GST is added on top of all fees
What is the new driver payout fee?
We introduced a 3% payout fee which is automatically taken off each payout we send to drivers.
For example, if a passenger pays $20 to travel from Ottawa to Montreal, the driver will now receive a payout of $19.40 ($20 - 3%*).
This small fee helps us recover some of the increasing transaction fees we incur from our payment provider and ensure that we can continue providing a great service for drivers.
* GST is added on top of all fees
Why don’t you monetize with ads instead?
Generating revenue from ads requires millions of page views per month, as ads are monetized on a pay-per-click basis, and requires large volumes of traffic.
The reality is that we are not in the business of generating page views and therefore, putting ads on our service would likely generate very little revenue for us.
Also, we believe in maintaining the privacy of our members and are not in favour of platforms that monetize our members' time and attention through clicks.
We prefer charging for a great service!
Will you increase fees again?
This is the first time we have changed our fee structure since we started Poparide in 2015.
To ensure that travel remains affordable on Poparide, we’ll be monitoring how this fee change is affecting the activity within our community and will make any necessary adjustments over time.