Closing your Lyft account permanently

To close your Lyft account, open the Lyft app on your phone, go to the menu (three horizontal lines in the bottom right), tap your profile picture at the top, scroll down and tap "Settings", then scroll to the bottom and select "Delete Account". Lyft will ask you to confirm and explain why you're leaving — you can skip the explanation. The account closes when ready, though it takes a few days for Lyft's servers to fully remove your data.

If you've forgotten your password, you can still close the account. On the Lyft login screen, tap "Trouble logging in?", enter your email address, and Lyft will send you a reset link. Once you're back in, follow the steps above. If you no longer have access to the email address tied to your account, contact Lyft support through their website — you'll need to verify your identity with a phone number or previous payment method.

Closing your account cancels any active rides and removes your stored payment methods. If you have Lyft credit remaining, use it before you delete the account — unused credit is forfeited and cannot be refunded once the account is gone.

Key Takeaways

  • You can close your Lyft account directly through the app by going to Settings and selecting Delete Account, and it takes effect when ready.
  • If you've forgotten your password, use the "Trouble logging in?" option to reset it before closing the account.
  • Any Lyft credit in your account will be lost when you delete it, so spend any remaining balance first.
  • If you cannot access your account email, contact Lyft support and be ready to verify your identity with a phone number or payment method.
  • Closing your account removes all stored payment methods and cancels any rides in progress.

What happens to your data after deletion

When you close your Lyft account, your profile, ride history, and saved addresses are deleted from the app within a few days. Lyft keeps some information longer for legal and tax reasons — if you received a 1099 form for tax reporting, Lyft retains that data for seven years. Payment information is removed from Lyft's systems but may remain with your bank or credit card company as a transaction record.

Your rating and reviews you left for drivers are also deleted. If drivers left reviews about you, those remain in Lyft's system but are no longer attached to your name or account. You cannot recover a deleted account — if you want to use Lyft again later, you'll need to create a new account from scratch.

Before you close: what to check first

Before deleting your account, make sure you've settled any outstanding balance. If you have a negative balance (money owed to Lyft), closing the account won't erase the debt — Lyft can still pursue collection. Check your payment method to confirm there are no pending charges.

If you have an active Lyft Pass subscription (monthly unlimited rides), canceling your account will end the subscription when ready. You won't receive a refund for the remainder of the billing period. If you only want to pause your rides temporarily, consider turning off the app instead of closing the account.

Review your ride history if you need it for taxes, insurance claims, or expense tracking — once the account is deleted, you cannot retrieve past ride receipts. Take screenshots of any rides you need to document.

Closing a Lyft account linked to another service

If you signed up for Lyft using your Google, Apple, or Facebook account instead of an email address, you can still close it the same way. Deleting your Lyft account does not delete your Google, Apple, or Facebook account — it only removes the connection between them. You'll need to log in with your email or password first if you've been using a linked account.

If you signed up through a linked account and cannot remember your Lyft password, tap "Trouble logging in?" and Lyft will send a reset link to the email address associated with that account. If you no longer have access to that email, contact Lyft support with the phone number you used when you signed up.

If you want to keep your account but stop using Lyft

You don't have to close your account to stop using Lyft. If you think you might use it again someday, you can straightforward delete the app and leave the account inactive. Your account will remain open indefinitely with no monthly fees or charges for inactivity.

If you're concerned about security, you can change your password and remove saved payment methods without closing the account. Go to Settings, select "Payment Methods", and delete any cards or accounts you no longer want stored. This removes the risk of unauthorized charges while keeping your account available if you return.

Troubleshooting account deletion problems

If the "Delete Account" option doesn't appear in your Settings menu, you may be using an outdated version of the Lyft app. Update the app through your phone's app store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) and try again. If you're on a web browser instead of the app, Lyft does not offer account deletion through the website — you must use the mobile app.

If you see an error message when trying to delete, it usually means you have an active ride, a pending payment, or an outstanding balance. Cancel any active rides first, wait for pending charges to process, and settle any debt before attempting deletion again. If the problem persists, contact Lyft support and provide your account email address and phone number.

Some users report that the delete option is grayed out or unresponsive. Log out of the app completely, restart your phone, log back in, and try again. If that doesn't work, uninstall and reinstall the Lyft app, then attempt deletion once more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reopen my Lyft account after I close it?

No. Once you delete your account, it cannot be reopened. If you want to use Lyft again, you'll need to create a brand new account with the same or a different email address. Your old ride history, ratings, and payment methods will not transfer to the new account.

Will closing my Lyft account affect my credit score?

No. Lyft does not report account closures to credit bureaus, and closing your account has no impact on your credit. If you have an outstanding balance that goes to collections, that can affect your credit, but the account closure itself does not.

What if I have a scheduled ride when I try to delete my account?

You cannot delete your account while a ride is active or scheduled. Cancel any upcoming rides first, wait for the cancellation to process, then go back to Settings and select Delete Account. If you've already paid for a scheduled ride, the payment will be refunded to your original payment method within a few business days.

Do I need to contact Lyft support to close my account?

No. You can close your account directly through the app without contacting support. You only need to reach out to Lyft support if you cannot access your account, have a password problem, or encounter an error during deletion.

Will my phone number be reused if I close my account?

Yes. After your account is deleted, the phone number you used can be registered to a new Lyft account. If you want to prevent someone else from using your phone number with Lyft, you can change the phone number in your Settings before closing the account, though this is not necessary.