Lyft is sweetening the ride for its drivers—literally and digitally. In a move to enhance driver perks and engagement, the ride-hailing giant has partnered with digital gifting platform Prezzee to roll out a new, mobile-first rewards experience powered by eGift cards.

The collaboration means eligible Lyft drivers will start receiving digital gift cards via email, redeemable instantly from their smartphones with top national brands like Starbucks, Subway, and DoorDash. The idea: reward flexibility with a modern twist—and fewer corporate platitudes.

While rideshare companies often tout driver appreciation, this latest effort stands out by shifting away from generic points systems or opaque bonuses toward something drivers can actually use right now. And with Prezzee’s Smart eGift Card technology, drivers can store, track, and spend their rewards without needing to download a new app or dig through a glovebox full of paper promos.

“Who doesn’t want gift cards?” says Arlana, a Lyft driver with more than 7,800 rides under her belt. Fair point—and the sentiment captures exactly what Lyft is banking on: convenience meets customization.

The Bigger Picture: Loyalty, But Make It Frictionless

This partnership isn’t just a feel-good update—it’s also a strategic move that aligns with rising expectations for personalized, on-demand benefits in the gig economy. Drivers are independent contractors with a wide range of needs, and gift cards offer a far more flexible way to reward them than discounts on car maintenance or future ride quotas.

It also signals a subtle evolution in driver loyalty programs, which have typically been slow to innovate. Lyft’s integration of Prezzee’s gifting tools into its broader driver rewards system points to a more modular, API-driven approach to recognition—less one-size-fits-all, more plug-and-play perks.

From a tech standpoint, Prezzee’s value proposition is rooted in its borderless, digital-first infrastructure. The company has already sold over 140 million eGift cards globally, and its marketplace allows for seamless redemption across regions and devices—features that dovetail with Lyft’s mobile-native driver base.

Market Context: Payments and Perks Converge

This partnership also comes at a time when digital payment solutions are blurring the lines between commerce, loyalty, and rewards. Prezzee’s model—merging gifting with fintech—mirrors a broader trend seen in platforms like Square, Stripe, and PayPal, which are increasingly embedding rewards and loyalty into transactional ecosystems.

Competitors like Uber have also invested in driver loyalty efforts (e.g., Uber Pro), but Lyft’s new rewards model could provide a more tangible, emotionally resonant alternative to purely metrics-based incentives. Giving drivers a say in how they’re rewarded could pay dividends in retention and brand loyalty.

For Prezzee, the partnership marks another step in its international expansion, showing the appeal of its technology in high-volume, distributed workforces. As Craig Smith, CEO of Prezzee, put it: “Together, we’re bringing a modern, thoughtful approach to recognition, making rewards more accessible, more personal, and more impactful.”