Summon (formerly InstantCab) @instantcab - Tumblr Blog

Easily Pay for Summon Rides with Google Wallet!

Summon is the only rideshare and taxi app that doesn't surge. Not only are Summon rides affordable — they are now also easier than ever to pay for. Android customers can now pay for Summon rides with Google Wallet. Summon is all about increasing customer choice, and our integration with Google Wallet is a great option for those of you who want a secure, efficient, and flexible payment method. By clicking “Buy With Google” at signup, new customers can start to Summon rides with lightning speed due to pre-populated payment information and can choose from any credit or debit card linked to their Google Wallet account. Existing customers can change their current payment settings to Google Wallet by clicking on payment options in the app’s menu. Summon's integration with GoogleWallet reflects a growing trend among service apps to partner with payment facilitators to speed up customer signup. Instead of directly receiving customer credit card data, Summon charges the customer through GoogleWallet. While this eliminates Summon's exclusive relationship with riders, integrating with Google Wallet helps service providers like Summon attract customers who choose to pay through a simple and familiar payment method. Roughly 30 % of Summon ride requests come from Android users, many of whom may already use Google Wallet for other services, so we are excited to offer this flexible payment option for Summoning a ride!

Get the latest Summon app with Google Wallet here!

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New riders must click "Buy with Google" at signup to pay for rides with Google Wallet:

Existing riders must edit payment options in the app's menu to pay for rides with Google Wallet:

Summon Credit Hunt: $100 Awaits You!

Ready. Set. Go! Go claim $100, that is : ) On Friday, July 18 at 5PM, we will launch our first ever Summon Credit Hunt, our own fun variation on a scavenger hunt. The clues, a combination of photos and riddles, will be posted on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. We will post three different clues, each of which will lead you to a spot in beautiful San Francisco where we've cleverly hidden a unique promo code for $100 in Summon credits. Whoever is first to find the credit gets it. In other words, finders keepers, so start searching as soon as the clues are posted on Friday! No purchase necessary to participate. Only one credit/promo code per person.

Driver All-Star of the week - Nicholas

Meet Nicholas, our Summon Driver All-Star of the week!

Nicholas has been driving with Summon since January of 2014.

Nicholas’ favorite thing about Summon: "I love meeting new and interesting people from all over the city. I also like the general involvement that there is between the driver and the team."

Here is what Nancy (rider) said about Nicholas: Nancy raved to us about how Nicholas is the “most awesomest driver ever” because on a stormy night this week, he lent her and her friends ten bucks cash so that they didn’t have to wander around the city to find an ATM! Kudos for the extra kindness, Nicholas!

#driverallstar #Summondrivers #san francisco #rideshare

See you at PRIDE - no surge pricing!

The 44th annual San Francisco Pride Celebration promises to be one of the biggest, most colorful, most exciting celebrations in the city (heck, the whole state! this weekend)! While you're there, be sure to stop by the Summon booth (located on Hyde St. between Market & Fulton) for a chance to win a free ride home. Here's what you'll find at our pride booth:

Win a free ride home! The Summon prize wheel is back by popular demand - spin and instantly win ride credits and other awesome prizes!

Win more credits by snapping a photo with the Super Summon duo and sharing it with your friends. The duo will be manning our table all day : )

Yummy Summon cupcakes and other treats

Flat fares will be in effect during Pride - no surge pricing! We'll see you there!

Summon supports a thriving cab industry!

Some recent blog posts have speculated that the SF cab industry might die out within the next several months if taxis don't become more responsive to customers. We want taxis and private peer to peer cars to succeed. To that end, we've involved taxis in the changes that are happening throughout the transportation industry and have integrated them into the best of what Summon has to offer.

