How to choose a car-sharing app: what to look for

Choosing an app for car sharing depends on the kind of journey you want to make and the features you need. If you plan to share a car regularly to get to work, university or another town, consider user verification, ratings, coverage, expense management and whether routes can be automated. 

This guide explains what to look for in a car-sharing app, whether you want to make one-off trips or find a solution for regular journeys. 

What should you look for when choosing a car-sharing app?

Before signing up to a carpooling or car-sharing platform, compare several aspects. Not every app is designed for the same needs.

The best car-sharing app is not necessarily the one with the most features; it is the one that best fits the way you travel.

1. Decide what kind of journey you want to share

First, decide what kind of journey you want to share. An app for a one-off intercity trip is different from one for finding people to share the same route every day. 

Apps for one-off or long-distance journeys

These apps are designed for specific journeys, such as a weekend trip, a holiday or travel between cities. Users usually publish or search for a particular journey and see if anyone else wants to make the same route.

Apps for regular car sharing

If you want to share a car to get to work or university or to make a recurring journey, look for an app that can manage regular trips. It should let you enter details such as origin, destination, days and times so you can find people with a compatible routine. 

Before considering an app’s features, check that it is actually designed for the journeys you want to make. 

2. Check the safety measures

Safety is one of the most important criteria when choosing a car-sharing app, particularly if you will travel with people you do not already know. Check what measures the platform uses before signing up.

Identity and driving licence verification

Not all apps use the same level of verification. Some only request basic registration information; others have systems to verify users’ identities and, for drivers, their driving licences. 

For example, Waiis verifies users’ identities through Tecalis and checks driving licences. These measures provide more information about the people with whom you will share a journey. If you are looking for a safe car-sharing app, always check its verification processes before using it.

User ratings and reputation

Ratings can also help you understand other people’s experiences. An app with a rating system can build a record for users and show how their previous journeys went. 

Before sharing a car, you can check: 

• Ratings from other users. 

• How many journeys they have made. 

• Comments and shared experiences. 

• Whether drivers and passengers rate each other. 

The more information you can review, the easier it is to make an informed decision.

Journey tracking

Location tracking during a trip may also be useful. When comparing apps, check whether this feature is available and how it works. Waiis offers real-time journey tracking, allowing users to share their location during a trip.

Women-only mode

Some platforms offer options that adapt journeys to user preferences. If this matters to you, check how the feature works and its terms in the app you are considering. 

Waiis lets users set certain trips to “women-only” mode, for those who prefer to travel only with other women. 

3. Check how payments are handled

Car sharing between private individuals normally means sharing journey-related expenses, such as fuel or certain tolls, rather than booking professional transport. However, each platform may manage these expenses differently. 

Before choosing an app, check: 

• How the journey price is calculated; 

• Which expenses can be shared; 

• How much each occupant must pay; 

• Whether there is a fee for using the platform; 

• How and when payment is made; 

• What happens if a trip is cancelled. 

Transparency is important here: it helps avoid surprises and makes it clear from the start how much a journey will cost. 

There are also programmes and incentives linked to collaborative mobility, such as the energy bonus (CAE). If you use an app involved in such initiatives, always check the current terms and requirements, as they may change over time. 

4. Check whether there are users along your route

An app may have many features, but if there is little activity in your area, finding a suitable match will be difficult. Before choosing an app, check whether there are users in: 

• Your city or town. 

• Your workplace. 

• Your university. 

• Your industrial estate. 

• The route you regularly travel. 

Actual coverage may matter more than the number of features. To share a car every day, you need people with routes and schedules that work with yours.

5. Can it automate your regular journeys?

This is one of the factors that can have the biggest effect on the user experience, especially if you want to share a car regularly. Some apps require you to publish or search for each trip manually. That may be fine for one-off journeys, but is less convenient when you make the same trip several times a week. 

On platforms such as Waiis, you can set up a routine with your origin, destination, days and times. The system automatically finds people with compatible routines, so you do not have to search for the same journey every day. If you need a car-sharing app for regular journeys, check whether it can automate matching.

6. Find out about insurance and liability

Before sharing a car, find out what happens if there is an accident or incident during the journey. Vehicle insurance, civil liability and applicable cover may depend on the specific circumstances and policy. Do not choose an app based only on its features. 

Before using it, check what information it provides about: 

• Vehicle insurance. 

• Driver liability. 

• Passenger liability. 

• Accidents and incidents. 

• Specific terms for shared trips. 

Do not assume that all platforms provide the same cover.

Checklist: what to check before downloading a car-sharing app

Before registering, use this quick checklist: 

• Is it designed for one-off trips or regular journeys? 

• Does it verify users’ identities? 

• Does it check drivers’ licences? 

• Does it provide user ratings and reviews? 

• Does it offer options such as women-only mode? 

• Can you track the journey? 

• How are payments and possible fees managed? 

• Does it have active users in your area or along your route? 

• Can it automate regular journeys? 

• What does it say about insurance and liability in the event of an accident? 

The more of these points you can check before using an app, the easier it will be to find one that genuinely suits your needs.

Waiis: the car-sharing app designed for regular journeys 

If you are looking for a car-sharing app for commuting to work or university or for recurring trips, Waiis is designed specifically for these journeys. The platform brings together features to make car sharing between private individuals easier: 

• Identity verification through Tecalis. 

• Driving licence checks for drivers. 

• User ratings. 

• Women-only mode for selected journeys. 

• Real-time journey tracking. 

• Routine settings for origins, destinations, days and times. 

• Automatic matching with people who have compatible routines. 

For people making regular journeys, a key difference is the ability to set a routine and let the system find compatible matches, rather than searching for the same trip manually every day. 

If you are looking for an app that fits your regular journeys, discover Waiis and see whether it suits the way you travel.