GetTransfer Bidding Guide: How to Get the Lowest Price
GetTransfer works differently from every other transfer service. Instead of fixed prices, drivers bid on your ride — and the result can be 20-40% cheaper than competitors. But the bidding system has quirks, and knowing how to play it makes the difference between a great deal and a frustrating experience.
How the bidding system actually works
You enter your route (airport to destination), date, time, and passenger count. GetTransfer posts your request, and local drivers submit bids with their price, vehicle type, and driver rating. You see all bids and choose which one to accept. The process typically takes 1-12 hours to receive your first bids, though popular routes get bids within minutes.
This is fundamentally different from Kiwitaxi or Welcome Pickups, where prices are fixed. The advantage: competition among drivers pushes prices down. The disadvantage: you do not know your final price at booking time, and you need to actively evaluate bids.
Behind the scenes, GetTransfer notifies drivers in the pickup area about your request. The number of bids you receive depends on how many drivers are registered in that city, the popularity of the route, and how far in advance you book. Major cities like London, Paris, and Istanbul routinely generate 8-15 bids per request. Smaller markets — Marrakech, Cape Town, Auckland — may produce only 2-4 bids.
When to post your request for the best bids
Timing matters. Post your request 5-7 days before your trip for the best combination of bid volume and competitive pricing. Too early (2+ weeks) and drivers may not bother bidding on a far-off ride. Too late (day before) and you will get fewer bids at higher prices because drivers know you are in a hurry.
For popular routes (Heathrow to London, CDG to Paris, JFK to Manhattan), you can post 3 days before and still get 5-10 bids. For remote destinations or unusual routes, give yourself a full week.
There is also a time-of-day effect. Posting your request in the morning (local time at the destination) tends to generate faster bids, as drivers check the platform during their morning routine. Requests posted at 2 AM local time may sit for 8-12 hours before attracting attention.
How to evaluate bids
Do not just pick the cheapest. Look at three factors: price, vehicle type, and driver rating. A bid that is 5 EUR cheaper but from a driver with a 3.8 rating and an unspecified vehicle is worse than a slightly pricier bid from a 4.7-rated driver with a specified Mercedes E-Class.
Check the vehicle details carefully. Some bids say "sedan" without specifying the model — these are more likely to be older vehicles. Bids that name a specific car model (Toyota Camry, VW Passat, Mercedes V-Class) suggest a more professional operator.
Rating thresholds: Drivers with ratings above 4.5 (out of 5) are generally reliable. Between 4.0 and 4.5, quality varies — read recent reviews if available. Below 4.0, avoid unless the route has very few alternatives. For comparison, Welcome Pickups maintains an average driver rating above 4.8 across all markets, which gives you a baseline for what "good" looks like.
Review count matters too. A driver with a 5.0 rating from 3 rides is less reliable than a driver with 4.6 from 200 rides. Look for drivers with at least 20 completed trips — these are established operators, not newcomers testing the platform.
Price benchmarks by route
To know if a bid is good, you need a reference point. As a general rule, GetTransfer bids should be 15-30% below Kiwitaxi fixed prices for the same route. If a bid is only 5% cheaper than the fixed-price alternative, it is not worth the uncertainty. Some benchmarks for sedan transfers:
| Route | Good GT bid | Kiwitaxi fixed | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDG → Paris center | €30–45 | €50–65 | ~25–30% |
| Heathrow → Central London | £40–55 | £55–75 | ~20–27% |
| JFK → Manhattan | $50–70 | $70–95 | ~25–30% |
| Suvarnabhumi → Bangkok | $18–25 | $25–35 | ~25–30% |
| Fiumicino → Rome | €35–50 | €50–65 | ~20–25% |
| DXB → Downtown Dubai | $25–35 | $35–50 | ~25–30% |
If your bids fall outside these ranges — either much cheaper or much more expensive — investigate further. Unusually cheap bids may indicate a new driver building ratings (acceptable risk) or an unreliable operator (not worth the savings). Bids above Kiwitaxi prices suggest low competition on that route — consider using a fixed-price service instead.
The cancellation catch
GetTransfer's biggest operational risk is its cancellation policy after driver assignment. Before any driver accepts your request, cancellation is free and instant. After a driver is assigned, cancellation terms depend on the individual carrier — and these vary widely. Some drivers allow free cancellation up to 12 hours before pickup, while others charge 50% for any cancellation after acceptance. Always check the specific cancellation terms shown when you select a bid. For full details, see our cancellation policies guide.
When to avoid bidding
The bidding model has real downsides. If you are landing late at night (after 11 PM), you may get very few bids — and the ones you get will be expensive. Night surcharges on GetTransfer can eliminate the savings advantage entirely. For family travel with child seats, Welcome Pickups is more reliable because GetTransfer child seat availability depends entirely on which driver bids. For last-minute bookings (same day), use a fixed-price service instead — you will not have time to wait for competitive bids.
GetTransfer is also less ideal for airports with complex terminal layouts. Without a standardized meet-and-greet process, coordinating pickup at unfamiliar airports can be challenging. At Istanbul IST, CDG Paris, or Delhi IGI, where pickup zones are confusing, the structured meet-and-greet of Welcome Pickups or Kiwitaxi reduces arrival stress significantly.
Finally, for destinations where safety is a concern — Bogotá, Cairo, Delhi — vetted platform drivers from Welcome Pickups or Kiwitaxi offer more accountability than independent operators on GetTransfer. This is not to say GetTransfer drivers are unsafe, but the platform's verification process is less rigorous than competitors. Read our safety tips guide for more on this topic.
Pro tips for experienced users
Post separate requests for the same route at different times to compare pricing. Do not accept the first bid — wait at least 4 hours for competition to build. If you are booking a round trip, mention it in the notes as some drivers offer a discount for guaranteed return business. And always save your driver phone number before landing, in case the in-app communication has issues at the airport.
Use GetTransfer for long-distance intercity routes. The bidding model works best for routes where fixed-price services are expensive — transfers from Rome to Amalfi Coast, Barcelona to Costa Brava, or Dubai to Abu Dhabi. On these longer routes, GetTransfer savings can reach 40-50% versus competitors because drivers are competing for a higher-value fare.
Build a relationship with good drivers. If you travel to the same destination regularly, note the names of excellent GetTransfer drivers. Some drivers offer direct rebooking at a discount for returning customers — message them through the platform before posting a new public request. This combines GetTransfer savings with the consistency of a fixed-price service.
Read our full GetTransfer review for coverage, cancellation policies, and how it stacks up against all four services.