How do I contact the other people on a ride?

After you join, contact details of fellow participants are visible to you (and yours to them), and coordination happens over Microsoft Teams or email — the board itself has no in-app chat.

What if the other person never replies?

If a participant is unresponsive before the day, treat the arrangement as unconfirmed and fall back to your independent plan; if it happens repeatedly, that is what the report function is for.

Yes — early. Cancelling within 15 minutes of departure counts as a late cancel, and repeated late cancels or no-shows can restrict an account. As much notice as possible, always in the thread.

Should I pay through the app?

There is nothing to pay through — APRide handles no money at all, and any cost sharing happens between riders themselves, which is exactly why the cost understanding belongs in writing before the ride.

// PEER RIDES · FIRST RIDE

First carpool with a coursemate: the conversation, step by step

A message-by-message guide for APU students coordinating their first peer ride: the first contact on Teams, the five details to confirm in writing, the morning-of message, and how to handle changes politely.

Direct answer

Your first carpool coordination needs five details confirmed in writing — day and time, pickup point, destination point, seats, and how costs will be shared — sent over Microsoft Teams after the match, plus a short morning-of confirmation message; everything else is ordinary politeness.

Source: APRide rules

The first message

After joining or posting a ride, you see fellow participants' contact details, and coordination happens over Microsoft Teams or email. A good first message is short, specific, and easy to answer:

"Hi, I'm <name>, <year/course or role>. I joined your <day> trip from <pickup> to <destination>. Are we still on for <time>? Happy to confirm my part now."
Include who you are — a one-line identity (name, course, year) makes you a person, not a username.
Ask one clear question, not five; threads that start simple stay simple.

The five details to confirm in writing

Before the day, make sure all five are stated in the thread — not implied:

Day and exact time: departure time at the pickup point, not class time.
Pickup point: use the fixed board names (e.g., "Fortune Park"), not "my place".
Destination point: same discipline — a fixed point, not a neighborhood.
Seats and passengers: how many, and whether other joiners are expected.
Cost understanding: what, if anything, is being shared and how — agreed before the ride, never negotiated at the door (see our cost-splitting guide).

The morning-of message

The single most useful message in carpooling is the day-of ping: "Hi <name>, confirming today <time> at <pickup>. I'll be by the entrance in a <color> jacket. See you!" It takes twenty seconds and eliminates the most common failure mode — two people, two assumptions, one empty pickup point.

When something changes

Plans move; what matters is telling people early. If you cannot make it, withdraw from the ride as soon as you know — under APRide's rules, cancelling within 15 minutes of departure counts as a late cancel, and repeated no-shows or malicious cancellations can lead to restriction. If you are running late, a one-line message with a realistic new time lets others decide with real information.

After the ride, a short thank-you closes the loop. Reliable behavior is the community's currency: the coursemate you thanked is the one who posts the trip next week.

Source: APRide rules

Frequently asked questions

Q: How do I contact the other people on a ride? A: After you join, contact details of fellow participants are visible to you (and yours to them), and coordination happens over Microsoft Teams or email — the board itself has no in-app chat.
Q: What if the other person never replies? A: If a participant is unresponsive before the day, treat the arrangement as unconfirmed and fall back to your independent plan; if it happens repeatedly, that is what the report function is for.
Q: Is cancelling okay? A: Yes — early. Cancelling within 15 minutes of departure counts as a late cancel, and repeated late cancels or no-shows can restrict an account. As much notice as possible, always in the thread.
Q: Should I pay through the app? A: There is nothing to pay through — APRide handles no money at all, and any cost sharing happens between riders themselves, which is exactly why the cost understanding belongs in writing before the ride.

Official source

APRide — operating rules and community boundaries

Published and updated 2026-07-20 · DUOCODE TECHNOLOGY