Lyft opens its ride-hailing app to teens

Lyft has officially launched a new teen account feature that allows minors as young as 13 to use its ride-hailing app independently in 200 U.S. cities, including major metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and New York. The service requires a parent or guardian to create the teen account and add a shared payment method. Lyft has implemented several safety measures such as additional driver background checks, PIN verification, audio recording, and real-time ride tracking to give parents oversight during their teen’s rides. Teens can also bring guests if parents grant permission. This move positions Lyft alongside its main competitor, Uber, which has offered teen accounts since spring 2024 in multiple U.S. and Canadian cities and has been testing the service since 2017. Lyft’s introduction of teen accounts is part of a broader strategy under CEO David Risher, who has also expanded the company’s autonomous vehicle partnerships and entered the European market through the acquisition of the German multi-mobility app FreeNow. These