Statement of Fees (HVFHS): Meaning for Uber & Lyft Drivers

Statement of fees: the list a high-volume for-hire service (currently Uber and Lyft) files with TLC describing every deduction it or its bases plan to charge drivers or vehicle owners, including commissions, lease fees and other charges. Under rule 59D-19(d), the company "must not charge a Driver or Vehicle Owner a fee or deduction not specifically listed in its statement of fees on file with the Commission" (TLC chapter 59). Breaking that rule costs $500 and up to 30 days' suspension of the company's license.

What goes into it

Rule 59D-05(d) says an applicant for a high-volume license must submit:

• a description of all deductions, including any commissions, lease fees and other charges, that it or the bases it dispatches through propose to charge the vehicle owner or the driver;
• an estimate of the average gross hourly earnings of a driver, based on actual or expected trips and fares;
• a certification that it will not impose any charge or deduction that it has not submitted to TLC.

The same section adds two promises: if a rider's payment fails on a completed trip, you get the entire amount owed unless the company reasonably suspects fraud ($250 fine), and the company must not charge any fee for revenue from an in-car advertising tablet.

Statement of fees vs base agreement

Where it shows up for drivers

The statement is a filing with TLC, and the rules we read don't say the company must give you a copy. What you see are the deductions on your pay statement. Each one needs a receipt naming the rule or agreement clause that allows it (§59B-18(f)(5)), and Uber and Lyft must report each driver's weekly earnings to TLC with deductions itemized (§59D-14(c)(2)). So TLC can compare what was taken from you with what the company filed.

There is no dollar figure in the definition itself: the statement lists whatever fees the company filed. The fixed numbers are the penalty ($500, up to 30 days' suspension, appearance required) and, for base-agreement overcharges, mandatory restitution to you (§59B-18(f)(3)).

Related: can a base charge fees not in my agreement?, how to read an Uber or Lyft pay statement, congestion charges on pay statements, high-volume for-hire service and minimum pay standard. More on the apps hub.