Author: Kaitlyn Short
Zūm, previously known as Liftee, was founded in 2014 and offers Uber-type rides for kids. The company name Zūm, presumably pronounced like “zoom,” offers safe and reliable pre-scheduled rides for kids ages 5+.
The company has several standard service areas in six California counties and it partners with over 2,000 schools in the following locations:
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Texas
Parents can download the mobile app and make a profile for each child, then set up and track rides. It is available for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, if your child has special seating needs like a booster seat, you can include that in the profile. All Zūm cars can provide a booster seat on demand.
Rides are available from 6 a.m.-9 p.m., every day in the California service area, but you can make a special request by contacting customer support.
Customer support is available 24 hours a day, but phone support is limited as follows:
- Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-9 p.m. PT
- Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. PT
- Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. PT
Zūm Pricing
- Carpool: Starts at $8 per child, per ride
- Wait: $6 per 15 min
- Childcare: $6 per 15 min
- Single/Private ride: $16 minimum
Prices depend on location and time of day, among other factors. There is a fare estimator online and in-app. You can see the price before booking.
Tolls are counted in your estimate and charged through the app. You will be charged for a toll during the trip as well as a driver’s return after the trip, if necessary.
Your payment method is charged once your child has been dropped off.
Keep reading our Zūm rideshare review for pros and cons.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Private Rides or Carpool
- Scheduling
- Ride Plus CARE
- App Options
- Driver Vetting
- Service Transparency
- Referrals
Private Rides or Carpool
With Zūm, you get the option to do a private ride just for child, or you can combine rides with siblings or friends to save money, for up to five riders total. Different pickup and dropoff locations are allowed.
Parents or guardians can set up an initial ride and then send invitations to friends and neighbors via text and email to join the ride. However, users decide how to split the cost.
Parents get all of the same notifications and transparent tracking.
Scheduling
Rides can be scheduled up to a year in advance.
Ride Plus Care
Zūm users can get more than just a ride. They can get rides for their children, as well as babysitting or supervision at activities like karate or swim practice and then a ride home after, with the Rides Plus Care option.
You can add this to your service for $6 per 15-minute increments, as in-home babysitting, or as supervision at a dropoff, like ballet class, like a chaperone. However, please note that it is a max of two hours of care.
App Options
Recurring rides ― You can easily re-book a ride from the Rides>Completed section, so you don’t have to re-enter information. You can set a ride frequency for school pickup daily or cheerleading practice every Tuesday afternoon, etc.
Driver preferences ― Users can leave feedback about driver preferences.
Kids' app ― This is for older riders who have a mobile phone. It shows scheduled rides and text updates, access to view the driver's picture and car. They also get a notification when the driver is arriving (within 100 meters of the pickup location). This app isn’t necessary and kid users won’t have access to the schedule or the ability to edit their own rides.
Pickup and dropoff instructions ― Users can leave instructions for drivers about where to wait for their riders, whether they need to be signed in and signed out of school or volleyball practice. It also helps to estimate how much time it will take to check your child in or out of school, etc.
Driver Vetting and Safety
One of the key benefits of Zūm is that drivers have to pass an intense, rigorous vetting process. Only one in five Zūm applicants are selected due to the following qualifications:
- Fingerprinting
- National-level FBI background check
- Department of Justice background check
- Department of motor vehicles background check
- Childcare experience (3 years min)
- Age 21+
- Driving experience (3 years min)
- College education and or professional work experience
- 2009 or newer model car (4 doors, great condition) with regularly monitored maintenance
- In-person road tests
- TrustLine certification
- Phone and in-person interviews
- Address history
- Sex offender records
- Driving and SSN validations
- Ongoing referral checks
The company also has a zero-tolerance policy for the following:
- Drug use
- Alcohol use
- Physical contact with passengers
- Mobile phone use while driving
Users can set up a secret, ride-specific password that your child can confirm with the driver picking them up.
All Zūm cars are marked with a sticker on the front and back windshield. The driver also wears a Zūm T-shirt as a uniform.
Service Transparency
A nice feature for parents is that they can track their child’s ride in real time.
Rides need to be scheduled by 7 p.m. the day before the requested ride. The matching algorithm gives preference toward a driver that has done the most rides for your family.
However, driver-ride matching only starts at 4 p.m. the day before the ride and ends by 8 p.m. Once matched with a driver, you will get a notification email. From there, you can login to see the driver’s profile on the app, including the following information:
- Driver photo
- Vehicle photo
- License plate number
- Driver bio
If for any reason the driver is running late, you will get a phone call from either the driver or the Zūm operations team.
There is also live customer support via chat or call, not a common thing with rideshare.
Parents get access to GPS tracking, as well as the following notifications via text:
- Driver on the way, ETA
- Pickup confirmation
- Drop offs along the way
These are available during private family-only and carpool (multi-account) rides.
Referrals
Users can refer friends through the Free Rides section of the app. They get a promo code for $20 ride credit.
The Bad
- Pre-Planned Rides
- Service Area
- Childcare Booking
- Ride Matching
- Wait Fees
Pre-Planned Rides
Parents need to book rides by 7 p.m. the day before. All rides are matched by 8 p.m.
Any rides booked late (after 7 p.m.) must be set up through the Zūm support team via email or phone. They are first-come, first-served and subject to driver availability.
When it comes to cancelation, you have the same cutoff. If canceled before 7 p.m. the night before, you get a full refund. If the ride hasn’t started yet, but canceled after 7 p.m., you get a 50 percent refund. From two hours before the pickup until the driver is en route, you don’t get a refund.
Service Area
This rideshare service isn’t available nationwide yet. It's only in certain states, but the website says that it is expanding soon.
You can refer your school to Zūm for an opportunity to get discounted pricing.
In general, the following California counties are covered:
- Orange County
- San Francisco County
- San Mateo County
- Santa Clara County
- Alameda County
- Contra Costa County (excluding Richmond)
- Marin County (Novato and San Rafael areas)
Childcare Booking
One small thing that parents might find an issue with is that in order to get childcare through Zūm, it does have to be before or after a ride. It is only available before, during, or after a ride for a minimum of 15 minutes and a max of two hours.
Ride Matching
When it comes to rideshare for kids, it's no wonder that the service doesn’t automatically match with other people for a carpool. This is the same as HopSkipDrive. https://bestcompany.com/car-sharing/company/hopskipdrive.
Wait Fees
If a Zūmer has to wait for your kid more than five minutes, there is a $6 charge, in increments of 15 minutes.
The Bottom Line
This is a great alternative to make sure that your kid gets home safe from baseball practice. It gives parents control and transparent information about the ride, as well as babysitting for up to two hours.
The downside is that it isn’t cheap, fees vary, and the majority of Americans don’t have access to the service yet, though they can refer the service for their school.
We definitely like all of the safety and security protocols, as well as added services that this offers, but we would appreciate a little more feedback from users. Let us know about your Zūm experience with a quick review below.
