How To Make Money As A Bird Charger & Lime Juicer: Easy Side Hustle?

January 3, 2023

Renting an electric scooter is one of the best ways to get around town if you want to avoid heavy traffic. In several urban areas, you have the option to ride around using a rental electric scooter. This type of service was created by reputable companies such as Bird and Lime.

I really enjoyed scooter rentals, and I can’t remember how many times it saved me from being late for work. From time to time, I opt to use a Bird or Lime Scooter for doing errands around the city like grocery shopping, dropping off mail, and more.

Their services have become essential in most cities in the United States, and it is beginning to surface all over the world. Many people are loving the fresh new way of transportation, as it helps beat the rush hour traffic and provides riders with a whole lot of fun as well. If you happen to visit different cities around the US or overseas, you would probably find a rental scooter service for getting around, instead of opting for a cab.

Electric scooter rentals are pretty affordable. The average cost of renting a Bird and Lime scooter costs $1 to start, with an additional 15 cents per minute. My office is a 15 to 30-minute walk from my apartment. On an electric scooter, it takes me about 7 minutes. I usually drive, which takes me about 30 minutes during rush hour, and it can get frustrating.

Here are the average costs of renting an electric scooter based on the duration of use:

Ride Duration	Cost
15 Minutes	$3.25
30 Minutes	$5.50
1 Hour	$10
1 Hour and 30 minutes	$15.25

Riding a scooter will not only save you money on gas, but it can also give you more time to spend with your family or do something more productive with the time you save out of it. Plus, riding an electric scooter is much less harsh on the environment than riding a gas-powered vehicle, not to mention the struggles of finding a decent parking spot. Did we mention that it is fun too?

Aside from all the benefits of riding a scooter, these rental scooter companies also provide the community with jobs such as a scooter charger.

We mentioned the fantastic benefits of riding an electric scooter, but this article will focus on something better, which is making money. These electric scooters do not charge themselves, which is why companies like Lime and Bird are constantly looking for independent contractors or regular people to do the deed.

Aside from charging scooters, Bird also offers positions, such as a Bird Flyer. Flyers can deliver packages during the day and charge scooters at night. I do have a full-time job, so I only chose to charge scooters as a Flyer. If you have time on your hands and enjoy riding scooters as much as I do, you can make more money and ride more scooters by becoming a Bird Flyer.

Applying as a Bird or Lime Charger is pretty straightforward. You can apply through their websites or their respective mobile apps. I discovered the job through the app, and I was pretty amazed at how easy you can earn money for just charging scooters.

What Does a Scooter Charger Do?

Being a scooter charger is plain and simple. You will need to:

Locate the scooter
Pick the scooter up
Charge the scooter
Release the scooter for use at the designated hubs

If you live in a city where Lime and Bird operates, becoming a Bird Charger or Lime Juicer is an excellent way to earn money on the side. It is easy to apply, and you hardly have to do anything. It is more of a passive income generator rather than a full-time job.

How to Become a Bird Scooter Charger

Becoming a Bird Scooter Charger is super easy. You can sign up to be a Bird Charger by visiting their website (1), through the Bird app, or just click the link when you see an ad. To sign up, just put in your name, phone number, and email. Soon after, you will receive a phone call to ask you a few easy questions.

The Bird representative named Michael asked me these questions:

What do you love about Bird Scooters?
What type of car do you have?
How many Bird Scooters can you charge per night?

I really liked how straightforward the questions are as well as the application process. It’s not like applying for a job where you are asked the hard questions. I felt that these people are trying their best to hire you, and not the other way around.

I did answer the questions honestly, and Michael walked me through the whole process. After a few days, I received a call telling me that I was accepted as a Bird Charger and received 3 charging cables in the mail.

Bird Charger Requirements

Must be 18 years of age or older
Must have a vehicle for transporting the electric scooters
Can charge 3 Bird Scooters at the least
Must live near an area where bird operates

You can also become a Bird charger if you don’t have a car, as long as you’re within walking distance from an area where there are a lot of Bird scooters lying around.

