Graduate from Uber/Lyftto your own client base.
75% take-home minimum, guaranteed by a 25% platform-take cap. Rides under $14.70: free. Same fare to your rider. Built for chauffeurs who want a real business — not a paycheck.
Pre-launch · Customer discovery underway (Utah) · Join the waitlist
Launch sequence — multi-region from day 1
Why drivers are choosing Nero
Six structural moats that Uber and Lyft can't copy without cannibalizing themselves.
25% cap — guaranteed by math
Hard 25% maximum take (Nero + Stripe + agent combined). Drivers retain 75–95% on every ride. Lyft caps at 30% — we beat them by 5pp. Uber has no cap at all (40–60% effective).
Short rides: free
Rides under $14.70 cost 0 credits — pure acquisition subsidy. You keep 91–95% (only Stripe processing applies). No other platform offers this.
No surge, no streaks, no gaming
Transparent pricing. No algorithmic individual targeting. No quests, lockouts, or destination hiding. (ADR-0004, ADR-0005)
Your client book is yours
Portable rolodex you can export anytime. If you leave Nero, your clients go with you. No vendor lock-in.
Graduation, not replacement
Keep driving Uber/Lyft. Every Uber rider is a future Nero rider — hand them your QR card at trip end. Convert at your own pace.
Network multiplier
Backup network covers you when sick. Hotel concierges send riders direct. Recruiter agents earn margin, not residual. 5 active roles, all aligned.
What you actually take home
Same ride. Same fare to the rider. Different net to you. Math verified across 6 fare bands (free tier → professional). Cap-25% adaptive credits per ADR-0068.
| Class | Sample fare | Credit cost | Nero net | Uber/Lyft net | Driver wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FREE TIER | $10 ride | 0 credits 🎁 | $9.41 (94.1%) | $5.50–6.50 (55–65%) | +$3 to +$4 |
| SUBURBAN | $20 ride | 1 credit | $16.17 (80.9%) | $11–13 (55–65%) | +$3 to +$5 |
| STANDARD | $40 ride | 2 credits | $32.64 (81.6%) | $24–28 (60–70%) | +$5 to +$9 |
| PREMIUM | $80 ride | 5 credits | $62.63 (78.3%) | $52–60 (65–75%) | +$3 to +$11 |
| LUXURY | $300 ride | 22 credits | $226.10 (75.4%) | n/a | Premium-only |
| PROFESSIONAL | $500 ride | 37 credits | $376.05 (75.2%) | n/a | Premium-only |
Sources: ADR-0032 (credit consumption matrix), pricing-simulator dossier. Uber/Lyft retention based on published 2024–2025 driver takehome studies.
The graduation flow
You don't quit Uber/Lyft to use Nero. You use Uber/Lyft as a channel to grow Nero.
Sign up + get verified
Stripe Identity + W-9 + license + COI + background. 12 steps, ~15 minutes. Mostly autopilot.
Keep driving Uber/Lyft
Don't quit. Use Nero in parallel. Every Uber ride is an acquisition channel for your private book.
Hand riders your QR
1-tap PWA install branded as YOU (not Nero). Rider saves your icon to homescreen. 30–90 seconds.
Direct bookings forever
Rider books direct via your white-label PWA. Stripe sends the money to you. 25% cap, 75% minimum take-home, forever. Free under $14.70.
Credit pricing — buy in bulk, pay less per ride
10 pricing tiers from $2.95/credit (retail) down to $1.55/credit (10K master-agent wholesale). Higher volume = lower cost per ride. No subscription, no commitment. Credits expire 24 months after purchase (ADR-0016).
| Pack | Price | Per credit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 credits | $44.25 | $2.95 | Retail entry / trial |
| 35 credits | $99.75 | $2.85 | Light driver |
| 50 credits | $137.50 | $2.75 | Entry driver |
| 100 credits Most popular | $255 | $2.55 | Active driver |
| 300 credits | $705 | $2.35 | Established |
| 500 credits | $1,075 | $2.15 | Power driver |
| 1,000 credits | $1,950 | $1.95 | Small fleet / agent entry |
| 3,000 credits | $5,250 | $1.75 | Recruiter agent |
| 5,000 credits | $8,250 | $1.65 | Master agent |
| 10,000 credits | $15,500 | $1.55 | Master + sub-agents |
Adaptive consumption per ADR-0068: rides ≤ $14.70 cost 0 credits (acquisition subsidy). Above that, credits scale with fare so total platform take (Nero + Stripe + agent) is capped at 25%. With an agent-referred ride, the first paid step ($14.71–$26.85) gets a 0.5-credit subsidy so the cap holds.
