Lime vs Voi vs Forest: which e-bike and scooter referral gives you more in 2026?
It depends entirely on where you ride. Forest pays the most (30 free minutes, worth up to £9.90) but is London-only and the minutes are valid for 7 days. Lime (£4 ride credit, 60-day window) covers the most cities. Voi (£2.50 to join) reaches the most towns outside London. Pick by your postcode, not the headline figure.
30 free minutes (worth up to £9.90)
£4 in ride credit
£2.50 ride credit to start
Key takeaways
- Forest: 30 free minutes (worth up to £9.90 at 33p a minute), London-only, valid for 7 days — the most generous if you ride central London.
- Lime: £4 ride credit, 60-day window, the widest big-city coverage (London plus several cities, West Midlands from April 2026).
- Voi: £2.50 to join, the broadest reach in smaller towns — about two-thirds of England's e-scooter trials.
- Rental e-scooters need an 18+ rider with a provisional UK licence (category Q); e-bikes need no licence.
Our pick here: Forest pays 30 free minutes, verified against its own terms.
The right ride-share referral is almost never the biggest one — it is the one that works where you actually ride. Here is how the three operators we cover stack up.
Reward, at a glance
Forest is the most generous: 30 free minutes of riding — worth up to £9.90 at 33p a minute — after a first London trip. Lime pays £4 of ride credit, and Voi gives the new rider £2.50. On reward alone, Forest wins comfortably.
But coverage decides it
Forest is London-only — around 20,000 e-bikes across 18+ boroughs — so its free minutes are worthless outside the capital. Lime has the widest big-city footprint: London, Greater Manchester, Oxford, Nottingham, Milton Keynes, and seven West Midlands cities from 1 April 2026. Voi is the operator of the smaller and mid-sized towns, running about two-thirds of England's rental e-scooter trials, often as the only choice.
So the real question is your postcode. Central London rider? Forest's 30 free minutes are unbeatable. Big city outside London? Lime. A trial town where the others don't run? Voi is frequently your only option — and £2.50 you can spend beats £9.90 you can't.
Expiry and effort
Watch the clock. Forest's free minutes are valid for just 7 days and cover riding time only (the £1 unlock still applies). Lime's coupon lasts 60 days and covers a whole short ride including unlock. Voi publishes no universal expiry. All three need only a single qualifying ride.
The rules that catch people out
For a rental e-scooter you must be 18+ with a provisional UK driving licence (category Q), because scooters run only under the DfT trial (extended to May 2028). A rental e-bike needs no licence. Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on UK roads and pavements.
The verdict
There is no single winner — there is a winner for your location. Forest for central London value, Lime for the most cities and the most forgiving window, Voi for everywhere else. Check which operates on your street before you sign up, and claim the one you can actually use.
To claim it, use the Forest code z0e699xY or join through topreferrals.co.uk/go/forest (you get 30 free minutes).
To claim it, use the Lime code RZ6RNZENB2E or join through topreferrals.co.uk/go/lime (you get £4).
To claim it, use the Voi code bIcdHeLabOQIMeHQKHPLKdfQeHIIPdcJ or join through topreferrals.co.uk/go/voi (you get £2.50).
Side by side
| Forest | Lime | Voi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reward to you | 30 free minutes (up to £9.90) | £4 coupon | £2.50 credit |
| London price | £1 to unlock, then £0.33 a minute | About £1 to unlock, then 31p a minute | Shown in the app before you ride |
| When it lands | After first ride | At sign-up | At sign-up |
| Window to use it | 7 days | 60 days | No published expiry |
| Covers unlock fee | No | Yes | Applies as balance |
| Coverage | London only | London + major cities | ~2/3 of England's trials |
| Vehicle | E-bikes | Scooters + e-bikes | Scooters + e-bikes |
| Licence needed | None | Provisional for scooters | Provisional for scooters |
Frequently asked questions
Which UK ride-share referral is worth the most?
Forest, at 30 free minutes of riding — worth up to £9.90, more than double either rival. But it is London-only and the minutes are valid for just seven days, so the biggest figure is not automatically the best claim for you.
Which operator covers the most places?
Lime has the widest big-city footprint: London, Greater Manchester, Oxford, Nottingham, Milton Keynes and seven West Midlands cities from 1 April 2026. Voi has the broadest total reach, running roughly two-thirds of England's e-scooter trials, mostly in smaller towns.
Do I need a driving licence to ride?
For a rental e-scooter, yes: 18 or over with a provisional UK licence carrying category Q entitlement, under the Department for Transport trial. Rental e-bikes need no licence and follow standard UK pedal-cycle rules.
Which credit lasts longest?
Lime's, at 60 days — by a wide margin. Forest's expires in seven days, which is the single thing that catches people out. Voi publishes no universal expiry.
Are privately owned e-scooters legal in the UK?
No. Only rental e-scooters within an approved trial area are legal on public roads, and the trial runs to May 2028. Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on UK roads, cycle lanes and pavements.
Claim the rewards
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Last checked 6 November 2026 by Bez, Editor-in-Chief. Figures verified against each brand's own terms. How we check.
