U.S. — Uber and Lyft have expanded rewards and discounts through financial services products in recent weeks as average U.S. fuel prices climbed from $2.98 a gallon at the end of February to above $4. Drivers for the two rideshare platforms across the country are spending hundreds more dollars on fuel each month.

Rideshare drivers for apps such as Uber and Lyft are classified as independent contractors and bear the costs of buying or leasing a car, maintenance, and fuel. Gas prices in California were higher than much of the rest of the U.S.

John Mejia, who has driven for Lyft and Uber in Oakland for over a decade, said the rising costs have changed how he works. "A few weeks ago, I filled up my hybrid car for $36. Now it's $60, so I don't drive as much," he said. "The higher cost of fuel is money that comes out of what Uber or Lyft pays me."

At the staging lot for rideshare drivers at San Francisco International Airport, Mejia now waits in the lot rather than finding other rides in the area. Mejia said the discount reward programs offered by Uber and Lyft to offset fuel costs do not make sense. "If I drove full-time, I would not be able to put food on the table. Drivers are like everybody else. They need to make a living, and with these gas prices going so high, we can't do it any more," he said.

Jonathan Tipton Meyers, who has driven for Uber and Lyft in Los Angeles since 2014, offered a similar assessment of the programs. "Like many things that Uber and Lyft offer, semantically on paper they're true, but in practicality, they're usually pretty hollow," he said.

Meyers said the math of rideshare driving leaves little room to absorb higher fuel costs. "Whatever passengers are paying, the drivers are getting probably about 25 to 30% of that, and if you increase gas prices on them, it means that you've got a driver who's on the road couple of hours, maybe a day, longer than they would to make the same amount of money," he said.

An Uber spokesperson said top-tier drivers and couriers can save up to $1.44 per gallon when they fill up their tank using combined offers and discounts from the company's expanded discount and savings programs. Yuko Yamazaki, Lyft's VP, head of driver, addressed the issue in a statement. "Drivers are feeling the cost of rising gas prices, which ultimately impacts their earnings," she said. "When costs spike, we want drivers to choose Lyft because they feel like the platform works for them, not against them."