RiderID

RiderID is a unique, persistent identifier assigned to a rider in a ride-hailing or on-demand transportation platform. It serves as the primary reference to a rider across services such as trip requests, billing, ratings, promotions, and safety features. Unlike a username or display name, a RiderID is typically opaque to the user and not directly linked to personal details in user interfaces.

Characteristics of a RiderID include stability for the lifetime of the account and a format that can be numeric or alphanumeric. It is stored as a primary key in rider databases and is associated with profile data, payment methods, ride history, and device identifiers. The RiderID enables the system to efficiently retrieve and link all relevant information for a given rider.

Purpose and use: When a rider requests a ride, the system uses the RiderID to fetch the rider’s profile, payment method, and trip history, route the request, apply discounts, and record the ride. It also supports operations such as fraud detection, customer support, and safety features like trip sharing. In essence, the RiderID ties together all events and interactions involving that rider across the platform.

Data protection and privacy: The RiderID is treated as personal data in many jurisdictions. Access is restricted to authorized services and personnel, with auditing and encryption in storage and transmission. Platforms may anonymize or pseudonymize identifiers for analytics and regulatory compliance.

Related identifiers: The RiderID is distinct from a DriverID (identifier for drivers) and from a TripID (identifier for individual rides).