Share the drive. Split the fuel.
RideAlong connects people already heading the same way — across town, out to the airport, to the next town or interstate.
Thousands of empty seats drive past every day.
Australia is big, and outside the city centres public transport is thin. If you don’t have a car — or your car’s in the shop, or you’re flying out at 6am — getting to the airport, the next town or the coast is hard and expensive.
Meanwhile, most cars on the road carry one person. RideAlong exists to join those two things up: people already driving somewhere, and people who need to get there. The driver gets help with fuel. The rider gets a fair-priced seat. The road gets one less car.
We started in Far North Queensland, and we hold ourselves to a simple standard: every trip should feel as safe and as straightforward as getting a lift from a friend.
person in most cars on the road — the seats beside them are going spare.
the most a seat can cost. Prices share the running costs of a trip — they’re not a fare.
of drivers verified before they can offer a seat.
Three taps from a spare seat to a shared trip.
Drivers post the trips they’re already making. Riders find one going their way and request a seat. Everyone splits the cost.
Find a ride
Search where you’re going and pick a day. See the route on a map, the driver, the seats left and the price per seat before you commit.
Request a seat
Pay securely in the app or pay the driver directly. The driver accepts, you agree a pickup point, and you can message each other in the app.
Ride and review
Travel together, then both confirm the trip and leave a review. Reviews build trust for the next person who rides.
Wherever you’re heading.
A hop across town, the early airport run or the long drive interstate — post any trip between two places in Australia. Drive times allow for traffic at departure.
Typical drive times for illustration. Live trip times in the app use traffic at departure and current roadworks.
Leaving in an hour? Someone’s waiting for that seat.
Plans change fast. RideAlong is built for the last-minute trip.
- Riders save their routesGeelong ⇄ Melbourne, the Gold Coast ⇄ Brisbane, the airport run — any two places, or post a “looking for a ride” request.
- Drivers post, riders get pingedThe moment a driver posts a matching ride, riders who saved that route — or asked for a trip starting and ending nearby — get a push notification. Even if it leaves in 30 minutes.
- Seats fill before you leaveNo refreshing a group feed and hoping someone sees your post. The right people hear about your trip instantly.
Geelong → Melbourne CBD, Tue 4:45 pm. Tap to grab a seat.
You’re riding with Sam. Message them to confirm the pickup point.
Example notifications.
Know who you’re riding with.
Safety isn’t a feature we added at the end. It’s checked before the trip, built into the trip, and followed up after it.
Verified identity
Drivers upload government ID before they can offer rides. A real person reviews every document — usually within 10 minutes to 24 hours.
Verified vehicles
Vehicle details are checked too, so the car that turns up is the car you booked.
Women-only rides
An optional women-only preference, open only to members whose eligibility is confirmed from government documents — not a profile photo.
Private by default
Message in the app. Your phone number and home address are never shown to other users.
Live location sharing
Send someone you trust a live map link for the trip. It ends when you stop it, or after 4 hours.
Trip tracking
Turn on GPS tracking for the journey; it keeps going with the screen off and stays on your phone.
Two-way reviews
Riders and drivers review each other after every trip. Reputation follows people from ride to ride.
Reports reviewed by staff
Report anything — before, during or after a trip. Staff investigate and can warn, suspend or permanently remove accounts.
Money held until it’s done
In-app payments are held until both travellers confirm the trip. Bookings the driver declines or doesn’t accept are refunded automatically.
RideAlong is not an emergency service. The app’s Safety screen has a one-tap button that opens your phone’s dialler.
Because “PM me” isn’t a safety plan.
Community ride groups got a lot of people where they needed to go. But they were never built for it — and anyone who’s used one knows the problems.
| Facebook groups | RideAlong | |
|---|---|---|
| Who’s driving? | Anyone with a profile — real or not. | Identity and vehicle checked by a person before a driver can offer a seat. |
| Paying | Cash, bank transfers to strangers, “deposit to hold your seat” scams. | Pay securely in the app. Money is held until both of you confirm the trip. |
| Price | Whatever someone asks. | Capped at $1/km per seat. Shown in full before you book. |
| Finding a trip | Scrolling a feed, posts buried in hours. | Search by where you’re going and the day. See every match on a map. |
| Last-minute trips | Hope someone sees your post in time. | Instant alerts to riders on your route. |
| Reputation | None. A no-show just changes their name. | Two-way reviews after every trip; repeat no-shows can be removed. |
| If something goes wrong | Message an admin and hope. | Report in the app; staff review it, refunds are built in, and live location and 000 are one tap away. |
| Your details | Your profile, friends and phone number on show. | Chat in the app. Your phone number and address stay private. |
Fair by design. No surprises.
Seat prices are a contribution towards the trip, not a fare. Every amount is shown in full, in Australian dollars, before you confirm.
Drivers can’t list a seat above $1 per kilometre of the trip.
When you pay the driver directly, RideAlong charges a flat booking fee.
Paid securely in the app? The driver keeps 90% of the seat and extras total.
Luggage, pets and surfboards are charged once per rider who brings them, up to $10 each. A baby takes their own seat, plus any child-seat fee.
The pay-direct booking fee is refunded automatically if the driver declines or doesn’t accept by pickup time. Full details are in the Terms of Service.
Bring a mate. You both get $5 off.
Every member has their own invite code at the bottom of the Profile tab, ready to copy or share.
They enter your code when they sign up, or open your invite link, and $5 comes off their first trip.
Once they’ve taken that first trip, you get $5 off your next one, and a notification to say so.
The credit comes off what RideAlong charges your card: the $5.50 booking fee when you pay the driver directly, or the seat payment when you pay in the app. Drivers are always paid in full. One credit per trip, no cash value. See Terms.
Driving anyway? Fill the empty seats.
