FREE NOW Promo Code 2026: Vouchers and Ride Credits

FREE NOW (formerly myTaxi, now "Freenow by Lyft") is the mobility app that stands out with a unique proposition: offering both licensed taxis and private-hire vehicles in the same interface. You pick based on availability and preference — and the brand has doubled down on its "taxi app" positioning in recent years.

The network spans 150+ cities across 9 European countries: the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland and Greece, with pick-up points at around 50 airports. Depending on the city, the app also aggregates e-bikes, e-scooters and e-mopeds plus car sharing.

FREE NOW has no subscription — you only pay for the rides you take, with no fixed fees. Two pricing types coexist depending on the vehicle chosen:

Licensed taxi: metered fare, regulated by local authorities. An estimate is provided before you confirm, but the final price depends on actual time and distance.

FREE NOW private-hire: a fixed fare shown before you confirm the ride. You know exactly what you'll pay before getting in the vehicle.

A FREE NOW voucher reduces your ride amount (as a credit applied automatically), whatever the vehicle type — though it never covers service fees.

Vouchers are managed under Account → "Vouchers and credits". One voucher per ride, non-stackable, no balance carry-over: a £10 voucher used on an £8 ride loses the remaining £2.

FREE NOW credits (vouchers, compensations, goodwill gestures) are applied automatically to your next ride — no need to activate them manually each time. If you hold several vouchers, the one expiring soonest is used first, unless you select another before booking (it turns green in the app).

Your balance is visible under Account → "Vouchers and credits". If the ride costs more than your credit, the difference is charged to your payment method. Note: an expired voucher is removed from the account, and vouchers are neither refundable nor transferable.

The terminology is confusing — here is what each term means in 2026.

Classic FREE NOW promo code: an alphanumeric code distributed during campaigns (partnerships, events). It grants a credit or a discount on one or more rides. This is the only category still active, often reserved for new customers.

FREE NOW referral code: this used to be a personal code to share with friends. The programme has been suspended since 2024 — codes like "£15 off your first 2 rides" relayed by deal sites are dead. If a referral code won't apply in the app, it's not a bug.

Voucher: a credit loaded onto your account, for instance offered by customer care as compensation. It appears under "Vouchers and credits" with its expiry date and terms (tap the "i" icon on the voucher banner).

FREE NOW operates in 150+ cities across 9 countries — the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland and Greece. Highlights include London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin, Cork, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Warsaw, Krakow and Athens. In France, the official list covers Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Cannes, Lille and Toulouse.

Coverage concentrates on areas with a high density of licensed taxis and private-hire drivers. Outside those zones the app may show "no vehicle available". Your account and vouchers work network-wide — handy when travelling, with no reconfiguration needed.

FREE NOW keeps two real advantages: access to licensed taxis (precious at peak times when private-hire dries up) and regulated meter fares. For a quantified welcome bonus, however, Uber, Bolt or Heetch currently offer new users more, referral included.

FREE NOW is a reliable, well-rated app that delivers on the essentials: book a private-hire car or taxi in seconds with a price known upfront (for private-hire) or a regulated fare (for taxis). The interface is clean and the drivers are professional and licensed.

Its competitive edge over Uber: access to traditional taxis, often more available at peak times, plus dedicated pick-up points at around 50 European airports.

Main caveats: coverage depends on the city's driver density, and there is no longer a referral or loyalty programme to reward regular users. In smaller towns outside the major metros, you may need to turn to other options.

A few points to know before your first ride.

Register a payment method before looking for a vehicle: bank card, Apple Pay or PayPal. Without a valid payment method you can't confirm a booking — and vouchers never apply to cash payments.

Check availability in your city: open the app and see whether vehicles appear on the map before redeeming a voucher. If the area is covered, credits apply from your first ride.

Vouchers have an expiry date: check it under Account → "Vouchers and credits" (tap the "i" icon on the voucher banner). An expired voucher is automatically removed from your account.

FREE NOW grew out of myTaxi, founded in 2009 in Hamburg, a pioneer of the taxi app. The platform later unified several brands (including France's Chauffeur Privé/Kapten) under the BMW-Mercedes joint venture, integrating taxis and private-hire into one interface.

The next chapter came in 2025: Lyft announced the acquisition of FREE NOW on 16 April 2025 and completed it on 31 July 2025 for roughly $197 million (about €175 million) — the American ride-hailing giant's first European foothold. The app now appears as "Freenow by Lyft" on the app stores, with the team and the 9-country, 150+ city network staying in place. This is also the period when the referral and loyalty programmes were dropped in favour of one-off promotional campaigns.