Why Drivers Set Their Own Prices on Private Rides
No surge pricing. No algorithm deciding your fare. Here's why we let drivers and riders agree on pricing directly, and why it's better for everyone.
If you've used ride-hailing apps, you've experienced this: you open the app during rush hour, or when it's raining, or after a concert lets out, and suddenly a ride that normally costs $15 is now $45. Surge pricing.
Private Rides doesn't have surge pricing. In fact, we don't set prices at all.
Drivers set their own prices.
Here's why that matters.
How Pricing Works on Private Rides
When a rider publishes a ride request, drivers who see it can respond with their availability and their price. The driver decides what to charge based on:
- Distance and time
- Their own costs (gas, wear on their vehicle)
- What they think is fair
The rider sees the price before booking. If it works, they confirm. If not, they can wait for other offers or negotiate.
No algorithm. No surge. Just two people agreeing on what's fair. This is what SaneRate calls "SanePricing," and we're committed to it.
Why This Is Better for Riders
Predictability: When you work with the same driver regularly, you know what the ride costs. It's the same price on Monday as it is on Friday. Rain or shine.
No surprise surges: You'll never open the app and find your usual ride costs 3x more because of "high demand."
Room to negotiate: If a price seems high, you can have a conversation. Drivers are people, not algorithms.
Value for relationships: When you build a relationship with a driver, you're more likely to get fair pricing because they want to keep you as a regular rider.
Why This Is Better for Drivers
You control your income: No platform deciding you need to charge less to compete with other drivers, or taking a huge cut of your earnings.
Fair compensation: If you're driving during a difficult time (late night, bad weather, long distance), you can price accordingly. You don't need an algorithm's permission.
No race to the bottom: You're not competing with dozens of nearby drivers for every ride. You're building relationships with riders who value your service.
Transparency: What you quote is what you earn. No hidden adjustments or platform cuts from your ride payments.
The Problem With Algorithmic Pricing
Ride-hailing apps use algorithms to set prices for several reasons, and none of them are about fairness:
- Surge pricing extracts maximum revenue when demand is high
- Dynamic pricing creates urgency to book now before prices go up
- Algorithms can obscure how much of your fare actually goes to the driver
The result? Riders feel gouged during high demand. Drivers feel underpaid during normal times. And no one knows exactly how the math works.
How Direct Pricing Builds Trust
When a driver tells you "I'll drive you from Worcester to Boston for $40," you know exactly what you're paying and they know exactly what they're earning.
Over time, this creates trust:
- You learn what fair pricing looks like for your routes
- Drivers price fairly because they want to keep you coming back
- There's no black box making decisions neither of you understand
This is how transportation worked before apps, and it's how it works between people who know each other. We're just bringing that model to a modern platform.
How We Make Money
Private Rides charges a simple monthly membership fee for platform access. That's it: no per-ride commissions, no percentage cuts, no hidden fees.
This means:
- The price you quote is exactly what you earn from the ride
- No surprise deductions from your payments
- You and your rider agree on payment method (cash, Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
- Payment happens directly between you and the rider
The membership fee covers our costs: communication tools, ride coordination, and the technology that connects you with riders. Your ride earnings are yours to keep.
Getting Started
For riders: When you publish a ride, you'll receive price quotes from drivers. Compare them, ask questions, and book what works for you. Build relationships with drivers whose pricing you trust.
For drivers: When you respond to a ride request, quote what you think is fair. Consider your costs, your time, and the relationship you want to build with this rider.
Experience transparent pricing. Sign up and see how driver-set pricing works.
Private Rides is a coordination platform that connects riders with drivers they trust. Riders and drivers agree on pricing and payment methods directly. Drivers are independent providers who set their own rates.