VERIFICATION

How Lyft improves identity verification and driver onboarding at scale

  • Pass rates increased from around 79% to 94% after Lyft adopted Multi-Source nationwide.
  • Identity verification now runs for 99% of US applicants during onboarding to help Lyft identify drivers who are unlikely to pass safety checks sooner.
  • Lyft reported multimillion-dollar savings this year by running lower-cost identity verification before more expensive downstream checks.
Lyft

Tags

  • Professional Services
  • 1000+ Employees
  • Verify

Lyft needed to onboard drivers quickly across the US while verifying applicants, supporting regulatory requirements and reducing the risk of unsafe or fraudulent users entering the platform.

Our identity verification solutions help Lyft verify driver identities earlier, improve pass rates and avoid unnecessary downstream checks.

By moving identity verification earlier and adopting Multi-Source nationwide, Lyft reported higher pass rates, greater operational efficiency and lower costs.

We were challenged to move genuine applicants through onboarding efficiently. After adopting GBG’s Multi-Source nationwide, we saw pass rates increase by more than 10 percentage points, reaching up to a 94% pass rate.

Victor Thompson,
Senior Specialist, Regulatory Onboarding, Lyft

Lyft

Founded in June 2012, Lyft provides rides and transportation options across the US. Its mission is to connect the world by helping people access transportation when they need it.

Trust and safety are central to Lyft’s rider experience. As Victor Thompson, Senior Specialist, Regulatory Onboarding, explained, drivers must be properly vetted before they can provide rides. Identity verification is a core part of this approach.

Lyft uses our identity verification solutions to help confirm applicants are who they claim to be, validate Social Security numbers and support US regulatory requirements. Victor also supports anti-fraud initiatives that help confirm the information used in safety checks belongs to the person who provided it.

The solution

We help Lyft verify applicants earlier in onboarding. Lyft uses a baseline identity verification check and escalates specific cases to enhanced verification based on its scorecard.

Multi-Source has become an important part of the process. After Lyft adopted Multi-Source nationwide, Victor reported that pass rates increased by more than 10%, moving from around 79% to 94%.

Lyft also reordered its checks. Earlier this year, it moved identity verification to the start of the safety-check process, where it now runs for 99% of US applicants. This helps identify applicants who cannot pass identity verification before Lyft runs background or motor vehicle record checks.

Identity verification costs less than downstream checks. By identifying higher-risk applicants earlier, Lyft can avoid unnecessary checks on applicants who are unlikely to progress.

The challenge

Rideshare onboarding must balance speed, safety and compliance. Lyft needs to move genuine applicants through onboarding efficiently while using identity, motor vehicle record and background checks to support safer experiences for riders and drivers.

Accurate identity data matters because attempts to circumvent identity verification or background checks can create safety and regulatory risk. Victor explained that these applicants may be associated with unsafe driving concerns, passenger safety complaints or compliance issues.

The commercial stakes are significant too. If Lyft does not meet regulatory requirements, it could face fines or operating restrictions in some states. Effective identity verification is therefore foundational to safety and compliance.

The outcome

Lyft reports stronger onboarding performance with our solutions. After adopting Multi-Source nationwide, pass rates rose from around 79% to 94%.

Reordering the checks has also reduced unnecessary downstream costs. Lyft has saved more than one million dollars.

Victor also emphasised the value of Lyft’s longstanding partnership with GBG, pointing to the team’s responsiveness, expertise and proactive recommendations. In particular, he credited the team with identifying opportunities to improve Lyft’s verification strategy and bringing forward solutions that have had a measurable impact on performance.

Thanks to Mary (GBG Customer Success Manager) we were able to easily set up Multi-Source and we saw a massive increase in pass rates.

Victor Thompson,
Senior Specialist, Regulatory Onboarding, Lyft

Together, Lyft and GBG have built an identity verification partnership with that supports safer onboarding, improves pass rates and moves risk decisions earlier in the driver journey.

Frequently asked questions

Lyft uses our identity verification solutions to help confirm applicants are who they claim to be, validate Social Security numbers and support US regulatory requirements.

Lyft uses a baseline identity verification check, with specific cases escalated to enhanced verification based on its scorecard. It also uses Multi-Source, which combines traditional and alternative identity data to expand coverage, help verify more genuine applicants in real time and reduce unnecessary escalation to enhanced checks.

By running identity verification earlier, Lyft can filter out applicants who are unable to pass before running more expensive background checks or motor vehicle record checks.

Lyft is focused on deepfake detection, biometric verification and broader anti-fraud signals across documents, emails, phone numbers and IP addresses as fraud attempts become more sophisticated.