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How can we help you?

How it Works

How do I start my trip?

Book the exact date and time on our mobile app or at go.upshiftcars.com 24/7. For each subsequent trip, we’ll assume that you want your car delivered to your home, unless you tell us otherwise.

How is Upshift different from other services?

Upshift is like owning a car, but better. You always have an identical, unbranded well-equiped hybrid or EV that’s clean, fueled, and ready to go at your doorstep. We take care of all the headaches of owning a car, like storage, insurance (full coverage), cleaning, and maintenance.

Can I return an Upshift car to a different location than where it was delivered?

Yes! Our service area includes most of San Francisco’s most popular neighborhoods. Feel free to start your trip at home and have us pick it up at your favorite restaurant, where you’re meeting friends. You can also have your car delivered to your office and have us pick it up later at your home.

How do I deal with parking?

You’re responsible for parking the vehicle legally during your booking. We'll deliver your car and pick it up when you’re done. At the end of a booking, please park in a legal spot where it can stay for at least 2 hours during service hours or until 9am the following morning if returning after 4pm.

What about gas or charging?

Our Priuses get 54 and RAV4 hybrids get 40 combined MPG, which helps save your wallet and the planet. Don't bother filling up the tank at the end of your day: we'll refuel for you and charge you the price we paid at the pump, with no markup. For EVs, your car will be delivered with around 80% charge capacity to prolong battery life. During your EV trip, use the Tesla charging network, ChargePoint or EVgo app to find convenient charging locations along your route.

How do tolls work?

All of our cars are registered with FasTrak. We’ll bill you for any FasTrak charges incurred during your trip.

To avoid paying twice for tolls, don’t pay cash when passing through a toll plaza with electronically tolled lanes—the plates on all of our cars are registered, some toll plazas may take a picture of your plates and bill the car even if you pay cash. (You also shouldn’t bring your own FasTrak transponder with you, for the same reason.)

How does insurance work?

Full comprehensive insurance coverage is included in your membership, so you never have to worry about whether or not you’re covered. To become an Upshift member, you must be at least 25 years of age, hold a valid driver's license from your permanent state (or country) of residence, and have a clean driving record with two years of driving history. It’s important that you review the Insurance tab and Membership Agreement for more information on our insurance policy. You’re responsible for the car from the moment you take possession of it until the moment we take it back at the end of your booking. Seconardy drivers are only allowed if they've been registered and approved as a shared account.

Can I join Upshift with a driver’s license from another country?

Yes! We'll ask you to digitally sign an affidavit stating that you meet our driving record requirements and accept our membership agreement. You’ll also need a US cell phone number to communicate with us.

Who pays for tickets?

You’re responsible for any tickets, parking, or tolls incurred until we get the keys and car back from you. We assess a $15 administration fee for processing tickets.

Do you have GPS devices, snow chains, bike racks, surfboard racks, child seats, or ski racks?

  • Phone chargers for iOS and Android devices are supplied in all vehicles. Most models have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, those without have a universal phone mount.
  • We have snow chains available for $25 per booking.
  • We don’t provide child seats, but all children that ride in the vehicle must wear a seat belt or federally approved child seat installed in accordance with applicable state law.
  • If the car is equipped with (or you install) a bicycle rack, snow chains, ski rack, trailer hitch, or child seat, you assume all risk of loss or damage to property resulting from your use of that device.
  • You can request a surfboard rack and key lockbox.
  • You can fit two bicycles or two surfboards in a Toyota Prius or RAV4 with the seats folded down.

Can I take my dog? How about my gerbil?

                 

Pets are allowed as long as they stay in a crate and you place a blanket under the crate, or they can be on a car seat cover in the back seat - cover must stay properly installed while the pet is in the vehicle. We absolutely love animals, but some of our members are allergic! If we find excessive pet hair in the car, we’ll bill a $50 fee or more if special cleaning/sanitization is needed.

Booking

How far in advance do I need to make a booking?

We offer free delivery and guaranteed availability for bookings made 24 hours or more in advance. Bookings with less than 24 hours notice are not guaranteed and will be charged a $30 rush fee. You can reserve up to 30 days in advance.