Post your trip once — or set up a weekly commute — and let riders going your way chip in for fuel.
Our first 20 drivers with a verified vehicle get 6c a litre off fuel at BP, up to 30 litres a day. Unlocks after your first completed trip: the barcode then appears in the app. Conditions.
- You set the seat priceRideAlong suggests a fair price for the distance and shows your fuel cost from real prices in your state. Change it as you like, up to the $1/km cap.
- Payments held safelyIn-app payments are released once the trip is confirmed (or automatically 48 hours after it, if nobody reports a problem).
- Withdraw to your bankA $3.00 standard withdrawal, or instant to an eligible debit card for 5% + $3.00.
- Payouts by StripeA one-time Stripe check of your identity and bank details, as the law requires.
Illustration only. Amounts shown after RideAlong’s 10% in-app service fee.
Carpooling — not a taxi, not a side hustle.
RideAlong is designed as cost-sharing. You post a trip you’re already making, and riders chip in towards fuel and running costs — capped at $1 per kilometre per seat, so it covers costs rather than paying you a wage. That’s what makes it carpooling rather than paid driving: you’re never driving people somewhere you weren’t already going.
Every registered car in Australia carries compulsory third party (CTP) insurance through its registration, which covers people injured in a crash — including your passengers. Your own comprehensive policy stays with you as usual.
Before your first trip, check your policy. Most comprehensive policies exclude carrying passengers “for hire or reward”, and insurers word this differently — so confirm with your insurer that cost-shared carpooling is covered. RideAlong doesn’t provide insurance; drivers are responsible for holding a valid licence and keeping their car registered, roadworthy and lawfully insured. See our Terms.
Made for the place between the reef and the range.
Our logo is the view from the Captain Cook Highway: the sun coming up over the ranges, the Coral Sea underneath. It’s where RideAlong started — and every trip on the app runs somewhere between the two.
Good to know.
How is RideAlong different from Uber?
An Uber driver takes you wherever you want to go, as a paid job, and needs a booked hire licence to do it. A RideAlong driver is already making the trip and offers their spare seats to people heading the same way. You chip in towards fuel and running costs instead of paying a fare, and every seat is capped at $1 per kilometre. Trips are posted ahead, so RideAlong suits longer trips — town to town, the airport run, the daily commute. Every driver’s ID and car are checked by a person first, and in-app payments are held until the trip is done.
Is RideAlong a taxi or a paid lift service?
No. RideAlong connects people already making a trip with people heading the same way. Drivers set a seat contribution that covers part of the cost of the journey; it isn’t a fare, and RideAlong doesn’t employ drivers.
What rules is RideAlong under?
RideAlong is car pooling: drivers only share trips they’re already making, and riders chip in towards the running costs, capped at $1 per kilometre per seat. In Queensland, the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Regulation 2018, section 266(1)(e), lists “a car pooling arrangement” among the services the passenger transport law doesn’t apply to. Drivers still need a valid licence and a registered, roadworthy car, and every registered car carries compulsory third party (CTP) insurance, which covers people injured in a crash, passengers included. If you drive in another state, that state’s road rules apply. See our Terms.
What is the founding driver fuel offer?
Our first 20 drivers with a verified vehicle get 6c a litre off fuel at BP, up to 30 litres a day. Your place is held once your vehicle is verified, and after your first completed trip as a driver the app shows a barcode to scan at the BP counter. Spots go in the order vehicles are verified, and the offer can end at any time. Full conditions are in the Terms.
How does the $5 invite credit work?
Share your invite code from the bottom of the Profile tab. A friend who signs up with it gets $5 off their first trip, and once they’ve taken it you get $5 off your next one. The credit comes off what RideAlong charges your card, so the driver is always paid in full. One credit is used per trip and it has no cash value.
How is the seat price worked out?
Drivers set their own seat contribution. The app starts with a suggested fair price for the distance — a share of what the car costs to run — and drivers can change it, up to a cap of $1 per kilometre per seat; RideAlong won’t publish a ride priced above the cap. Optional extras such as luggage, pets and surfboards are charged once per rider who brings them, up to $10 each; a baby takes their own seat plus any child-seat fee. Everything is in Australian dollars and shown in full before you confirm.
When does the driver get paid?
Secure in-app payments are held until the trip is complete: when both travellers confirm it and leave a review, or automatically 48 hours after departure if nobody reports a problem. Once the card payment has settled, the driver’s share becomes an available balance they can withdraw to their bank account.
What if my plans change?
You can cancel an in-app booking yourself for a full refund up to 2 hours before pickup. Inside 2 hours, your seat goes back on sale: if someone else books it, you get half back; if not, the driver keeps their share. A booking the driver declines or cancels, or doesn’t accept by the pickup time, is refunded automatically. Refunds are processed within 3–5 business days.
How are drivers checked?
Drivers verify their identity and vehicle before offering rides. Documents are reviewed manually, usually within 10 minutes to 24 hours, and are only accessible to authorised reviewers.
Do I need special insurance to drive?
RideAlong is cost-sharing carpooling, not a commercial service, and seat prices are capped to cover running costs. Your car’s compulsory third party (CTP) cover, which comes with registration in every state and territory, covers injury to passengers. Comprehensive policies vary on carrying passengers who contribute to costs, so check with your insurer before your first trip. RideAlong doesn’t provide insurance.
How do last-minute ride alerts work?
Save a route you travel, or post a “looking for a ride” request. When a driver posts a matching trip, you get a push notification straight away — even if it leaves within the hour.
Do I have to share my location?
No. Location is optional — you can type addresses instead. Trip tracking and live location sharing only start when you turn them on, and a live location link expires after 4 hours.
Heading somewhere? Take someone along.
Free to download on iPhone and Android.