In a phone-and-WhatsApp business, fares often live in a dispatcher's head. One person quotes a Kingston-to-airport run one way, another quotes it differently, and the driver sometimes has a third figure in mind. That flexibility works until riders start booking in an app, where they expect to see a price before they confirm and to pay that price at the end. Setting up vehicle types and fares properly is one of the most important jobs before launch. This guide walks through how to approach it.
Start by writing down what you charge today
Before you think about the app, collect the prices your company already uses. Sit down with your senior dispatcher and a couple of experienced drivers and list:
- Your most common routes and what you charge for each, for example New Kingston to Norman Manley, Portmore to Half Way Tree, or Montego Bay hotels to Sangster.
- How you price trips that are not on the usual list.
- Any extras: late-night trips, waiting time, extra stops, luggage, holidays.
- Where different people quote different prices for the same trip.
That last point matters most. Every inconsistency you find now is an argument you avoid later.
Choose your vehicle types
Riders should be able to pick the vehicle that suits the trip, and see the right fare for it. Keep the list short and based on what your fleet actually runs. A typical Jamaican operator might offer:
- Standard car. A sedan for one to three passengers and normal luggage. Your everyday option.
- Minivan or SUV. For families, small groups and airport runs with more bags.
- Coaster or small bus. For wedding parties, church groups, corporate events and tours.
- Executive car. If you serve corporate clients or VIP airport pickups with a better-presented vehicle.
For each type, decide the passenger limit and a short description riders will understand. "Up to 6 passengers, room for 6 suitcases" is clearer than a model name. Only offer a vehicle type if you can reliably supply it. A rider who books a minivan and gets a sedan will not book again.
Pick a fare structure riders can understand
There are a few common ways to price trips. Many operators use a mix.
Distance and time
A base fare, plus a rate per kilometre, sometimes with a charge for time. This handles any trip fairly and suits on-demand rides around town. Set a minimum fare so very short trips are still worth a driver's time.
Zones
Divide your area into zones, such as downtown Kingston, New Kingston, Portmore and Spanish Town, and set a price for travel between them. Riders and drivers find zone prices easy to remember, and they reduce surprises.
Fixed route prices
For your best-known runs, especially airport transfers, a fixed price is often the clearest option. "Kingston hotels to Norman Manley" or "Montego Bay to Negril" at one set price per vehicle type removes almost all fare arguments.
Quoted jobs
Tours, charters and full-day hires usually need a price agreed with the customer up front, based on the vehicle, the hours and the route. Our guide to selling tours and charters through your own app covers these in more detail.
Extras and adjustments
Decide which extras you will charge and write each one down in a sentence. Common ones include:
- Airport pickup charge to cover parking and waiting for arrivals.
- Waiting time after a set free period, for example after the first few minutes at pickup.
- Late-night or early-morning rate for trips at hours drivers would rather not work.
- Extra stops on the way to the destination.
- Cancellation and no-show fees once a driver is already on the way.
Fewer, clearer extras build more trust than a long list of small charges. If you cannot explain a charge to a rider in one sentence, think twice about it.
Currency and how fares are shown
Most local riders think in J$. Many visitors think in US$. Decide how you will present fares to both, and make sure dispatchers, drivers and the app all quote the same figure. If you take card payments in the app, check how the amount will appear on the rider's statement and receipt. Our article on accepting card payments goes into this.
Keep cash and app fares the same
It is tempting to quote one price for cash and another in the app. In practice it confuses riders and drivers and makes your records harder to reconcile. The simplest rule is one fare per trip, however the rider pays. Card payments are taken in the app, and cash trips are logged against the same booking, so your totals match at the end of the day.
Test before you launch
- Price your top twenty trips in the app and compare them with what you charge today. Anything that looks wrong probably is.
- Check each vehicle type on a short trip, a cross-town trip and an airport run.
- Ask drivers to sense-check. They know which routes take longer than the distance suggests.
- Run a few real trips with staff or regular riders before you announce the app widely.
Review after the first month
Your first fares will not be perfect. After a few weeks of live trips, look at which vehicle types riders actually choose, which routes are most common, and where riders or drivers question the price. Adjust a little at a time and tell your drivers before any change goes live. Our earnings calculator can help you see how different trip volumes and average fares add up.
How Conduence fits
With Conduence, you set the fares and vehicle types in your branded booking app. We work through them with you during setup, and your app goes live in up to four weeks from signed proposal, including app store review. Riders see the price before they book, and every trip lands on the same dispatch dashboard with the vehicle they chose. You keep 95% of each completed app booking and Conduence takes 5%, with no monthly software bill. See the details on pricing, or talk to us about your fleet.