RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Grin Prime was launched on Wednesday, December 11th, in the city of São Paulo: it’s a monthly subscription of R$15 (US$3.75), with the first month free, which exempts users from paying the unlocking fee for Grin scooters and Yellow bikes.
Grow, the company that controls the two brands, also pledges “exclusive benefits” to be announced soon.
In São Paulo, Grin’s scooters cost R$3 for unlocking plus R$0.50 per minute. Yellow’s bicycles, on the other hand, charge R$1 for unlocking and R$0.05 per minute (the price varies depending on the city).
Grin Prime subscribers do not pay the unlocking fee, but will still have to pay the cost per minute.
The service can be hired through the Grin app on iPhone and Android:
- log in and from the main screen tap the menu icon in the lower-left corner;
- select the My Prime subscription option;
- tap on ‘Sign up now’.
Grin Prime does not work for Yellow scooters
Grin Prime offers an advantage to those who use Grin scooters at least five times a month. The subscription does not include Yellow scooters: these must be rented through the Rappi App due to a temporary exclusivity agreement.
Yellow scooters can be seen on the Grin App map, but using the Rappi App to unlock them is still required. Grow has clarified this in a statement.
Yellow scooters can only be used through the Rappi App until the end of the partnership. They show up in the Grin App to help users find available equipment. But when users try to unlock the Yellow scooter with the Grin App, they are told to use the Rappi App.
In Brazil, Grin Prime started in São Paulo, but it was already available in other countries: users in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay can only purchase the subscription for scooters.
“Our subscription model is the first of many steps we have planned to make our services an affordable travel alternative,” says Karim Hardane, general director of Grow in Brazil, in a statement.