The requirements above are just merely suggestions to make the charger job easier. None of these requirements are on the Bird scooter charging rules, except that you must be 18 years old or older to become a Charger or Flyer.

How to Become a Lime Scooter Charger (Lime Juicer)

After being accepted as a Bird Charger, I applied to become a Lime Juicer. The application process is similar to Bird, and you can apply through their website (2), through the app, or clickable ads. You just need to fill in a few details, and your good to go. You will receive a call asking similar questions such as if you have a car and how many Lime scooters can you charge.

The orientation process can be in-person or through the phone depending on where you live. With Bird, my orientation was through a phone call, but with Lime, I personally met the Lime representative as he walked me through the process.

After orientation, I was given four Lime chargers. With more work to do, I just couldn’t wait to start earning. Signing up for Lime and Bird increases the chances to earn more money as long as you are up for it.

Lime Juicer Requirements

All you need to become a Lime juicer is be at least 18 years of age whether you own a car or not. It is just easier to collect scooters when you have a truck or SUV that can stack as many electric scooters as you want.

Now that you know everything about Bird and Lime, and the signing up process, I’ll explain what this job entails. Although they will orient you on the process when you get hired, it’s better to get an idea to be more prepared for the job.

How a Scooter Charger Job Works

Once hired, you can start using the Lime and Bird app to start working immediately. The process is pretty basic. All you need to do is follow these 3 easy steps.

Step 1: Finding a Bird and Lime Scooter to Charge

In the app, go into Charger or Juicer mode depending on what app you’re using. This option is in the top left corner of the menu screen. You will only gain access to charger mode once you have been successfully hired as Bird Charger/ Flyer or Lime Juicer. Take note that you can reserve the Bird location on the map so you can pick it up within 30 minutes. You don’t have to worry if another charger would beat you to it, as long as you have it reserved.

Once you are in Charger or Juicer mode, you’ll be able to track scooters in the area that needs to be charged. Each scooter icon on the app will display the amount it pays for charging them. Essentially, the pay depends on how long since a scooter needs to be charged, but will look more into the payment details later.

Depending on your location, scooters that need to be charged pop up by the end of the day. Icons will start to pop up depending on the battery level of a scooter, whether someone is using it or not.

In my experience, the best time to start searching for scooters is around 8 to 10 pm, but you can still find scooters during the day depending on where you live.

Step 2: Picking up and Charging a Lime or Bird Scooter

After locating the scooters, the next step is to take them home and charge them to a full charge. You will need to use the Lime or Bird app to scan the QR code to unlock the scooter for charging.

I use a car for picking up scooters, but you can use the scooter itself. If it has enough juice in the tank, you can ride the scooter back home.

The one thing I didn’t like about picking up Bird scooters, is that they cap the speed to only 5 miles per hour.

Picking up Lime scooters is better because Lime scooters are not speed capped, making it easier to ride it on your way home. Not only are you getting paid to charge scooters, but you can also enjoy the benefit of riding these scooters for free.

Once you get home, you can charge the scooters on any standard outlet. Having a power surge is much better so you can charge multiple scooters at once. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to get a full charge from zero percent.

Also take note, that Lime and Bird chargers work with either scooter, but I recommend that you use the charger that is designed for the scooter just to be sure.

At orientation, they explained that charging scooters does not take too much power, which means it will not reflect so much on your electricity bill. In my experience, I hardly ever noticed any difference in my electricity bill, and I charge about 4 to 6 scooters a night.

With that being said, you don’t have to spend a sum of money to become a scooter charger. All you need is some gas money if you have a car and the effort of going around town looking for scooters to charge.

Step 3: Releasing a Lime or Bird Scooter after Charging

Now that the scooters are ready to be used, the next step is to release the scooters to their designated spots around the city. These spots are officially called Lime Hubs and Bird Nests that you can easily locate using the Lime and Bird app.

These spots are usually found in dense areas such as offices and apartments. If you live in a hip neighborhood like Palo Alto you will likely find more drop-off spots to release the scooters. Releasing a scooter requires you to reserve a spot before dropping them off. It is always better to wake up early if you want to reserve the nearest spot.