Built for an ecosystem, not just drivers
5 active roles, all aligned. No platform extracting from any of them. Every dollar earned is documented in the role's own ledger.
Driver
Primary tenant. Owns rolodex. Sets own rate cards. 75% take-home minimum (cap-25% guarantee). Stripe Connect direct deposits.
Backup Network
Driver in another's trusted network. Activates when primary is unavailable. Earns 8% referral fee on retained client.
Recruiter Agent
Buys credit packs at wholesale ($1.55–$1.95), resells at retail ($2.95). 36–90% ROI per cycle. One-time margin (MLM-compliant, ADR-0026).
Concierge Agent
Hotels, restaurants, event planners. Earn 5–10% per referred ride. Subsidized by Nero's margin under the 25% cap — driver retention stays 75%+.
Master Agent
10,000-pack wholesale tier ($1.55/credit). Max 1 sub-agency level (legal guardrail). Regional reseller with sub-agent network.
What's in the box
16 platform features grouped by build phase. Phase 0 already shipped — admin god-view, multi-tenant PWAs, cap-25% pricing, Stripe Connect Express, identity verification, white-label routing.
PWA-first, app-store-free
Driver-branded white-label install. No Apple/Google approval. 1-tap save to homescreen. Admin PWA too.
Stripe Connect Express
Destination Charges. Nero never holds ride money. Stripe handles 1099-K and money transmitter compliance.
Identity + COI verification
Stripe Identity + Checkr background + driver's license + insurance auto-block on expiration.
Multi-tenant white-label
nero.app/d/{driver-slug} branded as driver. Custom domain on Pro tier. RLS by tenant_id.
Cap-25% adaptive pricing
ADR-0068 live: free under $14.70, 25% max take above. Driver retention 75% guaranteed by math, not marketing.
God-view admin
Event-sourced observability. Funnel, cohorts, drill-down timelines for every driver/rider/agent. Append-only audit log.
Mapbox + OSRM routing
Self-hosted routing engine. 80–90% cost saving vs Google Maps full stack (ADR-0039).
Booking lifecycle state machine
18 states: draft → price_confirmed → assigned → completed → rated. Inngest durable workflows.
Snapshot pricing
Full rate breakdown frozen at price_confirmed. Historical bookings immune to rate card changes.
TCPA-compliant SMS
Twilio 10DLC + explicit consent + quiet hours + opt-out auto-handling.
Reviews with appeal
Single rating per booking. 4-stage dispute workflow with chargeback handling.
Trusted backup network
Auto-route to network when primary unavailable. Original driver earns passive 8% referral.
Marketplace listings
Open requests for drivers outside your network. Bidding model. Drivers retain 75%+ even on marketplace (cap holds).
Female-only matching
Bidirectional opt-in for driver + rider. Late-night premium feature.
Trip share + SOS
Share live trip with emergency contact. SOS button. Audio recording (V1 opt-in).
Anti-gamification
No streaks. No quests. No surge. No destination hiding. No acceptance-rate scoring.
Trust & Safety — 5 layers
Safety by design, not by PR statement. Bidirectional consent. Disputes auto-categorized. Female-only matching first-class supported.
Identity verification
Stripe Identity (gov ID + selfie), W-9, license, COI, Checkr background. Continuous re-checks annually.
Matching preferences
Female-only opt-in bidirectional. Gender, language, accessibility filters. Bidirectional consent.
Dispute resolution
4-stage workflow: auto-gather evidence → categorize → auto-resolve low → CX adjudication → appeal → chargeback.
Safety toolkit
Trip Share with emergency contact, SOS button, audio recording (V1 opt-in), driver-initiated end, block rider.
Fraud detection
Stripe Radar + custom behavior: collusion, phantom rides, fake accounts, credit transfer abuse, reputation attacks.
Roadmap
From scaffold to Utah closed beta to national. Public Utah launch target Q3 2026.
Foundation
Codebase deployable on Vercel. Stripe Connect Express + Clerk + Neon Postgres live. PWA install (driver + admin + rider). Multi-tenant routing operational.
Driver Experience
Driver dashboard, rate card editor, slug claiming, coupon system, Stripe Connect onboarding, post-Uber graduation QR flow. Adaptive credit consumption per ADR-0068.
Booking Lifecycle + God-View
Admin observability live (event log, metrics, funnel, cohorts, drill-down timelines). Booking state machine + dispatch engine + dispute workflow + trust & safety V1 in progress.