What if I need to change or cancel my trip?

Please give us one hour (ideally more) advance notice for any changes to your trip and 24 hours advance notice for cancellations. Please respect our hard-working concierges and don't send them to the wrong place or at the wrong time. Fees may apply for not following the guidelines outlined in our Fees schedule.

Can I take an Upshift car for a few hours?

Sure! You can take your car for any period of time, including short trips. Upshift gives you the flexibility to use your car exactly when you need it.

What counts as one day?

Any trip that lasts fewer than 24 hours counts as one day, even if it starts on one calendar day and ends on the next.

How far can I drive in a day?

As far as you want... just don’t leave the country!

How long can I reserve an Upshift car?

14 days is our maximum period. For multi-day trips, we apply multiple day credits. For example, a trip starting at 8am Tuesday and ending by 8pm Wednesday would count as 2 days.

Are there any restrictions for booking over holidays?

Nope! Holidays and weekends are typically busy for us, we recommend booking as far in advance as possible to secure your preferred vehicle and/or delivery time.

Concierge Service

When can I receive and return my car?

Booking periods can start on the hour or 15, 30, or 45 minutes past the hour. We deliver between the hours of 8am-4pm daily. Requests made after regular business hours will be responded to the next business day.

We park your car within two blocks of your address and hand off the key. If you have a front desk concierge or a secure mail slot, we can also leave the key there without meeting. You can end your trip by parking it anywhere in our coverage zone whenever you want, 24/7.

We have a mobile app and are installing vehicle telematics so you will soon be able to locate and unlock your car 100% remotely.

Can I pick up or return my car outside of the 8am-4pm concierge service hours?

Yes! We can deliver cars outside of service hours. Please book no later than 2pm for bookings that start between 4pm and 10am.

You can always return your car 24/7. For late-night returns, park in any spot (even at a meter) where it is legal until 9am — there’s no need for you to meet your concierge to return your car.

How much does delivery cost?

Deliveries for bookings made 24+ hours in advance are included in your subscription. Bookings made less than 24 hours in advance are subject to a $30 rush fee. Bookings made after 4pm will be considered to be made 8am the following morning.

How do returns work?

When you’re done with your trip, park your car anywhere in our service area where it can legally remain for two hours. End your booking in the app and get on with your day. We’ll come pick up your car. It's that easy.

Membership

How do I become a member?

Sign up here. If you live outside of San Francisco or in a neighborhood where we don't operate, let us know where you’d like us to expand. Most sign-ups are processed instantly, but it may take a few hours to review your driving record before your very first booking.

How do membership plans work?

Subscribe to 4, 8, or 12 days per month of credits with 1 month rollover of unused days. You can book up to 30 days in advance with no extra cost for holidays or weekends. Additional days over your credit are $89-109 per day, depending on your plan. Cancellations less than 24 hours before the start of your trip will result in forfeiture of a day credit or the cost of the trip.

You can cancel your plan with 30 days notice. There is no minimum commitment. Upgrades or downgrades to plans have a 3-month minimum commitment. If you do cancel your plan, unused credits are lost, and we don’t issue refunds for partial months. Unused days have no cash value and are non-refundable. Changes to plans will take effect at the next billing cycle.

How do I keep my membership active?

1. Be a member of Upshift in good standing.

2. Do not use the vehicle for a purpose prohibited by the Upshift Membership Agreement.

3. Drive in accordance with all highway and other applicable laws and regulations.

4. Have a valid driver's license (either US or foreign).

5. Report to us any moving violation that you have incurred since becoming a member.

6. Continue to meet the Driving Record Requirements in the Upshift Membership Agreement.

7. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs that may adversely affect your ability to operate the vehicle, or do anything that would impair your ability to use the vehicle.

How does rollover work?

                   

We know. Some months you drive more and some months you drive less! That's why unused days in your account rollover from one month to the next. The current month days are used first followed by rollover days are if your trip requires more. Unused rollover days expire if not used in the second month.

Can I pause my membership?

Yes! We can pause your membership for $49/month. Any days in your account will be retained until you reactivate your account. You will not need to pay another reactivation fee.

