How to Permanently Delete a Lyft Account: 4 Steps

Whether you’re running late or need quick transport between downtown locations with minimum hassle, Lyft provides the just-in-time ride service you need. There’s a reason that it’s become so common: opening the app, selecting a destination, and waiting for an incoming driver all take minutes or less, getting you where you need to go fast.

Jump ahead to these sections:

• How to Permanently Delete Your Own Lyft Account
• How to Permanently Delete a Lyft Account for Someone That Died
• Lyft Account Deletion FAQs

That being said, plenty of people want to take a break from Lyft, temporarily to save money and walk more, or permanently due to a move or change in transportation choice. Others are working to clear up the digital legacy of a friend or family member who died.

When that’s the case, one of the best choices available is to delete your entire Lyft account

How to Permanently Delete Your Lyft Account

Like with other phone applications, it’s a common misconception that deleting the app or uninstalling it on your cell phone removes your account. In reality, that account information lives on and it can be accessed on a different device with the right username and password.

Here are the steps to remove your account fully, including all data Lyft is allowed to delete:

• Visit the account deletion page.
• Get verification code and click “Delete Account.”
• Explain why you’re leaving.
• Type the word “delete” and confirm.

Tip: Ensure that your digital assets are taken care of according to your wishes by making a will. You can easily create one from home with an online will maker like Trust & Will.

Visit the account deletion page

Lyft’s Help Center directs those who are interested in deleting their accounts to a special account deletion page. Your first step once you’ve visited this page will be to log in using your phone number, usually.

Get verification code and click “Delete Account”

If you weren’t already logged in, or if you don’t frequently use the app, you may be asked to wait for a verification code to be sent to your phone.

Once you get it, type in the number from the text message and click to verify. You’ll see a button for deleting the account and data for your Lyft account.

Explain why you’re leaving

Lyft, like many companies, wants to improve over time, so they ask you to tell them why you’re leaving.

They offer options about account security and not using Lyft very often, but you don’t have to give them any information about your departure.

Type the word “delete” and confirm

The final, simple step to delete a Lyft account is to type the word ‘delete’ in the box. There is no waiting period for Lyft account deletion, so this step is permanent for both rider and driver accounts.

The one exception is if your account is under investigation for something like fraud, in which case you’ll have to wait till your case is resolved to finish deleting your account.

How to Permanently Delete a Lyft Account for Someone Who’s Died

If your loved one was an avid user of Lyft or drove for them as an independent contractor, it may be part of your resolution process to delete their Lyft account. We recommend deleting important accounts as part of our post-loss checklist. Not only does this protect your loved one’s identity, but it also keeps their digital information safe.

Here’s how to make the request to permanently delete a deceased loved one’s account:

• Deactivate the account using the above process, if possible.
• Submit a request through Lyft’s support ticket system.
• Follow up with any requested documents.

Tip: You can continue a loved one’s digital legacy with a virtual memorial on a platform like GatheringUs. They even have specialists who can guide and support you through the planning process.

Deactivate the account using the above process, if possible.

The easiest way to delete a Lyft account is if your loved one used a password manager. If you have their login information, you can follow the steps outlined above.

This process is fairly simple but requires that you have the person’s phone active so you can get a verification code.

Submit a request through Lyft’s support ticket system

Another path exists if you don’t have the person’s account information but want to delete their account. Visit Lyft’s Help Center online and submit a ticket at “Contact Support.” Explain the circumstances and consider providing a link to the obituary so that your case is clear for why this account no longer needs to be active.

Lyft doesn’t mention that they will delete accounts for users who have died on their website, but making the request may move forward their policies and cause them to make a more overt, easy-to-follow process for handling the digital remains of deceased loved ones.

Follow up with any requested documents

If Lyft contacts you through phone or email about your ticket, follow up quickly with any documentation they need to close out the account and the support request.

A quick response can keep your request moving and, ultimately, result in the deletion of the account so that you can move on, knowing their sensitive data will be deleted. The sooner this happens, the easier it will be to delete the rest of your loved one’s digital accounts.

Lyft Account Deletion FAQs

It can be confusing to know what parts of your Lyft account you can delete, like phone numbers and payment methods. Here are some things to consider if you’re not quite sure about deleting your Lyft account.

How do you delete a Lyft driver account?

Deleting a Lyft driver account is the same process as deleting a Lyft passenger/rider account.

How do you delete a credit card or payment method on a Lyft account?

To delete Lyft payment methods, go to the payment tab in your application. Find the payment method you want to remove and click delete.

If you only have one method, it may not let you delete it, but instead, it’ll make you ‘update’ it to something new.

Can you delete or remove your phone number from your Lyft account?

You can swap an old number for a new one, but if you just want to get rid of a phone number on your Lyft account, your best bet is to just delete the account.

Accounts are tied to particular phone numbers, so there’s no way to just have an account without a phone number.

Achieving Lyft-Off

Lyft provides a useful service, especially in dense urban areas where a short, inexpensive ride can help you get from point A to point B. Still, if you’ve moved or changed your habits, getting rid of your account is a great way to start off on a new foot. Deleting your account is a better plan than just removing the app since it’s very easy to re-install the app if you’ve got a long walk ahead and the ease of a Lyft is calling.

Having fewer accounts can make you feel a little lighter and freer. We at Cake are big advocates for organizing your digital life so that you feel secure in how many accounts you have activated and available. If you want more tools to organize your life and make sure that things like long-term care and funeral arrangements are planned for, visit Cake and register to start end-of-life planning today.

If you’re looking to delete more accounts for a deceased loved one, read our guides on deleting Airbnb account, deleting Skype accounts, and deleting Uber accounts.

Sources

1. “Delete my account.” Lyft Help Center. Lyft. help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/115012925847-Delete-my-account
2. “Contact Support.” Lyft Help Center. Lyft. help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=724707