User Capabilities
A quick reference for what free users and subscribers can do, and what each riding experience tier includes.
User Types at a Glance
| Capability | Free user | Subscriber |
|---|---|---|
| RSVP and join rides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Start a ride | ✓ (Premium for first 4; Essential after) | ✓ (always Premium) |
| Create a ride | ✗ | ✓ |
| Join a group | ✓ | ✓ |
| Create a group | ✗ | ✓ |
| Own or administer a group | ✗ | ✓ |
| Become a ride admin | ✗ | ✓ |
| Riding Buddies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Saved Favorites | ✓ (add from ride creation or ride details) | ✓ (add from ride creation or ride details) |
Free User
Free is the default account type. Every new account starts here.
What a free user gets:
- 4 lifetime Premium ride starts. These let the user experience the full navigation and intercom feature set.
- Quota is consumed the first time the user taps Start on a given ride. RSVPing does not consume quota. Starting and stopping the same ride multiple times never consumes more than one slot.
- After all 4 slots are used, the user still rides — but with the Essential experience on every subsequent start. No further quota is consumed.
- Unlimited RSVPs and group joins, regardless of quota.
What a free user cannot do:
- Create a ride.
- Create, own, or administer a group.
- Become a ride admin.
A free user can subscribe at any time from their profile or when they tap a subscriber-only feature.
Subscriber
Subscribers pay annually via the App Store or Google Play.
What a subscriber gets:
- Unlimited Premium ride starts — subscription overrides the free quota entirely.
- Full access to create and manage rides and groups.
- Can hold admin roles in rides and groups.
When a subscription lapses:
The account reverts to free. The 4-ride quota is not restored — it is a lifetime counter. The user starts rides at Essential tier and loses the ability to create rides or groups. See Access Policy for the full transition rules, including group freeze behavior.
Riding Experience Tiers
The tier a user gets when they tap Start depends on their account state at that moment — not at RSVP time. For the authoritative tier definition and rules, see Ride Tiers.
| Feature | Essential | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | ✓ basic routing | ✓ basic routing |
| Traffic data | ✗ | ✓ |
| See other riders on map | ✗ | ✓ (requires location sharing on) |
| Share your location | Always on — cannot opt out | Optional — can opt out |
| Intercom | ✗ | ✓ |
| Premium feature hints | ✓ shown as upsell indicators | — |
Who gets which tier at START:
| Account state | Tier at START |
|---|---|
| Subscriber | Premium |
| Free — quota remaining | Premium (1 slot used) |
| Free — quota exhausted | Essential |
Premium feature indicators (icons/labels) are shown to Essential tier riders during a ride to surface what they are missing and prompt upgrade.
Transitions
- Free → Subscriber: subscribe at any time from profile or via an upsell prompt. Access upgrades immediately.
- Subscriber → Free: happens when a subscription expires and is not renewed. Access downgrades immediately. The lifetime quota is not restored.