Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”About Let’s Carpool
Section titled “About Let’s Carpool”What is Let’s Carpool?
Section titled “What is Let’s Carpool?”Let’s Carpool is a free app that helps people who already know each other coordinate shared rides more easily. Instead of a group text chain or a round of phone calls to figure out who’s driving to the game, the wedding, or the weekly happy hour, Let’s Carpool gives you a simple tool to organize it all in one place.
Let’s Carpool is not a rideshare service. We do not connect strangers. We do not dispatch drivers. We are not Uber, Lyft, or anything like them. Let’s Carpool is purely a coordination tool for people who already have a relationship.
Is Let’s Carpool free to use?
Section titled “Is Let’s Carpool free to use?”Yes. The app is completely free. There are no subscription fees, no premium tiers, and no charges of any kind to use the platform.
Who is Let’s Carpool designed for?
Section titled “Who is Let’s Carpool designed for?”Anyone who regularly travels with people they know — friends heading to a sporting event, coworkers commuting from the same neighborhood, family members going to a wedding, neighbors attending the same place of worship, alumni groups, club members, and so on. If you already know the people you want to ride with, Let’s Carpool is designed for you.
What makes Let’s Carpool different from texting or a group chat?
Section titled “What makes Let’s Carpool different from texting or a group chat?”Group chats work fine for small groups, but they get messy fast. Let’s Carpool gives you a dedicated place to post a carpool, manage who’s in it, confirm details, and keep everything organized — without cluttering up your texts. It also lets people in a Group discover carpools that are happening around a shared interest or event, even if they don’t have everyone’s number.
How the App Works
Section titled “How the App Works”What is the basic flow of the app?
Section titled “What is the basic flow of the app?”Here’s a real-world example. Ryan is an orthopedic surgeon and huge Rams fan. His usual group bailed on him for an upcoming game. He opens Let’s Carpool, creates a carpool for the game, and posts it to the Rams Roadies group he manages. Alex, a member of the same group, gets a notification, sees the carpool, and requests to join. Scott, another Rams fan who is also a member of the group, stumbles across the carpool listing, recognizes Ryan’s name — they haven’t hung out in years — sends a connection request, gets approved, and joins the carpool. All three end up in Ryan’s SUV heading to SoFi Stadium, splitting the parking cost, and reconnecting as friends. That’s exactly what the app is designed for.
The key steps are:
- Create your account and set your profile
- Join Groups that match your interests or regular activities
- Add Self-Verified Connections — people you personally know and trust
- Create a carpool and invite your connections directly, or post it to a Group so others can find it
- Coordinate the ride — who’s driving, pickup logistics, and any shared expenses
Do I have to be part of a Group to use the app?
Section titled “Do I have to be part of a Group to use the app?”No. You can create a carpool and invite your connections directly without involving any Group at all. Groups are optional tools for discovery — they help you find (or be found by) other users who share an interest or are heading to the same type of event.
Self-Verified Connections
Section titled “Self-Verified Connections”What is a Self-Verified Connection?
Section titled “What is a Self-Verified Connection?”A Self-Verified Connection is someone you personally know and trust enough to ride in the same vehicle with. The “Self-Verified” part is critical: you are doing the verification, not us. Let’s Carpool does not run background checks, does not verify identities, and does not evaluate whether any user is safe to ride with. That judgment is entirely yours.
Only Self-Verified Connections can participate in a carpool together. This is by design — the app is built for people who already know each other, not for connecting with strangers.
How do I add a Self-Verified Connection?
Section titled “How do I add a Self-Verified Connection?”You send a connection request to another user of the platform. They must accept it. Once both sides have confirmed the connection, you are Self-Verified Connections and can include each other in carpools.
Can I add someone I don’t personally know as a connection?
Section titled “Can I add someone I don’t personally know as a connection?”Technically, the app requires mutual acceptance of a connection request — but the responsibility for whether that person is truly someone you know and trust rests entirely with you. The platform cannot and does not verify that you actually know someone. If you wouldn’t be comfortable riding in a car with them, do not add them as a connection.
