How it works
From searching a route to trip day — the complete journey for passengers and drivers, step by step.
TrustTrip is planned ridesharing: drivers publish trips they already intend to drive, passengers reserve documented seats on those trips, and the platform handles discovery, booking, secure payment, and trust in between. This page walks through both journeys from start to finish — read it once and you know exactly what happens at every step.
The passenger journey
Four steps separate you from a confirmed seat. You can browse without an account — signing in is only needed when you actually reserve.
- Search published trips — Start on the trips page and search by departure, destination, and date. Because trips are published in advance on real routes, you can also board or leave partway along a route — the search understands segments, not just endpoints. If no trip matches, you can post a ride request so drivers see your need.
- Review the trip page — Each trip page shows the official route points, the departure schedule, available seats, the driver's profile with review history, and the vehicle context. The full amount for your segment — the driver's published amount plus the platform fee — is broken down right there, before any commitment.
- Reserve and pay online — Sign in, choose your boarding and drop-off points, and confirm in secure checkout. Payment is online only — no cash through the platform — and the total you confirmed is the total charged. Your seat is reserved the moment checkout succeeds.
- Travel, then review — Your passenger space holds the booking record, trip updates, and messaging with the driver for trip-day coordination. After an eligible completed trip, peer reviews open in both directions — your feedback becomes part of the driver's visible history, and theirs of yours.
The driver journey
Drivers go through verification once, then publish as many planned trips as they like. Publishing stays locked until onboarding is approved.
- Complete driver onboarding — Verify your account, then submit your driver profile: identity, licence, and vehicle details with supporting documents. Our team reviews the submission — your status is visible in the driver workspace, and publishing unlocks at approval.
- Publish a planned trip — Set your route with its stops, the schedule, the seats you offer, and the shared amounts per segment. You stay in control of what you publish — the platform shows passengers exactly what you set, with the platform fee added transparently on top.
- Receive bookings and run the trip — Confirmed bookings arrive in your driver space with passenger context and messaging for coordination. On trip day you host the ride you planned; afterwards, reviews work both ways — drivers review passengers too.
Payment, in one minute
A booking total has two parts: the shared trip amount set by the driver for your segment, and the TrustTrip platform fee per seat — currently $2.50 CAD on short trips and $4.70 CAD on long trips.
Trust, briefly
Drivers are reviewed before they can publish, trip pages expose the full picture before you pay, bookings create documented records, and peer reviews tie reputation to real trips. The Trust & safety page explains each mechanism — including what verification does and does not guarantee.
When plans change
No matching trip? Post a ride request
Share your travel need from your account: route, date, and flexibility. Drivers planning that corridor can see it and publish a matching trip — you are notified when one appears. The ride requests guide covers the full flow.
Booked, but details moved? Request an adjustment
After booking you can request a different boarding or drop-off point on the same trip. Each request goes to the driver for review — nothing changes on your booking until it is accepted. Details in the booking adjustments guide.
Need to cancel? Know the rules first
Cancellation consequences depend on timing and role, and refunds follow a documented review — never automatic. Read the cancellation policy before you cancel, so there are no surprises.
Common questions
Browsing is open to everyone — search trips and read trip pages freely. Reserving a seat, messaging a driver, posting a ride request, or publishing a trip requires a signed-in account, because each of those creates a documented commitment between members.
The moment secure checkout succeeds. Your seat is reserved on the trip, the booking record appears in your passenger space, and the driver sees your confirmed booking. If checkout does not complete, no seat is held and nothing is charged.
No — all booking payments go through secure online checkout. That is deliberate: online payment is what creates the documented record that protects both sides, enables the refund review process, and keeps totals honest. A driver asking for cash payment outside the platform is breaking the rules — report it.
It depends on when you cancel and whether you are the passenger or the driver. Early cancellations are treated more leniently than last-minute ones or no-shows, and refunds follow a documented review under the cancellation policy — that page is the authority on every scenario.