How to maximize your ride-sharing on Uber & Lyft

One of the best ways to increase the number of your points and miles earned is by doubling dipping your purchases. There are many different opportunities to do this, but the easiest is with Uber or Lyft rides. Every time you ride in an Uber or Lyft, you can earn bonus points and miles with an entirely different loyalty program. Let me explain how to do this, so you don’t miss out on any bonus rewards.

Lyft Bonus Rewards

Lyft gives its riders the choice of earning Hilton Honors points or Delta SkyMiles. When you link your Hilton Honors & Lyft accounts, you will earn:

• 3x per $1 spent on Lyft rides
• 2x per $1 spent on shared Lyft rides

Linking your Delta SkyMiles account to Lyft will earn you:

• 2x per $1 on all rides to any U.S. airport
• 1x per $1 on all other rides
• 4x per $1 on all U.S. airport rides until January 9th, 2022

Delta Miles or Hilton Points?

Ultimately, it will depend on how you value Delta miles and Hilton points.  As I don’t live near a Delta hub, I tend to value Hilton points more.  Which is why I opt to earn Hilton Honors points on everyday rides and Delta points when headed to the airport. In either case, it is a great way to double-dip on points when you are exploring a new city and need a Lyft.

To start earning Hilton points, follow these steps:

1. Visit www.hiltonhonorslyft.com
2. Sign in to your Hilton Honors account
3. Enter your account info and click “Link Accounts”
4. Accept Terms & Conditions

To start earning Delta SkyMiles, follow these steps:

1. Visit www.deltalyft.com
2. Enter First & Last Name, SkyMiles Number click “Go.”
3. Click “Continue with Lyft”
4. Confirm details and click “Accept.”

Uber Bonus Rewards

If you are more of a Uber rider, there is a way to earn bonus points. You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points in several different scenarios.

• • 6x on Uber Eats orders of $25 when delivered to a Marriott hotel
  • 3x per $1 on rides with UberXL, Comfort & Black
  • 2x per $1 on Uber Eats deliveries and food pickups above $25

To start earning Marriott Bonvoy points, follow these steps:

1. Open the Uber app
2. Tap your account profile in the upper right, then tap Settings
3. Scroll to the bottom of the Settings page
4. Tap “Marriott Bonvoy”, then tap “Link Account”.
5. Follow the rest of the instructions on the screen.

What Credit Cards to Use

To maximize these purchases, make sure you’re also using a credit card that offers travel as a bonus category, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Cardholders will earn 10x Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft through March 2022 and enjoy a year worth of complimentary Lyft Pink membership.

Other good credit cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card which earns 5x points on Lyft purchases, or the Citi Premier Card, which will earn 3x on Lyft charges. The Citi Premier is a part of Lyft’s World Elite Mastercard program, which currently offers a monthly $5 credit after your third Lyft ride each month, and you pay with your Mastercard.

The American Express Gold Card is one of the best rewards cards for dining and restaurants.  You will earn 4x Membership Rewards points when ordering from Uber Eats.  Making it the go-to card when having food delivered, especially when you can earn 6x Marriott points if having it delivered to a Marriott hotel.   Additionally, the Amex Gold Card comes with a $10 monthly Uber Cash credit that you can for Uber rides and Uber Eats.  Adding your Amex Gold Card to your Uber account will give you $10 each month for a free lunch.  It’s important to remember that the credit will expire at the end of each month, so be sure to use it when you can.

Military Considerations

Active Duty Military Members and their dependents should take advantage of this double-dipping opportunity.  The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 10x Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides now through March 2022. Typically, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has an annual fee of $550, but Chase will waive the fee for active-duty military.

The Amex Gold Card has an annual fee of $250 and $240 in dining and Uber credits. So you are essentially bringing down the yearly cost to $10 if you can maximize both credits in the year. However, American Express will waive the $250 annual fee for active-duty military members. So not only can you get one of the best dining and grocery rewards cards on the market for free, but you will also receive $240 worth of credit in addition.

Bottom Line

These types of partnerships are excellent news for military members looking to travel. Any opportunity to earn extra miles and points is a great bonus, and this is one of the simplest and easiest ways to earn bonus points. You have to link your accounts only once. Taking advantage of these partnerships and using a sound travel rewards card will put you on your way to earning future travel rewards every time you hail a rideshare with little effort.