Bird and Lime scooters should be released between 4 am to 7 am, so they are ready for people trying to get to work on time. I usually drop the scooters on my way to work at around 7 am. I never really experienced not getting a full payout if I dropped the scooters a little later than 7 am. I guess it depends on what city you’re from.

Take note that there is a limited number of scooters you can drop off at each hub. If you charge multiple scooters, you have to go to multiple drop-off spots, especially if you charge scooters for both Bird and Lime. The best thing to do is to plan ahead of time and be punctual if you want to earn your keep.

Make sure that you park the scooters on a flat surface, properly spaced out with the wheels turned out to avoid it from rolling by itself.

Handling a Damaged Bird Scooter

As a Bird Charger for almost 2 years now, I did come across and have captured damaged Bird scooters. If you capture a damaged scooter that won’t charge, report it to the Bird via Community mode, so that it can be marked as damaged.

I had to release the board myself to a damaged nest, but I still received partial compensation. Damaged nests are easy to find, and they are marked with a red wrench on the Flyer app.

How Much Money Can You Make as a Lime Juicer and Bird Charger?

Is charging Bird and Lime scooters worth it? Yes, indeed! Working as a charger for Bird and Lime does not take up a whole lot of your time. Imagine making a decent amount of money while sleeping, and getting paid extra every day. It is totally worth it. By working as a scooter charger for these companies, I earn extra money for my daily expenses and more.

Both companies pay a base amount of $3 to $5 for charging and releasing a scooter. The pay varies on how long it’s been since a scooter was last charged. The prices can increase significantly if you pick up the right scooters at the right time.

You can earn $18 to $30 just on your way to work every day for just charging a minimum of three scooters for each company. The payout will depend on how many scooters you can charge at night, and you can earn more than $30.

If you charge a scooter less than 100%, you can still get paid a reduced amount depending on the battery percentage. This can work for Chargers without a car and who usually ride the scooters to drop-off points.

You can make over $1000 a month, which is a lot of money you can put into your savings. It is money that you literally earn with a few minutes of work each day.

Tips to Make the Most Out of Being a Lime Juicer and Bird Charger

The base pay for charging scooters is already a good deal, but you can still expand your earnings to make more money. Here are some tips on how to make charging scooters work for you and how to make the most profit:

Stacking Scooters in your Car

If you have a car, you can make the most out of it by collecting as many scooters as you can on your way home from work. People who live in hip areas have a better opportunity of earning more money as a scooter charger. It is well worth it if drop-off locations are on your part of your daily route to work, as it will save you time and gas money. However, if it is just a tad bit out of the way, it is still worth it.

If ou don’t drive, you can stack up to 4 scooters on the scooter you’re riding. Take note that a Bird or Lime scooter can carry a maximum weight of 220 lbs, so make sure your weight, and the weight of the scooter stack, are within the limits. Each scooter weighs around 20 lbs, so depending on your weight you can stack up to 4 or more scooters that are equal to a bigger payout.

Get Creative and Develop a System

You can also get creative and charge some scooters at your workplace during the day, and drop them off on your way home. Of course, you need to make sure that your company is okay with what you are doing. Most companies are understanding, as long as you don’t take up too much space and charge a maximum of two scooters at work.

Once you have developed a routine and integrated charging habits daily, earning money as a charger will be more effortless.

I make the most out of charging by setting a timer for 5 hours and switching the scooters in the middle of the night. I only did this a few times when I got tempted to bite off more than I can chew. At least I got to charge all the scooters with limited charging cables.

Small Amounts can be Significant

Earning small amounts a day may not be significant at first glance, but if you do the math, earning $1000 a month is $12,000 a year. On top of your salary from your full-time job, that amount is pretty significant for basically little effort. If you think about the long term, you can earn a hundred thousand dollars in ten years.

Get More Charging Cables

To make more money, you will need to get more charging cables. If you think that you can charge more scooters daily, it may be the smart move. But if you live in a place where Bird and Lime have limited scooters, investing in more chargers might not be the best move.

