Forest vs Lime vs Voi: the best UK e-bike & scooter referral in 2026

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: £10 of free riding 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 £10 is 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 £10 is 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 £10 you can't.

Expiry and effort

Watch the clock. Forest's credit expires in just 7 days and covers per-minute riding 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.