Why is the Estimated Cost Different from the Actual Cost?

At the time of booking, Ride Bookers will see an “Estimated Cost” on Step 4 of the Booking Flow. This is an estimated range and is not guaranteed to be the final ride cost. The formula for the range varies depending on if the ride is being booked as a rideshare or non-rideshare ride.

Estimates for non-rideshare rides are calculated based off of the “Vehicle Rates” configured for the group you are booking under for your organization.

The estimate shown in the Booking Flow will be calculated for both legs of the trip (for round trips) or just for one leg (for one ways). Non-rideshare rides will show a $8 range for the estimate. Once the ride is booked, the “Estimated Fare” within the Trip Details will show the median of the estimated fare for that leg. This can be found under the “Payer” tab. Even after the ride is claimed by a provider, the “Estimated Fare” for the ride will still reflect the organization’s vehicle rates, not the assigned provider’s rates.

Rideshare estimates are generated by querying our rideshare partners' APIs at the time of booking. This process involves requesting a real-time fare estimate based on the entered locations for the ride. However, this does not consider the date or time of the scheduled ride, which can lead to discrepancies between the estimated and actual cost.

The estimate shown in the Booking Flow will be calculated for both legs of the trip (for round trips) or just for one leg (for one ways). Rideshare rides will show a $4 range for the estimate. Once the ride is booked, the “Estimated Fare” within the Trip Details will show the low end of the estimated fare for that leg. This can be found under the “Payer” tab.

The Actual Cost refers to the complete cost of the ride, which includes factors such as surge pricing, transportation company rates, and contracted fees. This cost does not reflect any additional transportation costs submitted and approved outside of Roundtrip (i.e. dead mileage, equipment fees, etc.). Your organization will only see these costs when they receive their Trip Details file at the time of invoicing.

For non-rideshare rides, the final ride cost will be calculated based on the provider’s approved base rate and mileage rate. This will be included on the client’s Trip Details file during invoicing. In addition, any approved additional transportation costs will also be noted on the Trip Details file.

Once a rideshare ride is completed in Roundtrip, we’ll receive the “Actual Cost” through our rideshare APIs. This is the final cost from Uber/Lyft and will include any surge pricing or additional fees for the ride. When a rideshare ride is canceled, however, no “Actual Ride Cost” will show, even if a missed connection fee was incurred.

Because of the on-demand nature of rideshare, the final “Actual Cost” may vary from the original estimated fare. This can be due to surge pricing, differences in driver routes, etc. Surge pricing especially can be as high as 5x the original estimated fare.

As the name suggests, the “Estimated Cost” is precisely that - an estimate. The “Estimated Cost” is determined at the time of booking and can vary upon multiple factors once the ride has launched. The actual cost, which is used for billing purposes, is included in the Trip Details file during invoicing.

The "Estimated Cost" will still appear in Roundtrip for canceled rides, but this doesn't necessarily mean your organization will be billed for the ride. However, please be aware that cancellations might lead to some fees, which will be billed at the time of invoicing. The Trip Details file that accompanies your organization's invoice will indicate if any cancellation or missed connection fees were incurred.