In some cities, you can request for more charging cables from Bird and Lime for a small fee. You can also buy your own chargers to use from Amazon. Make sure you get the chargers for the specific model of scooters that Bird and Lime use.

Lime uses the Segway Ninebot ES2 and Segway Ninebot ES4, and you can purchase a charger through the Segway website (3) so you can charge more scooters at a time. Bird also uses the Segway Ninebot ES2, but most of their new models are the Xiaomi MI M365. You can also purchase extra chargers for these, but you can use the Ninebot charger for the MI M365 as they share the same battery specs.

Bird and Lime Scooter Charger Benefits

Earning money is not the only benefit of being a scooter charger. As a Bird Flyer or Lime Juicer, you can gain access to discounts, and free rides.

Getting Paid To Ride

You can consider becoming a Bird Flyer, where you are required to move packages using a Bird scooter. Riding an electric scooter is super fun, and imagine being paid to ride one. If you decide to be a Bird Flyer, you can earn by delivering packages during the day and charge some scooters at night. You can do this fulltime or part-time, as the work schedules are flexible. By being a Bird Flyer, you are literally being paid to ride.

Free Scooter Rides

As a Bird or Lime charger, one of the benefits is access to free scooter rides. It may not be advertised, but if you don’t have a car to transport scooters, you can enjoy riding one on the way home before charging them.

Flexible Work Schedule

As a scooter charger, you can work as much as you want, whenever you want. There may be a designated drop-off time for releasing scooters, but you can take breaks every once in a while. If you do not feel like picking up scooters that day, you don’t have to. If you work hard enough and put in a little more effort into finding and dropping off scooters, you can earn a significant amount of extra money to buy the things you want but cannot afford due to bills.

Gearing up on Your First Day as a Scooter Charger

As a scooter charger, you can never be too prepared, so here are cool things you should know and have before starting your first day of work. Most of this equipment is optional, we only recommend these pieces of equipment to make your life as a charger easier.

Power Surge

You will be charging at least three different electric scooters at a time, so it is best if you buy a power surge to maintain stable power output when charging these devices. It can protect the electrical components of the scooters from short-circuiting or overheating.

Flashlight

Most of the time, you will be trying to locate Lime and Bird scooters at night, so it is best to have a bright flashlight to help you see better in low light conditions.

Gloves

It is always safe to wear gloves when carrying scooters. Make sure you choose gloves with touch screen fingertips so that you can still use your phone while wearing them.

Reflective Vest

You can never be too careful at night when looking for Birds to catch and Limes to squeeze. Wearing a safety reflective vest will make you more visual at night. Plus, it will make you look more official.

Phone Mount

Whether you are riding a car or motorcycle when looking for electric scooters to capture, a phone mount is very useful when locating scooters using a map.

Download ScooterMap

ScooterMap is a third-party app that is very useful when locating electric scooters to charge.

Get to know a trusty electric ride mechanic

Being connected to someone who knows how to fix electric scooters is handy when you experience problems when charging Lime and Bird scooters.

My Experience as Bird and Lime Scooter Chargers

In my experience as a Bird and Lime Charger, I got to earn money the first day I started. Since I live in a busy city, I found four scooters on my first night. It took me a while to develop a system, but once I learned the ropes, I got to earn more and developed a routine.

Before heading out from work, I reserve a couple of scooters on the way home. I get off at 5 PM, so there aren’t a lot of scooters yet, but I happen to find two to three scooters to charge that time. After dinner, I usually go out to find more scooters to pick up.

I don’t hustle on weekends that much, but I feel that I always find more Birds and Lime scooters to charge on weekends because of the working hours. I reserve my weekends for relaxing instead.

Once you get the hang of it, you will develop a system and find scooters at the same spots. At this point, everything becomes faster, and before you know it, you are stacking scooters and piling up cash.

