If you normally use a phone to unlock or start your car, a driver handover needs more than directions to the parking space. The useful question is whether the agreed driver can access, operate and secure the actual vehicle for the whole journey, without borrowing your personal account credentials.
Drivers on Demand (DOD) is preparing a marketplace connecting customers and businesses with verified independent drivers who drive customer-provided eligible vehicles. Auckland personal and business services are coming soon, subject to product alignment and readiness. Bookings are not open. DOD has not confirmed a digital-key acceptance or sharing process. This guide helps you prepare questions for a future request; it does not confirm that your car or access method will be accepted.
Describe the key arrangement before the journey
Start with the car’s registration, make and model, then explain how you normally gain access. Is there a working fob, key card, physical key, phone-based key or a combination? Tell the person arranging the journey which authorised access method would actually be available to the driver.
Do not assume that unlocking a door settles everything. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for starting, restarting, locking and any access restrictions that apply to your exact vehicle and key setup. Ask the vehicle supplier or manufacturer if the instructions are unclear. A method that works when you are beside the car may need further checks if you will leave with your phone.
DOD’s customer information sets out the proposed vehicle-details, authority, roadworthiness and insurance checks. Access is another practical detail to clarify; it does not replace those requirements.
Plan for each point where access matters
Think through the whole itinerary, including stops and the final handover. The questions change depending on whether you travel in the car or someone else provides it.
| Stage | Question to settle |
|---|---|
| Initial handover | Can the driver unlock and prepare this vehicle using the agreed method? |
| A planned stop | How will the car be secured and accessed again? |
| Passenger leaves | Will the driver still have the access needed for the agreed remaining journey? |
| Journey ends | Who receives the key or takes control of the car, and how is that confirmed? |
| Access problem | What authorised alternative is available, and who can help clarify it? |
For example, a customer plans to get out at an Auckland office while the agreed journey continues to a separate handover point. If access depends on that customer’s phone, clarify the arrangement before departure. This is an illustrative planning scenario, not confirmation that DOD offers that journey or supports that access method.
For multiple stops, the multi-stop journey guide helps you describe the itinerary. If a business controls the car, name the person authorised to arrange access and the person receiving it at the end.
Keep account passwords out of the handover
Do not put your vehicle-account password, email password or phone unlock code in journey notes. New Zealand’s Own Your Online password guidance advises keeping passwords private, including from people you know. Applying that principle here means arranging appropriate vehicle access without sharing the credentials to your wider account.
If your manufacturer offers a separate authorised access method, check its instructions, scope and conditions. Do not assume a feature exists for your model, that it is suitable for an arranged paid driver, or that DOD supports it. An available fob or card may be an option to discuss, subject to the vehicle’s instructions and final service requirements.
Keep any account setup under the control of the authorised owner or business administrator. The pickup-notes guide explains how to give useful directions without adding unnecessary personal information.
Resolve setup while the car is parked
Leave time to explain the agreed key method and essential controls before moving. Keep any phone setup separate from driving. NZTA’s distraction guidance advises using a phone only after pulling over and parking safely.
If access stops working or an unexpected warning appears, pause the plan and get the appropriate assistance. Do not experiment with an unfamiliar account or key setting while driving. Do not switch off or alter the car simply to test a theory; follow its instructions and resolve uncertainty before relying on the arrangement.
The driver also needs to understand the actual vehicle, beyond its keys. Our unfamiliar-car setup guide covers the parked preparation of controls, mirrors and navigation.
Close the handover at the destination
Agree who receives the car and any fob or card. If an authorised temporary digital-access arrangement has been used, the responsible owner or administrator should follow the manufacturer’s instructions to end it after the handover is complete. Confirm the recipient can access the car before closing the arrangement; do not remove access mid-journey.
During prelaunch, contact DOD for general questions about future vehicle arrangements. An enquiry does not reserve a driver or approve a digital-key system. If you need a journey before bookings open, arrange a suitable option that is already available.
About this guide
Prepared by the Drivers on Demand editorial team for Driver on Demand NZ Limited. Current DOD customer and Journal content, Own Your Online password guidance and NZTA distraction guidance were checked on 24 October 2026. This is general journey-preparation guidance, not manufacturer-specific instructions, an insurance assessment or confirmation of DOD vehicle acceptance.