Most agencies configure their Rider App at launch and move on. But there's a lot left on the table, features that reduce support calls, improve first impressions, and build rider confidence that never get turned on.
This guide covers the highest-impact settings and features across branding, notifications, announcements, custom links, and account configuration. Some take five minutes. A few require your Spare account team to enable. All of them are worth doing.
1. Branding & app store listing
Navigate to: App Store / Google Play
Your app store listing is the first thing a new rider sees — before they ever open the app. Most agencies set it up once and never revisit it.
What to do:
Search for your agency's app the way a new rider would — by city name, service name, or "paratransit [your region]". Note what comes up.
Review your App Name (30 character max). Lead with your service name and a keyword riders actually search. Don't lead with your acronym alone.
Review your Subtitle (30–80 characters). If it's blank, use it. Tell riders what you do and where in plain language.
Review your Long Description (400–800 characters). Cover: full agency name, city/region, service type, who it serves, and key actions like "Book a ride" or "Track your driver."
Note anything outdated or off-brand and send the changes to your Spare account team.
Note: App store listing changes go through Spare. Write what you want changed and send it to your account team. Allow approximately one week for store review.
Onboarding flow
Navigate to: Settings > General > Rider Interfaces > Rider Guide
Your onboarding screens are the first thing a rider sees when they open the app. A strong setup here permanently answers the questions riders would otherwise call about.
What to do:
Decide what riders should know before their first booking. Think: what do first-timers call and ask about?
Draft your onboarding screens covering: how your service works, what a pickup window means, what to expect on a first trip.
Write your cancellation policy in two sentences or less.
Include accessibility info upfront — WAVs available, accommodation types, how to flag a mobility aid need.
Custom links
Navigate to: Settings > General > Rider Interfaces > Custom Links
Every link you add inside the app is a support call you'll never have to take. Surface the answers to your top call drivers directly where riders already are.
What to do:
List your top 3–5 reasons riders call your agency.
For each one, find the webpage that already answers it and note the URL.
In Spare Operations, create a New Custom Link for each one. Set:
Link Text — what riders see
Link Type — Web URL, Phone, or Email
Link Target — the URL, phone number, or email address
Hit Save and verify each link works.
Account settings
Navigate to: Settings > Rider Interfaces > Rider Options > Hidden account items
Everything is visible to riders by default. The question isn't what to turn on — it's what to hide.
What to do:
Review each item below and hide anything that doesn't apply to your service:
Setting | Hide if... |
Fare Passes | You don't use fare passes |
Promos | You don't run promo codes |
Payments | Your service is free or fare-capped |
Group Memberships | You manage eligibility on the backend |
Fleet Agreements | Not relevant to your riders |
Favourite Locations | Keep on unless there's a reason not to |
In-app announcements
Navigate to: Rider Communications > Announcements
The gap between "the change happened" and "riders know about it" is exactly where your call spike lives. One announcement inside the app closes it instantly.
What to do:
Identify your next known service change in the next 30 days — holiday closure, schedule adjustment, new route, or temporary stop closure.
Draft one sentence telling riders what to do or expect.
Go to Rider Communications > Announcements and add the announcement.
Notifications & alerts
Navigate to: Rider Communications > Event Notifications
"Where's my ride?" is the single most preventable call in transit. Proactive notifications handle the routine so your team can focus on exceptions.
What to do:
Review active notification triggers: booking confirmation, ride reminder, vehicle approaching, trip status changes.
Identify gaps — moments in the rider journey where riders go quiet before they'd think to call.
Set your Do-Not-Disturb window — the time range when no automated messages are sent.
If you run multiple services, go through notification settings for each service separately. Notifications are configurable per service.
The features below require your Spare account team to enable. Contact them to get started.
Rider ↔ Driver location sharing
Lets riders see their driver's live location — and lets the driver see the rider — during a trip. Reduces "where is my ride?" calls and no-shows, and builds rider confidence especially for first-timers.
Rider Representatives
Enables a caregiver, family member, or support worker to book, manage, and track trips on a rider's behalf — without sharing login credentials. Particularly valuable for paratransit and seniors populations.
Guest Mode
New riders can browse coverage, see transit options, and get trip estimates before creating an account — removing the drop-off that happens when someone hits a sign-in wall before they know if the service is even useful to them. Paratransit and eligibility-restricted services stay gated automatically.
