How Does Charging Lime Scooters Work?
Juicing for Lime is a very easy and lucrative way to make money full time or even just on the side. When it comes to working for Lime, there are 4 different ways to make money –
- Charging Tasks – Picking up scooters from various random locations, charging the batteries (typically at your home or garage) and dropping them off in set LimeHub locations.
- Retrieving Tasks – Picking up damaged or broken scooters and dropping them off at a LimeBase.
- Deploying Tasks – Picking up repaired and serviced scooters from a LimeBase and dropping them off at a LimeHub.
- Moving Tasks – Moving scooters from various locations to set LimeHub locations without needing to charge them. (The move task are pretty rare but can be a very quick way to earn while you are already out and about.)
Charging tasks are identified by green colors on the map. They generally have the most openings to work on and have two set deadlines – 10:00 am or 7:00 pm depending upon when you pick-up the scooters. The pick-up cut off is 7 hours before the next deadline. Meaning if you pick up a scooter at 11:00 am you would need to have it charged and dropped back off before 7:00 pm that same evening. But, if you waited until noon to pick up the same scooter, you would have until 10:00 am the next morning to charge and drop off the scooter. Charging can generally earn you the most money as charging tasks typically earn $1.00 or $2.00 more per task than simply moving a scooter.
Retrieving, deploying, and moving tasks are identified by the red and orange colors on the map. Each of these tasks has a 12 hour window to complete it. They also tend to pay $1.50 to $3.00 per scooter that you handle. But keep in mind, you can do it one single trip without needing to charge the scooters.
In the app, you can filter specific tasks which is beneficial if you only have time to retrieve or move scooters rather than charging them. You can also check on the status of your limes and see how much time you have remaining and the battery level when charging.
How To Pick Up Scooters –
Finding scooters that need picked up is very user friendly, just make sure you are in ‘Pick-Up’ view in the app. To select a specific scooter, simply touch the icon and it will give you specifics. You can reserve a single scooter for 1 hour. To find them, select navigation to go to their location on maps. Once you get close by, you can ring the scooter and it will sound off a little jingle to help you identify where it is of which scooter is yours. If you run into issues, you can ‘report’ the scooter but more on that later. To claim the scooter, click the ‘Pick-Up’ button and scan the QR code on the handle bar.
The scooters will tell you when the last GPS signal was and when it was ridden last. If the GPS signal is more than a couple of hours old, you might really struggle to find the scooter. You can also do a deep dive into the map to see if a scooter might be “off the grid” At first glance the extra money might seem like a good deal but if you have to drive 10 to 15 minutes one way to find it it might just lower your return. Luckily, by using the map you can see if a scooter is reachable. With a lot of walking paths and trails, the scooters might not be a quick grab away. You might have to walk for a few minutes just to reach the scooters.
How To Drop Off Scooters –
When it comes to dropping off your scooters, you switch to the ‘Drop-Off’ view at the top of the app and then you can see the different spots that are available. The app will let you know the maximum number of scooters that can be dropped off in that specific spot. You can reserve a spots for 1 hour at a time which makes planning your drop off’s easy. Once you have selected a spot, the blue circle will outline the area you need to fit the scooter’s into. Sometimes it is very, very specific. Make sure you have good lighting and the scooters aren’t blocking the sideway, ramps, or off the curb. You will get dinged by Lime if your drop offs do not meet their standards… more on this later.
To complete the drop off, click the ‘Drop-Off’ button. Then you will need to scan each scooters QR code and then take a picture of all the scooters to confirm completion.
How Much Can You Make Charging Lime Scooters?
This largely depends on where you are located. Different cities have different pay rates for the various scooter tasks. For example Juicers in Seattle, WA can earn around $10.00 a scooter, but those in Denver, CO can earn $4.50 to $5.25 a scooter, and those in Austin, TX can earn $4.50 to $5.50 a scooter. These rates are not set in stone and will fluctuate with the supply and demand of how many scooters need charged and how many people are actually charging them or using them.
When looking at your take home pay, you need to factor in recurring expenses –
- Electricity – It costs about 15 cents to charge 1 scooter.
- Gas – Based on the cost of gas in your area and the gas mileage your vehicle gets (If you use one).
- Vehicle Wear and Tear – I estimate about 2 cents a mile to transport scooters (If you use a vehicle).
- Taxes – The current self-employment tax rate is 15.3% (You have to file an income tax return if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more.)
| Price | Gross Earnings | Electric | Gas and Maintenance | Taxes | Net Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4.00 | $40.00 | -$1.50 | -$4.40 | -$6.12 | $27.98 |
| $5.00 | $50.00 | -$1.50 | -$4.40 | -$7.65 | $36.45 |
| $6.00 | $60.00 | -$1.50 | -$4.40 | -$9.18 | $44.92 |
| $7.00 | $70.00 | -$1.50 | -$4.40 | -$10.71 | $53.39 |
| $8.00 | $80.00 | -$1.50 | -$4.40 | -$12.24 | $61.86 |
| $9.00 | $90.00 | -$1.50 | -$4.40 | -$13.77 | $70.33 |
| $10.00 | $100.00 | -$1.50 | -$4.40 | -$15.30 | $78.80 |
Let’s compare what you can earn for charging 10 scooters. Those who live in Austin can earn $30 – $40 dollars while those who live in Seattle can earn more than $75. Keep in mind you have to account for the time you spend collecting the scooters and the time you spend dropping them back off after you charge them. Living close to the city center makes this more cost effective. In fact, if you live downtown you might not even need a car to charge scooters.