Here are some of the things we're doing to help modernize the taxi system and bring taxis 'into the fold' of on-demand transportation apps: 1. Choice of driver type Some riders are traditional and prefer to take cabs; other riders prefer the newness and personalization of peer to peer drivers. To accommodate both, we offer riders the chance to choose Taxi or Personal drivers. As a result, both types of drivers feel recognized and respected and part of the same Summon community. 2. Credit card swiper with 0 % fees 95% of rides still happen outside an app! For non-app rides, Summon has built a free credit card swiper with the lowest available rates--0 % processing fees for the first two months and 2.5 % after that. Our swiper allows Taxi and commercial drivers to save money on every non-app ride and focus on what matters: providing excellent customer service. 3. Rider ratings Summon riders can rate drivers after a ride, and we hold taxis and personal cars to a high level of customer service. We've found that all drivers love to go above and beyond for their customers when feedback is available to them. 4. Motivation, support, and more $ for drivers We regularly host driver parties and office hours, and a real person answers the phone when drivers and riders call to get real-time assistance. Both Taxi drivers and Personal drivers are eligible to earn 100 % of their ride total, making Summon a lucrative platform for all drivers. If you drive a taxi in the Bay Area, sign up for Summon today!

Driver All-star: Yagya

Meet Yagya, our Summon All-star of the week!

Yagya has been working with Summon for 8 months and loves it!

Yagya’s favorite thing about Summon: "I love driving for Summon. The team is really great; they are all really friendly and create a true Summon driver community!"

Here is what one of our riders said about Yagya: "When we arrived at the destination my driver waited with me while I located my keys. He also saw my distress regarding the homeless man digging through my garbage and stumbling around. He waited until I was safe inside. Yagya was my knight in shining armor." -- Stephanie

Thanks you for going above and beyond, Yagya!

#driverallstar #Summondrivers #rideshare #san francisco

Driver All-Star of the week: William

Meet William, our Summon All-Star of the week!

William has been working with Summon since November 2013

William’s favorite thing about Summon: "I like that the Summon support team is always looking out for their drivers; particularly with App issues."

Fun fact about William: Will's "super toasty" ride on a chilly night is the first thing that Summon rider Brooke said started the ride off right. It was the soothing jazz and Will's extremely friendly conversation that made this one of her best overall ridesharing experiences! Oh, we can't forget the smiles that topped it all off. Smooth sailing, Will!

#Summondrivers #rideshare #driverallstar #summon #sanfrancisco

“Hide and Summon:” Bay to Breakers Surprise!

Thousands of people will run Bay to Breakers this Sunday, the 102 year old 12k race renowned for its quintessential San Francisco-ness and participants decked out in creative and funny costumes. But the runners and walkers won't be the only ones dressed up — we'll be hiding a Brand Ambassador at the finish line amongst all the cool craziness and colorfulness, and he will give out Summon credits to use on the ride home. Customers who spot him in the crowd (hint: check out our orange man below : )), take a photo with him, and share it on Facebook or Twitter (#SummonB2B) can get a $10 Summon credit in addition to the surprise the Ambassador gives. We love the spirit of SF and are excited to share in the annual Bay to Breakers tradition!

Driver All-star: Igor

Meet Igor, our Summon All-star of the week!

Igor has been driving with Summon for about 3 months now!

Igor’s favorite thing about Summon: "Given that this is not my full-time job, this gives me an opportunity to relax, simply by driving around. Of course along with that, I get to meet new people who might turn out to be very interesting, as well as helping them out to get around."

Fun fact about Igor: Igor’s rider Mai left her umbrella behind in his car the other day, in the midst of a long late night out in the city. Igor noticed the umbrella and was persistent to get it back by means of calling and circling around until it was returned to her. The rain is no joke, so thanks for being so considerate, Igor -- Mai extends her appreciation :-)

Be sure to leave feedback for your drivers! We love to hear about your experiences using Summon!

#driverallstar #summon #rideshare #sanfrancisco

Free Mother's Day Ride From Summon!

In honor of Mother's Day, we're treating moms to one free Summon ride this Sunday, May 11th! Use this free ride to ride in style to your Mother's Day brunch or gathering :-) To claim the free ride, just: 1. Take a Summon ride with your mom or kid(s) and snap a photo with your Summon driver. 2. Tweet the photo with #SumMom, post it to our Facebook page, or email the photo to [email protected]. We'll reimburse your ride (up to $25)! It's that simple, and it's simply our way of celebrating all the ways moms are so awesome!

