Waymo launched a rewards program for public transit rides

Waymo has launched a loyalty program in the San Francisco Bay Area that encourages users to combine autonomous rides with public transportation, with customers now able to earn cash bonuses for using multimodal routes.

To participate in the program, users must link their Visa bank card to the service's app, with a bonus of $2.85 credited as Waymo Cash if an autonomous vehicle ride and a public transportation transaction are made within a two-hour interval.

The Waymo Cash funds are automatically credited to the account balance and can be used to pay for future rides on the company's network, with the program operating across the entire SF Bay Area region, covering all types of urban transport that support payment via a linked card.

The integration aims to reduce the load on the road network and encourage the use of autonomous transport as a "last mile" for train and bus rides, with the company planning to analyze movement data to optimize passenger pick-up and drop-off zones near transport hubs.