Can someone join my carpool who isn’t my connection?
Section titled “Can someone join my carpool who isn’t my connection?”Not automatically. If someone requests to join your carpool and they are not already a connection, they would first need to send you a connection request and have it accepted before being approved. The Carpool Administrator approves every participant before they can join.
Groups
Section titled “Groups”What is a Group?
Section titled “What is a Group?”A Group is a way to organize and discover carpools around a shared interest, activity, or community. For example: a group for fans of a sports team, members of a congregation, a neighborhood commuter group, an alumni network, a workplace, or a book club. Groups are filters and discovery tools — they are not social media.
What can I do inside a Group?
Section titled “What can I do inside a Group?”A Group lets you see carpools that have been posted to it. That’s essentially it. Groups in Let’s Carpool are deliberately not social. There is no posting, no commenting, no messaging other members, no activity feed, no member profiles, and no community interaction of any kind. A Group is simply a category you can belong to in order to find relevant carpools — or a category you can post your carpool to so that others with the same interest can find it.
Who can create a Group?
Section titled “Who can create a Group?”Any user of the platform can create a Group. The person who creates it becomes the Group Administrator and can manage the group’s name, description, and membership settings.
Do I have to know the other members of a Group?
Section titled “Do I have to know the other members of a Group?”No. Groups can include people who don’t know each other at all. You might join the “West LA Rams Fans” group alongside dozens of people you’ve never met. That’s fine — the Group itself doesn’t enable any interaction between you and those strangers. The connection and trust requirements only apply when you’re actually joining or creating a carpool.
Can a Group be restricted to people I know?
Section titled “Can a Group be restricted to people I know?”Yes. When creating a Group, you can restrict membership to your Self-Verified Connections only. This is useful if, for example, you’re setting up a Group for a specific event like a wedding or a company retreat, and you want it to be visible only to people already in your network.
Creating and Joining Carpools
Section titled “Creating and Joining Carpools”How do I create a carpool?
Section titled “How do I create a carpool?”Open the app and tap the Create Carpool button. You’ll fill in the details: destination, date and time, how many seats are available, and any notes about pickup logistics. You can then:
- Invite connections directly — send invitations to specific people already in your connections list
- Post to a Group — make the carpool visible to members of one or more Groups so they can request to join
- Do both — invite your connections and also post it publicly within a Group
What does a Carpool Administrator do?
Section titled “What does a Carpool Administrator do?”The Carpool Administrator is the person who created the carpool. They approve every participant before that person can join. They can also invite additional people, update the carpool details, remove participants, transfer the Administrator role to someone else, or delete the carpool entirely.
Being the Carpool Administrator does not automatically mean you are the driver. The carpool members collectively decide who drives.
How do I join a carpool I found in a Group?
Section titled “How do I join a carpool I found in a Group?”Tap on the carpool listing to see its details. If you want to join:
- If you’re not already a connection of the Carpool Administrator, send them a connection request first
- Once the connection is accepted, request to join the carpool
- The Carpool Administrator reviews your request and approves or declines it
Can a carpool be private?
Section titled “Can a carpool be private?”Yes. When creating a carpool, you can make it completely private (invite-only, not posted to any Group), post it to one Group, post it to multiple Groups, or anything in between. You control the visibility.
Can carpool members invite other people?
Section titled “Can carpool members invite other people?”Yes, participants can invite their own Self-Verified Connections to a carpool they’ve already joined — but the Carpool Administrator must still approve any new person before they can join.
Cost-Sharing
Section titled “Cost-Sharing”Does Let’s Carpool charge any fees?
Section titled “Does Let’s Carpool charge any fees?”No. The app is free. Let’s Carpool does not charge users anything.
How does cost-sharing between riders work?
Section titled “How does cost-sharing between riders work?”Cost-sharing between carpool members is strictly for reimbursing the driver’s actual out-of-pocket trip expenses: fuel, tolls, and parking. The driver does not make money from carpooling — they can only be reimbursed for real costs incurred. No tips, no surcharges, no profit.