Trust + Growth
Backup network, marketplace listings, ratings + reviews, concierge agent portal, female-only matching, SOS button, driver-to-driver credit transfers.
Closed Beta Utah
5–10 curated drivers, weekly iteration, hotel concierge pilot (Park City St. Regis, Stein Eriksen, Montage). LLC + counsel + insurance bound.
Utah Launch
Public Utah launch Q3 2026. Orlando V1. Vegas + Phoenix + Denver V2. National expansion follows.
Frequently asked
More? Email hello@nero.app.
Is Nero an Uber/Lyft competitor?
No — Nero is the graduation path. Keep driving Uber/Lyft for cold demand. Use Nero for repeat business with riders you've already met. Every Uber ride is an acquisition opportunity for your private book.
What does the 25% cap actually guarantee?
On every ride above $14.70, Nero + Stripe processing + agent commission (if any) combined will never exceed 25% of the fare. Lyft caps at 30%. Uber has no cap at all (40–60% effective take). The cap is built into our credit-consumption math, not a marketing promise — see ADR-0068 for the formula.
Why are short rides free?
Rides under $14.70 cost 0 credits — Nero earns $0 (only Stripe processing applies, leaving you ~94%). That's our acquisition subsidy: short UberX-equivalent rides are the easiest place for you to meet new riders, so we don't charge until the fare is large enough to fit the 25% cap with a full credit. Free here, profitable on longer rides.
How much do I actually keep on a $40 ride?
Driver net: $32.64–$35.44 depending on your pack tier (82–89%). 2 credits consumed at $1.55–$2.95 each, plus Stripe processing $1.46. Uber/Lyft: $24–28 net (60–70%). Same fare to the rider — the difference is yours.
Why credits instead of subscription or commission?
Subscription has a revenue ceiling (Empower plateaued at $42M ARR). Commission incentivizes Nero to maximize extraction (Uber went 20%→60% effective in 13 years). Credits scale with your usage, stay predictable, and never tie Nero's revenue to your fare size. Combined with the 25% cap, Nero literally cannot extract more.
What if I'm sick or unavailable?
Your trusted backup network covers the ride. The executing driver gets paid normally; you get a passive 8% referral fee for retaining the client. Original driver always retains ownership of the rider relationship.
Can I bring my own rate card?
Yes. Drivers set their own per-class rates within local market minimums (e.g., Salt Lake City Airport limo floor). Transparent to the rider before booking. No surge override from Nero.
What happens if I leave Nero?
You export your rider list (CSV, JSON, or vCard). Your rolodex is portable — Nero never owns your clients. Riders can keep using your branded PWA even after you migrate platforms.
Why Utah first?
Permissive UDOT regulation, premium-transport-friendly (Park City + airport), Alto validated the SLC luxury market, drivers from UofU/BYU labor pool, sales tax simple (4.85% state). 300–500 driver ceiling before we expand to Orlando (Disney + MCO + conventions).
Is Nero legally a transport company?
No. Nero is a marketplace platform (Section 230 protection). Stripe is the money transmitter for rides. Nero sells digital credits (closed-loop platform-usage tokens). No marketplace facilitator status for the ride itself. Counsel-verified for UT/FL/NV/CO/AZ.
Can I become an agent and resell credits?
Yes. Buy 1,000+ packs at $1.95/credit, resell at retail $2.95. 5,000-pack agents get $1.65/credit; 10,000-pack masters get $1.55. One-time margin (no residual — MLM-compliant per ADR-0026). Hotels and concierges sign up as Rider Acquisition Agents and earn 5–10% per referred ride.
When can I sign up for real?
Customer discovery is underway with 30 Utah chauffeurs. Closed beta opens Phase 4 (target Q3 2026 alongside the public Utah launch). Join the waitlist on /contact or sign up below to get early access.
Start your driver business today.
First Utah cohort opens Phase 4 (closed beta) ahead of the public Q3 2026 launch. Sign up now to lock your slug ( nero.app/d/your-name ) and get priority onboarding. 25% cap guarantee from day one.
Project status
Phase 0 (Foundation) ✓ complete. Phase 1 (Driver Experience) + Phase 2 (Booking Lifecycle + God-View admin) actively shipping. Adaptive cap-25% pricing live per ADR-0068. Customer discovery underway with Utah chauffeurs. 59+ ADRs adopted across 7 brainstorm iterations + multi-disciplinary pricing review (CPA / Quant / Risk / Pricing / FinOps / Buffett-style investor agents).
Public Utah launch target: Q3 2026 · Service status · Working name "Nero" pending trademark clearance