Unbanked, credit card-less riders can now rent scooters with cash

As more stores go cashless, one electric scooter rental company is going the other direction. 

Scoot, the bright red scooter-share bought by Bird earlier this year, announced Monday that anyone in San Francisco can rent its scooters with cash. For the unbanked or those without credit and debit cards, this opens up the world of scooter-sharing.

Up until now, to rent a Scoot e-scooter (and all other companies offering scooter rentals) you had to download the app and plug in payment information, usually a credit or debit card number. But now you can pay for Scoot credit at a CVS pharmacy store or 7-Eleven convenience store at 89 locations throughout San Francisco. 

Once at the store, open the app and go to the “payment” menu, then select “add cash.” Show the barcode that comes up to the cashier and add up to $200 worth of rides. Pay the cashier the amount required and it’ll be added to your account. Then you ride, using the app as usual with the credit already applied from your store purchase.

Previously, Scoot’s cash option was only available for qualified low-income Community Plan riders or employees at nonprofits and community organizations, along with students and teachers. Those riders’ rates are half the $1 unlock fee and only 7 cents per minute instead of 29 cents. 

Now anyone, even those paying full price for rides, can add the cash option through the app’s payment section. It looks like this: 

As a San Francisco-based company it makes sense that anyone with the Scoot app can pay for a scooter with cash. Earlier this year, San Francisco, along with Philadelphia and other cities, banned cashless businesses within city limits. A store in those places can no longer only accept credit card and digital payments.

Cash is still king.