Going back to the example above: when Ryan drove Alex and Scott to SoFi Stadium, they split the parking cost three ways. That’s the model — shared expenses, not payment for a service.
Does the app handle payments between riders?
Section titled “Does the app handle payments between riders?”Not currently. Cost-sharing arrangements between carpool members are handled directly between the people involved — outside the app. In the future, we plan to add optional cost-sharing coordination through Stripe Connect, a third-party payment platform. If and when that feature is added, all transactions will be processed entirely by Stripe Connect. Let’s Carpool will only pass along the necessary reference information to facilitate the transaction — we will not hold, move, or process any money ourselves.
Can a driver charge for gas or profit from carpooling?
Section titled “Can a driver charge for gas or profit from carpooling?”No. Under our Terms of Service, cost-sharing is limited to reimbursement of actual expenses only. Drivers may not profit from any carpooling arrangement. This is also important for legal reasons — our platform is classified as a non-commercial carpooling tool, not a for-hire transportation service. Profiting from rides could change that classification and expose you to regulations that apply to commercial rideshare drivers.
Safety and Your Responsibility
Section titled “Safety and Your Responsibility”Does Let’s Carpool run background checks?
Section titled “Does Let’s Carpool run background checks?”No. Let’s Carpool does not conduct background checks on any user. We do not verify driver’s licenses, insurance coverage, vehicle registration, or any other safety-related information. We do not verify the accuracy of any information a user provides.
You are solely responsible for verifying the safety and trustworthiness of every person you choose to ride with or allow into your carpool. If you would not feel safe riding in a car with someone, do not add them as a Self-Verified Connection and do not include them in your carpool.
What does “Self-Verified” really mean for safety?
Section titled “What does “Self-Verified” really mean for safety?”It means the entire safety determination is yours to make. The app enforces the rule that only Self-Verified Connections can be in a carpool together, but it cannot verify whether your connections are actually people you know well, whether they are safe drivers, or whether you are genuinely comfortable with them. That is your judgment call, every time.
What if I’m the driver — what am I responsible for?
Section titled “What if I’m the driver — what am I responsible for?”If you are the driver of a carpool, you represent to your passengers that:
- You hold a valid driver’s license
- Your vehicle is properly registered, has passed required inspections, and is roadworthy
- You maintain personal auto insurance that covers carpooling
Let’s Carpool does not provide any transportation insurance and is not liable for any accidents, injuries, or incidents that occur during a carpool.
What if I’m a passenger — what should I know?
Section titled “What if I’m a passenger — what should I know?”As a passenger, you are responsible for your own safety decisions. Only ride with people you genuinely know and trust. Do not join a carpool just because the carpool is posted in a Group you belong to — make sure you actually know and have verified the other participants.
Does Let’s Carpool take any responsibility for what happens during a ride?
Section titled “Does Let’s Carpool take any responsibility for what happens during a ride?”No. Let’s Carpool is a coordination tool only. We have no involvement in, control over, or responsibility for any real-world transportation arrangements made through the platform. All users assume full responsibility for their own transportation decisions and any activities that arise from using the platform.
Your Account
Section titled “Your Account”Who can use Let’s Carpool?
Section titled “Who can use Let’s Carpool?”You must be at least 18 years old to register and use the platform. Use by persons under 18 is strictly prohibited.
How do I sign up?
Section titled “How do I sign up?”Download the Let’s Carpool app and register for an account. You’ll need to provide accurate information and agree to our Terms of Service. Once registered, you can start joining Groups, adding connections, and creating or joining carpools.
How do I report a problem with another user?
Section titled “How do I report a problem with another user?”Use the “Report Issue” feature in the app, or contact us at techsupport@letscarpool.com.
Technical Support
Section titled “Technical Support”How do I get help if something isn’t working?
Section titled “How do I get help if something isn’t working?”Contact our support team:
- Email: techsupport@letscarpool.com
- In-app: Use the support option in the app menu
Where can I read the full Terms of Service and other legal documents?
Section titled “Where can I read the full Terms of Service and other legal documents?”All legal documents are available in the sidebar of this documentation site: