Getting a free ride with Bird, the electric scooter rental company, may seem impossible at first glance. After all, their business model relies on charging customers per minute of use. However, with the right strategy and timing, scoring a free Bird can be surprisingly easy. Keep reading to learn some tried and tested tips for taking Bird scooters for a spin at no cost.
Take Advantage of Promotional Offers
The most straightforward way to get a free ride is to keep an eye out for promotions. When entering a new market, Bird will often offer free unlock credits to attract first-time riders. Similarly, referring friends or downloading their app can come with free ride credits. Unless prohibited by local regulations, Bird also gives free rides on Election Day to encourage voter turnout. Subscribing to their mailing list is an easy way to stay updated on these limited-time offers.
Use Referral and Sign-up Bonuses
In addition to situational promotions, Bird provides more consistent options for free rides through referral bonuses and sign-up credits. Inviting friends to join Bird grants both parties ride credits, usually $5 or one free trip. Downloading their app also comes with a signup perk, typically a $5 credit, that can be applied to your next ride. Stack these referral and sign-up offers by getting friends to use your invite code when they download the app for maximum savings.
Time Your Rides Strategically
With smart timing, you can start and end your ride within the free unlock period and avoid paying a dime. After scanning a code to unlock a Bird scooter, you have a 5-minute window before the rental charges begin. If you can both locate and return your ride within that grace period, you’ve scored a free trip. This works best for short rides of 10 minutes or less. To pull it off, be strategic by only unlocking a Bird when you’re ready to hop right on and ride directly to your nearby destination.
End Your Ride at 5 Minutes
If your ride is longer than 5 minutes, you can still game the system by carefully tracking your time. Unlock the scooter and take note of the exact minute you begin your trip. Ride to your destination, and once 4 minutes have elapsed, start heading back to properly end your ride before the 5-minute mark. This trick takes some coordination, but it can be used to briefly borrow a Bird scooter for free.
Find Birds with Partial Charges
Here’s an easy hack for getting free rides: locate Birds that already have a partial charge. How does this work? Every time a rider ends a trip, they’re supposed to fully charge the Bird scooter. But often, people get lazy and only charge it to 60-80%. That partial charge carries over to the next rider. So if you can find one of these scooters, you can drive until the existing charge runs out. With an hour of charge, you could potentially ride for free for miles.
Check Scooters in the Early Morning
The best time to locate partially charged Birds is in the early morning after they’ve been out all night. Scan the app to see the charge levels of nearby scooters. If you spot one below 90%, congrats – you’ve found a free ride. These sweet spots go quickly, so it’s important to find them early before other riders do. So check the app first thing when you wake up to increase your chances.
Report Issues for Credits
Here’s a simple way to score credits with Bird: report issues with their scooters and service. Within the app, you can notify them of anything from damaged scooters to parked vehicles blocking access. For your help identifying problems, Bird will add credits to your account as a thank you. While each report is only worth a few cents, they add up. With this strategy, you could slowly but surely ride for free by banking credits over time.
Find Issues on Your Ride
The easiest time to spot potential issues is while you’re already on a Bird trip. As you ride, look for problems like cracked frames, worn brakes, sticker vandalism, or anything else that needs attention. Once you end your ride, immediately open the app and report the problems you noticed. Document the problems with photos whenever possible to improve your chances of getting credits.
Refer Friends for Unlimited Free Unlocks
Bird allows those who refer a certain number of friends to get unlimited free unlocks for an extended period. The threshold differs by city, but hitting at least 5 referrals will typically unlock this reward. This means you can start and end as many rides as you want within a certain timeframe without ever getting charged. Since you already referred friends to hit the threshold, get them in on the action by taking turns sharing the free unlocks.
Maximize Bonuses During Events
To quickly hit the free unlock threshold, strategically refer friends during busy times when sign-up bonuses are increased. Holidays, event weekends and nice weather almost always come with boosted referral offers. Similarly, focus on inviting friends when Bird first launches in your area, as they provide extra incentives early on to get people riding.
Team Up with Friends
Here’s a hack that requires some coordination but can lead to free rides. Have a friend unlock a Bird and start riding it. Trail closely behind them on your own scooter. When they go to end the ride, quickly hop off your scooter and onto the back of theirs. As long as you move fast, you can ride tandem and split the cost of the trip with your friend. Alternate who pays each time for essentially 50% off Bird rides.
Take Turns Paying
To maximize savings using this buddy system, take turns paying for the ride each time. Your friend covers the first trip, you get the next one, and so on. This evenly distributes the cost while allowing both of you to benefit from the 2-for-1 deal. Just agree to return the favor and share future rides to keep the rotate going.
Scan Codes Without Riding
Here’s a cheeky way to gain free ride credits: scan Bird codes without actually taking a ride. You can locate nearby Birds in the app and scan their QR codes to unlock them as if you were about to hop on and ride. But instead of taking the scooter, just walk away. This will start the ride timer on Bird’s end, earning you a few cents for reporting the scooter even though you never rode it. Do this a couple times per day and you’ll slowly accumulate small credits.
Spread Out Your Scans
To avoid raising red flags, don’t scan too many Birds in rapid succession. Space out your scans over the course of the day and across different locations. Act like you’re an interested rider who keeps getting distracted. This trick only nets tiny credits at a time, so persistence and patience are key to accumulating enough for a free ride.
Join the Charger Program
Signing up to become a charger for Bird can unlock free riding perks along with paid charging gigs. As a charger, you’re eligible for promotions where you get ride credits for charging a certain number of scooters. You may also gain access to “refer a charger” bonuses when you recruit others to join the program. Between these incentives and the money you earn, becoming a charger can essentially lead to unlimited free rides.
Maximize Bonuses as a Charger
To optimize the free ride perks you get as a Bird charger, be strategic about how many scooters you charge and when. For example, if you get a ride credit after 5 chargers, do 5 every few days rather than knocking them all out at once. This ensures a regular flow of credits. Take advantage of increased bonuses during busy times when Bird needs chargers most.
Contact Customer Service
Having issues with your Bird account or charges? Connect with their customer service team about it. Explain the situation politely and calmly to the representative. Whether your problem is big or small, you may very well end up with some free ride credits for your trouble. Customer service agents are empowered to add credits at their discretion to help resolve complaints. So if you’ve been unfairly charged or had other issues, hit up support for a credit.
Only Contact Support If Necessary
Avoid abusing this approach by contacting customer service every time you ride – they’ll catch on quickly. Only reach out when you have a legitimate issue that needs attention. Be ready to provide details and evidence. Making a sincere effort to resolve real problems is key to scoring credits from customer service agents.
Conclusion
With the right methods and timing, riding Bird scooters for free is totally doable. Taking advantage of promotions, referrals, charger perks, credits, and other unlock tricks can add up to provide plenty of gratis trips. Just be thoughtful in your approach so you don’t raise red flags for overly abusing the system. With clever and strategic play, you’ll be zipping around town on Birds without spending a dime.