What is PenguinUp?
PenguinUp is an app that automatically matches people travelling in the same direction to share a taxi or seats in a private car and the split the cost. As a Driver, you save money on fuel and toll and as a passenger you get a convenient, door-to-door ride.
How do I get the PenguinUp App?
The PenguinUp App is currently available by invitation only. To receive an invite register on our website and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Already got an invite? How do I download the PenguinUp App?
On the login page, you will find instructions for downloading the PenguinUp App depending on which device you use. The app is available across multiple platforms and can be accessed through any device.
What cities is PenguinUp currently available in?
PenguinUp is only operational in Kristiansand, Norway at the moment.
Is using PenguinUp safe?
Safety of our users is very important to us. There are multiple ways we try to ensure this. Groups – sharing rides with known people, emergency button in the app, rating system.
How does PenguinUp match travellers?
Our powerful algorithm matches people travelling in the same direction at similar times allowing only a 10% detour. We find the most efficient match for you which will help you save time and money.
What is a Carpool?
Carpooling is sharing seats in a private car and splitting the costs related to the ride. The Driver is already travelling in the same direction as the passenger and helps the passenger by giving them a lift in return the passenger reimburses the Driver with money for fuel and tolls.
What is a Taxishare?
Taxishare is sharing seats in a taxi and splitting the taxi fare. PenguinUp only supports the use of government approved licenced taxis.
What is a Host and Guest in a Taxishare?
Host: You are responsible for booking the taxi and ensuring all the people get picked up.
Guest: You should coordinate with the host to ensure the taxi has been booked.
If you are the last one to get off in the Taxishare, you will have to pay the entire taxi fare and then request money from your co-travellers.
What is the difference between PenguinUp and Uber?
Uber provides a taxi-service where the prices are much higher compared to Carpooling where you only share the ride with other travellers and split the costs. PenguinUp is only a digital platform for matching travellers going the same way. PenguinUp doesn’t provide Taxis or Private Cars – it is the ride owners who offer rides or book licensed taxis.
What are Groups?
Groups are a means of providing extra security when sharing rides and maintaining privacy. For example, you can choose your co-travellers based on the group they belong to. For example if you are a student and want to share a ride with fellow students then you can choose your university group to sort rides in Offers.
How do I take my first ride?
You can either choose to create a new ride based on your requirements or you can go through the existing list of rides in the Offers to see the rides of others. If any of those rides are relevant to you, you can choose to join or pickup that person.
I created my ride, but didn’t get a match. Now what?
You can save your ride and hope to get matched soon. Sometimes due to various reasons like the timing or location there aren’t many active travellers. We are working on expanding our network of users to increase your chances of getting matched.In the meantime, we request you to be patient, try finding other transport alternatives or checking the offers section for any relevant ride that is close by. Read about how to increase your chances of getting matched.
How do I contact my co-travellers?
You will receive each other’s mobile numbers through a message.
What happens on the day of the ride?
Congratulations! Looks like you found a match! On being matched, all the travellers receive a message (SMS) on their registered mobile number which contains information about their co-travellers, location, time, car details etc. Don’t forget to check the trip time in advance to make sure that you are not late.
If you are a driver in a Carpool, open your ride details in the PenguinUp app to see the address of other travellers.
If you are a passenger, you can message/call the Driver or co-passenger to confirm their arrival.
How do I contact my co-travellers?
On being matched, all the travellers receive a message (SMS) on their registered mobile number which contains the contact information of their co-travellers. You can choose to send a message or call them in case of any delays, emergency or coordination.
How do I find the location where I need to pickup/drop-off my co-traveller?
In your ride details, Click on the View match and route info section. There you can view the route on the map or click on the get directions button to view the route on Google maps.
What to do incase of an emergency?
Firstly, don’t panic. Call us on +47 485 09 437 if it’s a ride-related issue. If there’s an accident, call 116 or 117.
Pricing for Taxishare
By sharing a ride in a Taxishare you are guaranteed minimum 50% saving if you are matched with just 1 person. Imagine the savings if you are able to get matched with 4 people! PenguinUp calculates your contribution based on the distance you travel. The pricing is based on the Taxi company’s own price chart. Calculate the final taxi price based on your % contribution and fare in the taximeter.
How is the taxi price calculated?
Taxi prices are set by individual Taxi companies. PenguinUp only calculates your contribution (percentage) based on the distance you travel. The actual amount you need to pay your co-traveller needs to be calculated by you. For example, if your contribution is 50% and the total Taxi fare is 400 NOK then your contribution is .5 * 400 = 200 NOK
Pricing for Carpooling
We calculate the price you should pay based on the distance you travel.
0-10 km – Base fee 40 kr
11-20 km – Base fee for first 10 kms + 1.5 kr/km (41.5 – 55 kr)
21-100 km – Base fee for first 10 kms + 1 kr/km (56.5 – 135 kr)
100+ km – Base fee for first 10 kms + 0.75 kr/km
Payment to one another
Payments among each other are settled by travellers themselves. They can choose to use VIPPS, cash or bank transfer to pay the Driver or person who pays the Taxi fare.
What if someone doesn’t pay me back?
If a co-traveller turns hostile and starts ignoring you or refuses to pay, you can write an email to us describing your problem. We will further investigate and suspend the user’s account on multiple complaints.
How does the taxi booking happen?
When you are matched in a Taxishare ride, in the Ride details page you can see whether you are a host or guest. As a Host, you are responsible for booking the taxi and ensuring all the people get picked up. As a Guest, we encourage you to coordinate with the host to ensure the taxi has been booked.
What if I need to cancel my trip?
Matched rides cannot be deleted or cancelled. If you cannot make it due to unavoidable circumstances, do leave a message or call your co-traveller and inform them.
What if my co-traveller does not show up or cancels the trip?
Immediately contact customer support on +47 485 09 437
What are the different types of ratings and what do they mean?
The different types of Ratings consist of:
Humorous – If your co-traveller was funny, chatty, cracked lots of jokes and was very friendly
Punctual – If your co-traveller met you at or before the decided time
Trustworthy – If your co-traveller was quick to pay for their share of the ride
Complaint – If you had any sort of bad experience with your co-traveller. These comments are not visible to others, they are sent only to Team PenguinUp and on investigation further action is taken against the user.
Why should I rate my co-traveller?
Rating your co-traveller will help others know about your experience and give them security to travel with the person.