Driver All-Star: Sainjarga

Meet Sainjargal our Summon All-Star of the week! She has been driving with Summon for a month now. Saina’s favorite thing about Summon: "Meeting awesome people and having my own schedule. This way I am more relaxed and the riders appreciate the ride more." Here is what one of our riders said about Saina: “Saina, frankly provided an impeccable service experience. The ride was professional, friendly, communicative, well done. The car was clean and neat, she was happy to conversate, but not intrusive. " -- It seems to have been Ronaldo's best experience yet!

Picture of Saina

Driver All-star: David

Meet David, our Summon All-star of the week!

David has been driving with Summon for 7 months!

David’s favorite things about Summon:

1) Meeting interesting people!

2) Discovering San Francisco's hidden neighborhoods with breathtaking views!

Fun story about a ride with David:

When power user Nina was picked up by David, she was impressed by the cleanliness of his luxurious town car. Her friends who were visiting the city also instantly fell in love with Dave’s service, as he provided them all with multiple phone chargers and told jokes during the entire ride. Way to win them over, David!

*Picture of David in the Summon office*

#driverallstar #rideshare #taxi #summon #sanfrancisco

Women Drivers: Step Right Up to Summon!

Summon is part of a growing trend seen among rideshare startups. Although women make up a very small minority (less than 2% nationwide) of traditional cab drivers, they are signing up in record numbers to be rideshare drivers.

Women drivers love Summon, and we and our riders love them : ) We take pride in offering flexible hours (drive whenever you want), greater safety than traditional cabs, and a warm culture that is inviting to all drivers, including women.

Check out these profiles of some of our top-rated women drivers:

Pam (drives in SF - one of our very first drivers ever):

What led you to Summon? I'm an accountant by day. I wanted to change it up and have something to do on nights and weekends where I could meet new people and not have to sit at a desk. I also wanted a gig with flexible hours. Driving fit the bill! What would you say to encourage your sister, best friend, or other women to drive for Summon? Safety is key, and I've never experienced a tim e when I felt unsafe as a Summon driver. My passengers are very professional. In fact, some female customers tell me, 'I'm glad you're a woman because it makes me feel even safer.” That makes me feel good that I can give them a great experience. Most memorable customer? I had one customer who had just (I mean, just minutes before getting in the car!) broken up with her fiancé. Since she had just split up with a guy, I think she was happy to have a lady driver! She was almost in tears, and I was able to console her.

Lydia (drives in SF And East Bay):

What led you to Summon? I'm a graduate student at UC Berkeley, and I needed a way to earn extra money for school.I was looking at Craigslist and saw ads for several different ridesharing apps. Summon's ad was the most upbeat, and when I reached out to Summon, they were the warmest company. I had great interactions with them, and they actually responded to my emails and phone calls. What would you say to encourage your sister, best friend, or other women to drive for Summon? First, I would tell them it's super fun to drive! Driving for Summon is a great way to explore the city and meet new people. But it's also empowering. I get to run my own business. I feel a sense of pride and autonomy every time I complete a ride. What stood out to you about Summon? I feel like I have my finger on the pulse of the community. Summon is an organic, genuine company. Some other companies in this business have a very high-powered, competitive presentation. I prefer the warmth of Summon.

Saina (drives in SF and Redwood City):

What led you to Summon? I used to drive for another ridesharing app, but my friend said Summon was the best company for drivers. I like that I can drive when I want because I'm attending fashion design school at College of San Mateo and need the time to focus on school while making money. What would you say to encourage your sister, best friend, or other women to drive for Summon? I don't think there's much I have to do. Most of my friends already drive for Summon or other rideshare services! You haven't been driving that long yet, but any memorable customers? All my customers have actually been very nice so far and supportive when I tell them I just started. I've liked every single customer I've had!