Riding Safety

If you decide to ride a scooter for picking up or dropping off, make sure you follow the safety rules and laws. If there are bike lanes, make sure you stick to riding on bike lanes instead of sidewalks for safety reasons. You don’t want to zip through sidewalks with a big stack of scooters. You and the people around may get hurt, so it’s best to be cautious and be mindful of your surroundings.

Also, make sure you invest in a helmet if you decide to ride a scooter. Without a car, it is best to invest in safety equipment and learn how to ride a scooter first. Riding a scooter is easy, just learn how to accelerate and brake and you’re good to go.

FAQs

Which Cities Have Bird and Lime Scooters?

There are a lot of urban areas where Bird and Lime are available, and they are expanding rapidly ever since. In California, they are available in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Westwood, Santa Monica, Venice, San Diego, San Jose, Pacific Beach, and Palo Alto. To make sure if there are Lime and Bird services near you, you can check the Bird (4) and Lime (5) websites to see for yourself. If you want to apply as a scooter charger, it is best to know if Bird and Lime operate in your area. It is quite easy to spot their scooters, especially if you travel around the city often.

Do you have to pay anything to sign up as a scooter charger?

No, you do not have to pay any fees before you can start working as a scooter charger for any of these companies. Once you sign up, you will get briefed, and receive charging cables in the mail or in person, depending on how you were oriented. Being a Bird Scooter Charger or Lime Juicer is one of the best ways to get money on the side, and it is way easy too. You can create your own flexible schedule, and work whenever you are available.

What type of Scooters do Lime and Bird use, and how long does it take to charge Lime and Bird Scooters?

Lime and Bird Scooters use similar brands of scooters. Lime uses the Segway Ninebot ES2 and Segway Ninebot ES4. Each of these scooters can run at impressive speeds as fast as 18 miles per hour. The ES4 can reach a further distance of up to 28 miles on a single charge, which is twice the distance of the ES2, because of the extra battery pack. Charging Lime scooters does not take a long time because it only takes about 3.5 hours to charge the ES2 and 7 Hours to charge the ES4.

As for Bird, they also use the Segway Ninebot ES2, as well as the Xiaomi MI M365, which is a highly similar model in terms of design and specs. As for Charging Bird scooters, the MI M365 takes around 5 hours to charge. It can go up to 15.5 miles per hour and reach an impressive 18.6-mile distance per charge.

Can you purchase a used scooter from Lime and Bird?

Yes, Bird is actually selling some of their old scooter models. They are specifically selling a refurbished Bird ES1-300 electric scooter. Since they switched to the Xiaomi MI M365, they are giving people a chance to buy a used electric scooter at an affordable price. The used scooter, however, is backed up with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee. (6)

As of now, Lime is not selling any of their used scooters as it might cause confusion. As a Lime scooter charger, you don’t want to accidentally pick up someone else’s scooter with a Lime logo on it. This problem might be what the company is avoiding.

However, if you do want to own a Lime scooter for yourself, you can always pick up a Segway Ninebot ES2 or ES4 through the Segway website or on Amazon. They are pretty reliable scooters for commuting, which is why Lime did the right choice of using these models.

How do you start a Bird Scooter?

Starting a Bird Scooter is pretty much straightforward. Once you locate a Bird scooter to pick up, you can reserve it for 30 minutes before pickup. To start the ride, just open the Bird app, and scan the QR code, hit the throttle on the right, and get ready to go.

Conclusion

Because Lime and Bird are reputable companies in terms of scooter sharing, they only choose the best and reliable scooters. By investing in better scooters, they can maximize its use and last for a long time, even if it is used all day and everyday by different riders.

As a scooter charger, you must keep these electric scooters charged so it can be available for riders. Lime and Bird did an excellent job to create a scooter charger job for people looking for a side hustle, and it’s a win-win for all parties. Lime and Bird don’t need to build charging hubs or offices, and people can make extra money on the side charging scooters in the comforts of their home. Plus, the scooters will be more accessible and available for the riders at all times.

Whether you choose to work for Bird, Lime, or both, we are sure that you will love the experience as you get similar benefits and get paid with the fair amount.

References

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Daniel