Why Plona?

One place for owners and drivers

Owners post a route once, and drivers already going that way apply.

Drivers save a Drive Request: where they start, how far they'll go for a pickup and when they're free. Plona sends them routes that fit. Plona connects you, but it can't promise a driver for every route or date.

Anyone can browse open routes on Plona Market without an account. Each route shows the price, what the driver gets and the city, not the street. Some routes in Plona Market are marked "Found elsewhere". Plona found them in public posts on other websites, where someone asked for a car to be moved. Plona has no deal with the person who posted. They haven't joined Plona and may not know about it. A Found elsewhere route is not a promise. The trip may already be taken, changed or cancelled. The price is Plona's estimate. The person who posted didn't set it.

The owner sets the price

The owner decides what the move pays, and drivers apply at that price.

Plona recommends a price built from the miles, gas and the driver's pay. The owner can use it or set their own, but not so low that the driver would lose money. Drivers see about what they'll take home before they apply.

Each move has one price, and it can't be changed in messages. To change it, the owner posts the route again at the new price. Drivers who applied are asked to apply again. Plona's cost numbers are estimates, and we're still tuning them.

The payment goes into hold

The owner pays only after the driver accepts, and the payment goes into hold with Stripe (opens Stripe's site in a new tab).

The owner has 24 hours to pay. There's no cash or paying outside Plona. The move is booked once the payment is in hold.

The gas money goes to the driver at pickup. The rest stays in hold until the owner confirms the drop-off. If the owner cancels before pickup, they get a full refund, fee included.

Gas money at pickup

You get the gas money at pickup and the rest of your pay after drop-off is confirmed.

Before you accept, Plona shows your total pay, the gas money and about what you take home. You also set up a Stripe (opens Stripe's site in a new tab) payout account with a debit card or a bank account. Anything you don't spend on gas is yours. If gas costs more, you pay the difference for now.

With a debit card, the gas money is sent by instant payout once you both confirm the pickup. On early trips it may come after pickup, while Plona's Stripe account is new. The rest is sent once the owner confirms the drop-off, or 72 hours after it if no problem is reported. To a debit card: usually within 30 minutes, any day. To a bank: 1 to 2 business days.

Both people verify their ID

Before a move is booked, the owner and the driver both verify their ID with Stripe Identity.

Stripe checks a photo of your ID against a live selfie. Plona keeps only the result (verified or not), the date, and the name and date of birth on your ID. Stripe deletes your ID images as our Privacy Policy explains. We never show your ID or license to the other person. We only let them know your ID is verified, and when.

The owner also adds the car's registration and proof of insurance, which stay sealed. The driver can ask to open them if they're stopped or in an accident, and the owner is told. Plona is in a pilot and does not provide insurance.

The owner picks the driver

Drivers apply, and the owner picks who drives, so nobody is assigned.

Each driver who applies shows a first name, whether their ID is verified, and a rating or "New driver". Plona may mark one "Recommended" and say why, but the choice is the owner's.

The owner can message any driver inside Plona before deciding. Email addresses stay hidden. After booking, yours shows only if you choose to share it. The owner offers the move to one driver at a time. Once that driver has verified their ID and set up payouts, they have 24 hours to accept or pass.

A record of every trip

Photos and check-ins build a record of the trip that you both can see, from pickup to drop-off.

At pickup and drop-off, one of you photographs the car and the odometer, and the other checks the photos. On longer trips, the driver checks in with a photo along the way. They can also share live location while Plona is open on their phone. The photos are never public.

If something's wrong, the owner taps "Report a problem". The rest of the payment stays in hold while Plona looks at the trip record. After pickup there's no automatic refund, and gas money already paid to the driver stays with the driver. We're still writing the full policy for problems after pickup.

The fee, shown up front

Posting a route is free, and the service and compliance fee is already inside the price.

The fee is 15% of the price, at least $16, and it's the only fee. The recommended price adds it on top of what the driver gets. The owner sees one price, and Price details shows what the driver gets and the fee. Its (i) shows what the fee pays for on that move: card processing, payouts to the driver, the ID check and running costs and growth (servers, phone, filings and tools), with how the monthly running costs split. The driver sees about what they take home.

There's no subscription. If the fee changes, a move already agreed keeps its fee.

Help on every page

Ask Plona can answer quick questions or pass yours to the Plona team.

Ask Plona is our AI helper. It runs on Claude, made by Anthropic, and knows which screen you're on. It doesn't give legal, insurance or medical advice. Please don't share card or ID numbers with it.

If you ask for a person, it asks how to reach you and passes your question to the team. The Plona team's hours are Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 Eastern. In the pilot, someone on the team walks you through each early trip.

One account for both

One account lets you list a car as an owner and drive as a driver.

Sign up once with your name, email and a password, then confirm your email with a code. After that, you post a route or save a Drive Request from Routes. Switch between owner mode and driver mode at the top of More.

Plona works in any browser, and you never need to install anything to book a move. You can also get the free Plona app. It can send alerts, like a new route that fits you.

Already run a driveaway business?

Plona can run the busy work of your business while you keep your name, prices and customers.

It's called Joe mode. Your customers request a drive from your own booking page. Plona collects their details and ID check, keeps your calendar, and takes the payment through Stripe. You accept or pass on each request, and Plona keeps you updated by text or email.

Joe mode is invite only for now.

Ask for an invite

Where Plona is today

Plona is starting small.

Real payments, payouts and ID checks are on for the people in Plona's pilot. Some things on this page are still being built, and we'll update it as they change.

Plona connects owners with drivers. Plona is in a pilot and does not provide insurance. It hasn't finished its registrations and commercial insurance yet. It's for vehicles rated 10,000 pounds or less, like most cars, SUVs, pickups and vans. Moves don't include passengers, so the driver travels alone.