About TripMate
TripMate started with a simple problem...
“How do I get there?”
When I first arrived in Australia in 2018, I didn't have a car and was regularly faced with this dilemma. I was often travelling between the Gold Coast and Northern NSW, and although it's a busy, well-travelled area, getting from A to B wasn't as simple as I'd hoped.
Public transport didn't quite cut it. Buses didn't run where or when you needed them, and other options were often too expensive or unreliable. And yet, every day, there were people heading in exactly the same direction.
I saw it all the time. Empty seats in cars going exactly where I needed to go.
Like many people, I ended up hitchhiking more times than I'd like to admit. It worked sometimes, but it never really felt like a sustainable, safe or long-term solution.
That's the gap that stuck with me all these years later.
TripMate is my way of fixing it.
The idea is simple: connect people already heading the same way. Drivers with spare seats can offer rides, and passengers can find affordable travel options, all in one place.
We're starting with the routes that inspired this idea, connecting places like Ballina, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, and building from there.
The goal is to create something people can rely on - something that becomes as normal as catching a bus, while making better use of empty seats already on the road and creating a system that benefits both drivers and passengers.
Long term, I want TripMate to open up travel across Australia, making it easier and more accessible, especially in regional and remote areas where transport options are limited or don't exist at all.
Every day, people are travelling with empty seats, while others are trying to get somewhere without an easy or affordable way to do it.
TripMate only works when people use it. Every trip posted and every seat shared helps build a more connected community and creates more opportunities for someone else to get where they need to go.
Together, we can turn empty seats into opportunities for drivers and travelers.
Share the ride. Split the cost.
— Alex, Founder of TripMate
How it works
For passengers
- 1Search for a ride by where you're leaving from, where you're going and when.
- 2Each trip shows one total price per seat, including the TripMate fee.
- 3Request your seats and save your card.
- 4Nothing is charged until the driver accepts. Once they do, your card is charged automatically, so there's no rush to check your phone.
- 5Once you're booked, message your driver in TripMate to arrange pick-up.
- 6Take the trip, then leave a review for your driver.
For drivers
- 1Apply to drive with a photo of your driver's licence and a selfie.
- 2Once approved, post your trip with the route, time, spare seats and your price per seat.
- 3You set your own price and TripMate adds a small fee on top, so it doesn't come out of your fare.
- 4Accept or decline seat requests.
- 5Once the trip is accepted, message them in TripMate to arrange pick-up.
- 6Upon completing the trip, review your passengers, and receive your fare.
See our Terms and Conditions for cancellation and refund rules.