Taxi fare app is catching on

The goCatch taxi app loyalty scheme is a driver-rewards program that awards points to cab drivers who accept short fares—trips that are often seen as unprofitable—so drivers who take more short jobs increase their standing in the system.

According to the report, goCatch’s loyalty scheme has picked up 23,000 jobs nationally since January, showing early adoption across Australia.

goCatch rewards drivers for short fares because these trips are traditionally deemed unprofitable; the loyalty points incentivize drivers to accept them, helping the app fill those trips that might otherwise be declined.

Drivers earn points by logging and completing short fares through the goCatch app—each short fare adds to their points total and improves their chance of being allocated longer, more lucrative trips.

The loyalty scheme is structured so that the more short fares a driver logs with goCatch, the better their chance of being allocated a long fare, effectively using points as a way to prioritize drivers for longer jobs.

For drivers, the program provides an incentive to accept short trips they might otherwise skip; by accumulating points from these short fares they can improve access to longer rides, which may help balance job frequency and potential earnings.

Yes—by incentivising drivers to take short, traditionally unprofitable fares, the goCatch loyalty scheme can increase the likelihood that passengers get more reliable short-trip coverage and reduced declined bookings.

Investors should monitor metrics such as the number of jobs logged (the scheme has already recorded 23,000 jobs nationally since January), driver adoption rates, changes in ride acceptance behavior, and whether the program leads to sustained improvements in service availability and driver retention.