Download the Summon app for iPhone or Android.

Driver All-star: Jerry

Meet Jerry, our Summon All-star of the week!

He has been driving with Summon for 10 months!

Jerry's favorite thing about Summon: “My favorite thing about being a Summon Driver is the flexibility of being able to work on demand whenever I want while providing safe, quality transportation for the community I serve.”

Fun fact about Jerry: Jerry has a karaoke microphone in his SUV for some extra fun! If you get matched with him you can sing with friends to kill the time on your commute! Sounds like a Super-Summon experience to us :-)

*Picture of Jerry in the Summon office*

Summon now cheaper than UberX and Lyft!

Big announcement alert : ) We've made some major pricing changes that make Summon the most affordable ridesharing app in the Bay Area - even cheaper than UberX and Lyft!

Check out these changes, effective today: 1. Price Drop We've dropped our per-minute and per-mile rates (check out our FAQ to see exact rates), and we offer a 10 % FareBack discount on top of that. This makes us cheaper than UberX and Lyft! 2. FareBack (back by popular demand!) With FareBack, we'll give you 10% of your ride total back as credits. The credits are automatically applied to future Summon rides. FareBack applies to your first 10 rides each month. 3. No Surge! If you used us on New Year's Eve or St. Patrick's Day, you already know that we're a big fan of flat fares on event days and during busy times. Instead of surging when you need a ride the most, we use flat fares based only on distance, not on time. You will know how much your ride will cost before the ride starts. We think these changes will make it more delightful than ever to Summon a ride. Happy Summoning everyone!

Pricing comparison*:

*the costs shown are for Personal Drivers.

O% (Yes, Zero!) Credit Card Processing Fees and Same Day Deposit for Taxi and Commercial Drivers

We at Summon believe that the key to a great service is taking care of those who receive the service (our awesome riders!) and those who provide it (our awesome drivers!). Starting today, taxi and commercial drivers will be able to save thousands of dollars with the Summon Swiper, a credit card swiper featuring 0% processing fees for the first two months of use and fees lower than Square after that.

Taxi and commercial drivers have been vital to helping our company grow, and this is our way of giving back to them by helping them keep more of what they earn. Summon rides requested through the app will still be processed with a mobile payment using the rider's credit card on file. The swiper allows taxi and commercial drivers to accept credit card payment without hefty processing fees for rides outside of the Summon app. For example, taxis can use the swiper for streethails, and commercial drivers can use it when they accept rides dispatched to them by their limo company.

The swiper helps drivers save money on every ride. Amrik Malhi, who has been a Bay Area taxi driver for over 25 years, said, “It's about saving money and having a one stop solution for what I need. If I accept $4000 in credit card payments in a month, I save at least $680 in a year by using Summon's swiper. My friends in Boston who pay 6% fees would save nearly $1700 per year." For the first two months of a driver's swiper use, we charge no processing fees. After that, we charge 2.5% per transaction. This is cheaper than Square (which currently charges 2.75% per transaction) and taxi company credit card readers (which can charge up to 10% per transaction). Taxi and commercial drivers already face many financial obstacles, and our swiper is designed to make the industry more financially viable for them. For example, taxi drivers are often responsible for cab leasing fees, airport trip fees, maintenance fees if they're lucky enough to own a taxi, and more. The money that drivers save on credit card processing fees from the swiper is money that they can use to offset other costs.

We also work with a leading payment processor to ensure same or next day deposits in drivers' bank accounts for swiper charges.

Taxi and commercial drivers can email [email protected] to get a swiper.

Get the Summon rider app for iPhone and Android.

Great new features for Android users!

Awesome news for our Android customers: we just released a bunch of new features that will allow Android users to take full advantage of Summon. Here's what's new:

Invite friends - Your friends get $20, and you get $10 when they take their first ride

View your past trips, payment history, and rating history within the app

Add multiple credit cards to your account

Push notification support

Bug fixes!

Get all the new features here!

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Summon (formerly InstantCab)