How do I know if surge pricing on Lyft or Uber will be in effect ahead of time.

Unfortunately, surge pricing information is only available in real time.

Surge pricing is Uber’s way of controlling supply and demand. Surge pricing happens when there is a high demand for Uber cars (ie: lots of riders are looking for a ride in the same area) and there are not enough drivers to satisfy all the riders.

Since "high demand" cannot be predetermined, it is impossible to tell when surge pricing will be in effect. However, it is always wise to avoid traveling during rush hour or near high traffic events (sporting events, concerts, etc).

Lastly, while you cannot predict surge pricing you can opt in to get surge notifications from Uber to learn when surge pricing is in effect in your area and when it has gone down. Learn how to turn on these notifications here: https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/how-to-turn-on-surge-notifications

For more information on surge pricing check out this article: https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/surge-pricing-made-simple

lilly 1026

RideGuru market data & operations expert