How do I cancel my membership?

                   

We'd hate to see you go but you can always email us at support@upshiftcars.com to request to cancel your plan. We require 30 days notice for cancellations. If this goes into another billing cycle, then your plan will cancel after the end of that new billing cycle. Any unused days will expire once your subscription ends. If you restart your membership more than 1 year after cancelling, you will be subject to a new activation fee. You can also pause your membership for $49/month to retain your days and then restart when you are ready with no reactivation fee.

Payments

When does Upshift charge my payment card?

We process your first month's payment on the date you choose to activate your membership plan, indicated during sign up. Subsequent monthly payments are always processed on the same day of the month as your first payment—so if you sign up for Upshift on the 8th of the month, you’ll always be billed on the 8th.

Additional days are billed whenever you make a booking that exceeds the number of day credits in your account. We apply additional charges (like any gas or charging, tolls, and fines) after your trip.

What methods of payment do you accept?

Upshift only accepts major credit cards backed by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Upshift does not accept debit cards, cash, check, PayPal, or Venmo as forms of payment. The credit card must be in the same name as the driver or the membership will be denied.

Cleanliness

What if my car is dirty?

We guarantee that the vehicle will be clean when it’s delivered. If the car isn’t in satisfactory condition, let us know via text or phone, or you may be charged $50 plus the cost of cleaning when you return it.

Availability

What happens if a car isn’t available for when I requested?

If this happens, send receipts for an alternative (carshare, rental car, or rideshare) and transportation to and from the car location. We’ll compensate you up to $100/day for the day(s) we did not have a car available. Send receipts to support@upshiftcars.com. We guarantee you will always get to where you need to go! Book as far in advance as possible to ensure a seamless Upshift experience. Booking requests with less than 24 hours notice (48 hours for federal holidays) are not guaranteed and will not be compensated.

What happens if a car for a confirmed booking isn’t available?

We do our best to ensure this doesn't happen, but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control, like another member running late or getting in an accident. If a vehicle that you have reserved is not available at the time of your reservation, you have the following options:

1. We’ll compensate you for a an alternative (carshare, rental car, or rideshare) and transportation to and from the car location, up to $100/day. Send receipts to support@upshiftcars.com

2. You may cancel your reservation and have your credits and (if applicable) additional days refunded.

Return

What if I return late?

Life happens! Give us at least an hour notice if your plans change to help us plan where and when cars are needed for other members. Occasionally we need to flip a car quickly for another member, so any notice here is greatly appreciated.

What if I return early?

No problem. Simply end your trip in the app. Please ensure it's parked legally where it can remain for at least 2 hours. If you are returning after 2pm, it needs to be legally parked until 9am. You’ll still be charged for the full duration of your initial reservation.

You’ll be charged for the full duration of your initial reservation.

What if I don't return at all?

That would be… really strange? But just in case you’re thinking about it, here’s the legalese: if you do not return the vehicle when required by your reservation, we may report it to the police as a stolen vehicle and, at your expense, recover the vehicle where and when it is found and may also assess fees for loss of use. To the extent permitted by law, you waive any right to a hearing or to receive notice or legal process as a pre-condition for Upshift recovering the vehicle.

What Not to Do with Upshift Vehicles

Can I smoke in an Upshift?

Absolutely not. Not even smoking out the window. Smoke smell lingers and is very hard to get out, which stinks for the next member who will drive your car. We’ll charge $300 if we detect the smell in the car regardless of whether there are ashes or cigarette butts found in the car or not. We may also revoke your Upshift membership.

Can I use an Upshift to drive for a rideshare service?

No. Our insurance doesn’t cover members using our vehicles to carry persons for hire in a ridesharing service.

Can I drive an Upshift car to Burning Man?

No. We love Burning Man and burners, but the Black Rock Desert would destroy our nice new Priuses. Please find a ride that doesn't mind playing in the sand with you! We reserve the right to assess penalties and excess cleaning charges if you go to Burning Man in one of our vehicles.

Roadside Assistance

What if I have a problem during my booking?

If you have any urgent need during your booking, text or call us immediately. Roadside assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.