Lime also offers higher rates for holidays and a few summer weekends when lots of folks are riding the scooters. Previously they used a standard $100 bonus once you completed 100 tasks. Now they simply raised the price for charging a scooter by adding in an extra dollar.
How Long Does It Take For The Scooters To Charge?
It roughly takes 4 to 6 hours to charge a scooter, depending on its battery life and the type of charger you use. You need to charge each scooter to at least 95% to get full pay. The best course of action is to charge them all to 100%, that way you will have enough battery life to drop them off before the charge drops below 95%. If you drop off a scooter with less than 95% battery, you won’t receive full pay for your work. (Even if the battery just sucks at holding the charge and you really did charge it all the way.)
Lime used to provide Juicers with 4 chargers but now, you are own your own. I bought my chargers on Facebook Marketplace for $5.00 each. You can buy new one’s off of amazon for less than $20.00. Here is a link to one that I would recommend. https://amzn.to/3HxND9s.
I have 5 chargers plugged into 1 surge protector strip, placed onto a small block of plywood. In total, I have 35 chargers (7 sets of 5) and I have never overloaded my electrical circuit or caused my breaker to switch. So, you can charge quite a few of these bad boys at the same time as long as you have enough chargers, outlets and space. I like my 5 pack method because I can keep the chargers neatly together and can conveniently store them when not in use.
I’ve tried charging scooters in my truck bed and it just wasn’t time efficient enough to deal with that chaos. My truck bed is pretty tight so getting 20+ scooters to be set up perfectly for cables to be plugged into all of them is not an easy task. If I had a larger truck or a loading van, it might be a good way to charge them without the unloading and reloading aspect.
How Do You Get Paid Charging Scooters?
The good thing about working for Lime is, you can get paid every single day! Lime deposits your daily earnings directly into your bank account between 10:10am and 10:15am the next day. So if you need money fast this is a fantastic way to bring home some bacon. Lime uses Hyperwallet to fulfill its payouts so you can track the deposits everyday! You get an email everyday that breakdowns all the tasks you completed and how much money you earned. You can also get this same information directly in the app itself.
Cons To Charging Scooters –
The scooters are not always the easiest to find. Almost every day I play the game, “can you find the scooter?”
If you can’t physically get to the scooter you can mark it as missing and on the app but you wont be compensated for the time you spent driving to the location or time spent looking for the scooter. This gets very frustrating, very quickly. If you get close to the scooter, you can mark it as broken or missing but you have to be within the “location bubble.”
Some scooters won’t hold a full charge long enough to be dropped off with 95% battery level. When that happens, Lime docks your pay based on the battery level at the time of drop off.
Lime has some strict standards when it comes to dropping off scooters. It can take extra time to get all the scooters close enough to the drop location and far enough from the street or sidewalk ramps. Not to mention getting the right lighting conditions especially at night in the dark.
In September 2021, Lime implemented a speed cap on the scooters (while charging). While at first glance 5 mph you might see that as a reasonable speed but, now it is faster to self-propel the scooters. This increases the time it takes to pick up scooters and decreases the enjoyment of being able to ride the scooters back to your vehicle. I am not too happy with this new change.
Is Charging Lime Scooters Worth It?
Yes, yes it is! Juicing with Lime is a great gig. You can work when you want to work. Complete only the tasks that you want to do. You essentially work for yourself and have almost an unlimited earning potential. You could probably live off just your Lime earnings or use the extra cash to pay off student loans or plan your next big trip. Even if you don’t have a truck or van, you can still pick up a few on your way home from work or class and place them on your way into the office the next morning.
For me, I can pick up 20+ scooters in one truck load. Meaning I can earn $50 – $60 in about 3-4 hours of work. On average, I earn $13.13 an hour between the various tasks even after factoring out the expenses. On a really good day, I can earn more than $17.00 an hour but it honestly depends on what time you work (nighttime has the most scooters) and how close together the scooters are. $13 to $17 an hour is not a bad return at all, especially when you are your own boss and call the shots!
I made more than a $1,000 in about 60 hours. Not a bad return my any means.
How Do You Become A Lime Charger (Juicer)?
First things first, you need to download the Lime App! You can visit the Lime website for more information here – https://lime.bike/juicer. Once you download the app, click on the “Earn with Lime” tab to move forward. You will need to upload a copy of your drivers license, fill in some basic personal information, and you will need to complete a W-9 form for tax purposes. You only need to be 18 years old to be a Juicer and a background check is not even required. It only took me about 3 weeks to be approved and start working.
To see if Lime is running in your city, check out Lime’s current locations both in the United States and Internationally at https://www.li.me/locations.
It is very easy to switch back and forth from the Rider mode to the Juicer mode in the app. So, you can still have some fun riding them around with your friends and families.
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Good overview of being a juicer. A couple of minor points: The times that scooters have to be delivered varies by market. While your market (for both of us — we are in the same market) has 10 AM and 7 PM, this is not universal. Juicers should rely on the app to confirm the correct delivery time, lest they get docked for late delivery. Likewise, some markets have scooters with larger battery capacities, and they are reported to take a lot longer to charge. Approval time varies, btw. Some juicers have had to wait months to get approved. They only add as many as they think they need for the market, and applicants in markets that are saturated with juicers will take awhile to get approved. The best time to apply is the spring, when scooter operations are ramping up. Finally, while Lime stopped providing a first set of chargers to its juicers, in some markets, the local Lime warehouse might have some available. Some juicers in Lime Facebook groups have reported that the warehouse has been able to help them out with a few chargers to get started. Some were new, and some were used chargers turned in by someone who didn’t want to charge scooters any longer. Either way, this can be a bit of a hand up for those who lack resources to make a charger purchase right off the bat.