Frequently asked questions

What is iHopOn?

A way to find someone who already drives the route you drive, at roughly the hours you keep, and share the ride. It matches on where you commute from, where you're heading, which days you're in, and when you need to arrive.

Who can join?

Federal public servants and people who work for a Crown corporation, verified with their work email, who commute in or into the Ottawa–Gatineau region. That region reaches well beyond the city: Arnprior and Renfrew to the west, Hawkesbury and Cornwall to the east, Kemptville, Smiths Falls, Perth and Brockville to the south, and Chelsea, Wakefield and Val-des-Bois to the north.

Crown corporations such as CBC/Radio-Canada, VIA Rail, Export Development Canada and the Bank of Canada are recognized, and a small number of other public employers are approved case by case. You can create an account with any email address; it's the work email you verify that decides whether you're matched.

What if my work email isn't recognized?

Government addresses ending in .gc.ca or .canada.ca are never turned away, even if we haven't seen that specific domain before — they go to a person for review rather than being rejected, and you're matched while you wait; only the verified checkmark waits for the review. If you work for a federal department or a Crown corporation and your address is refused, write to support@ihopon.com and we'll look at it. If it checks out, we'll add it and let you know.

If the code never arrives — some departments' mail filters hold messages from outside senders — write to support@ihopon.com from the address you signed up with, and we can check it by hand.

You can also skip this step and come back to it; Today keeps a reminder until it's done. Just know that you won't be matched, and won't see the day board, until your work email is verified.

Is it free?

Completely. There is no paid tier, no trial, and no card required. iHopOn processes no payments at all — any cost sharing happens directly between you and the person you ride with.

Will I have matches right away?

Maybe not, and we'd rather say so than let you find out. iHopOn is new, so some routes are still quiet. Verify your work email and finish your profile anyway — matching is gated on that verification, then runs as soon as your profile is done and again every night, so anyone who joins your route afterwards turns up in your matches without you doing anything. Check back, and check the day board for one-off rides in the meantime.

Do I need a car?

No. You can join as a rider, as a driver, or as someone happy to take turns driving. Riders and drivers are matched with each other, so both are equally useful to have here.

How does matching work?

We look at where you both start, where you're each headed, and whether your weeks fit. The biggest factor is the route: how many extra minutes of driving it takes to pick you up and drop you at your own workplace, measured on real roads rather than as the crow flies. Then how many office days you share, whether your arrival windows line up, and whether your roles fit — a driver and a rider, or anyone with someone who takes turns. A pairing that would force a river crossing neither of you makes alone ranks a little lower.

A good schedule can't make up for a hopeless drive. If the detour is long, the match scores low however well your days line up, and past about 35 minutes of extra driving we don't suggest it at all. Only people who have verified a work email are matched.

Each match shows an overall-fit percentage, and its page shows what's behind the number — both of your weeks side by side, the extra driving time, and where each of you is headed — so you can judge it yourself rather than trusting the figure.

Does my employer see any of this?

No. iHopOn is an independent project with no connection to any employer, and nothing about your account is reported to anyone. The work email you verify is used once, to prove you're a real employee somewhere, and is never stored in a readable form. If you choose to sign up with a work address as well, that one is your account email and is stored the ordinary way — our Privacy Policy explains the difference.

What do other members see about where I live?

Your postal-code area — the first three characters, like “K2J · Barrhaven” — on your match card and on the day board. On the page for a single match, the map also shows a point on the postal code you gave, so you can each judge whether the other is really on your way; they show you the same about themselves. You are never asked for a street address, and there is no location tracking in the app at any time. Our Privacy Policy sets this out in full.

Do I have to give out my phone number?

No. There's no phone number field in iHopOn at all. Messaging happens in the app, and if you want to exchange numbers with someone you've decided to ride with, that's entirely your call.

What's a pod?

A small recurring carpool — the same few people, the same days. It starts from a conversation. When you connect with a match, a chat opens, and once you've talked it through either of you can press Start a carpool there. You then agree the terms together: which days, where you meet, who drives, how costs are shared, and what happens on a snow day. Any later change needs everyone to confirm it, so nothing shifts under you.

Connecting commits you to nothing on its own — it only opens the chat. A pod can grow past two, too: invite someone, and everyone already in it confirms before they join.

What's the day board?

Somewhere to post a single trip: “driving downtown Thursday, one seat”, or “need a ride home Friday at 4:30”. It's for the days a regular arrangement doesn't cover — a sick driver, a late meeting, an unusual office day. Posts expire on their own after the trip. Your regular week doesn't need posting — it's already on your profile, and everyone it fits sees you in their matches.

Posts show to people on your route and to people headed to the same area you are. When you post, the people it would genuinely suit get an email about it — after a 15-minute pause in case you change your mind, and never more than three of those emails a day, or more than one a week about the same person. When you accept someone for a seat, a chat opens between you so you can settle where to meet. You can't post two rides that overlap on the same day.

How does money work?

Between you, entirely. iHopOn handles no payments and takes no cut. Members often agree on a per-trip contribution toward fuel and parking, and any figure shown in the app is simply a note about what you agreed.

What if someone doesn't show up?

You can record it, and it counts toward the reliability figure shown next to their name. People you've ridden with can also leave you a star rating. Both follow someone into future matches, which is the real consequence — there's no penalty beyond it, and no charge.

If it becomes a pattern rather than a bad morning, report it and we'll look at the account.

What if I feel unsafe with someone?

Block them — it's immediate and works both ways, so you disappear from each other's matches, messages and day board. Report them too if something happened; safety reports are read first, by a person.

If you're ever in immediate danger, call 911 first and tell us afterwards. See the trust and safety page for the fuller picture.

Can I pause matching, or leave a pod?

Yes to both, at any time, without giving a reason. You can hide yourself from matching while keeping your account, pause your seat in a pod for a holiday, or leave the pod outright. Pausing doesn't count against your reliability. One thing worth knowing: a carpool needs two people, so if there are only the two of you, leaving ends the pod and the other person is told.

I only read my work email at work. Can codes and alerts go somewhere else?

Yes. Under You → Name and sign-in email (or the Change address link in Notification settings) you can move your account to another address. We ask for your current password and send a code to the new address, and nothing changes until you enter it. From then on you sign in with the new address and every email goes there, and we let your old address know. Your verified work email badge isn't affected.

I misspelled my name. Can I fix it?

Yes. Under You → Name and sign-in email, change your first name or last initial and save. Everyone sees the corrected name straight away, and pod names made from your old spelling are updated too.

Can I choose what iHopOn emails me?

Yes, under You → Notification settings. You can switch email or push notifications off entirely, turn off individual kinds — new matches, day-board posts, pod activity and so on — and set quiet hours when nothing is sent. Codes you've asked for, and messages about your own account, still come through.

How do I delete my account or get a copy of my data?

Both are self-serve, under Profile → Privacy. The export is a complete file of what we hold about you. Deleting removes your personal information and closes the account immediately — the only things kept are records other members rely on, like their own ride history, with your identity removed.

Is iHopOn connected to the Government of Canada?

No. It's an independent project, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated on behalf of any employer — including the federal government. Verifying a work email proves where someone works; it doesn't mean their employer is involved.