Membership Guidelines

Everything you need to know about how Kyodo Mutual works, from pledges to payouts.

Important Disclaimer

Kyodo Mutual is a voluntary mutual-aid sharing program — it is NOT insurance. Members voluntarily contribute to a shared pool. There is no contract, no guarantee of payment, and no legal obligation. Participation is entirely at your own discretion.

Who We Are

Kyodo Mutual is a voluntary mutual-aid community of Car Share Hosts who contribute monthly to a shared pool. When a member faces an unexpected claim or damage, they can request help from the pool to cover Out of Pocket Deductibles. This allows Hosts to reduce the risk of using a higher deductible plan and keep a higher percentage of their Ride Share. We are NOT an insurance company and make no guarantees of payment.

Why I Built This

D Alan Jeffries, Founder

As a Car Share Host myself, I kept running into the same problem: the platforms offer solid coverage, but their high deductibles eat into the earnings that make hosting worth doing. Raising deductibles to boost profit felt smart — until a real incident showed up and the out-of-pocket bill landed on me.

I built Kyodo Mutual to give hosts like us a better option. Instead of paying an insurance company for guarantees we may never use, we contribute a small monthly pledge to a shared pool that steps in when a real need hits — and returns the surplus as rebates when it doesn't. No middlemen taking the margin, no opaque pricing, just a community of hosts looking out for one another.

This is mutual aid, not insurance. It's transparent, member-owned in spirit, and built around the idea that together we can keep more of our earnings while still covering each other when it matters.

How Pledges Work

Members choose a Pledge tier based on their risk level and Fleet Size. Base prices are $10/car (More Peace of Mind), $40/car (Balanced), and $60/car (More Earnings) per month, with automatic discounts for larger fleets: 15% off for 2–6 cars, 25% off for 7–14 cars, and 35% off for 15–25 cars. Fleets over 25 cars get a custom quote.

Submitting a Need

When you experience a covered event, submit a Need Request with incident details, photos, and repair estimates. An admin reviews the request. Approved needs are paid from the shared pool, subject to available funds and any applicable proration.

Proration Policy

If total approved needs in a month exceed the pool balance, all approved needs for that month are prorated proportionally. For example, if the pool has $8,000 but approved needs total $10,000, each need receives 80% of their approved amount. This ensures fairness for all members.

Hybrid Surplus Policy

When the shared pool has a surplus after "quiet" months (needs < 50% of pool), the excess will be handled the following ways: • Option A: Carry forward 100% of surplus as a buffer for future months • Option B: Once the Buffer reaches 3x the average monthly pool, Rebate the excess to members proportional to their pledge amounts

What Is NOT Covered

Kyodo Mutual Core does not cover: routine maintenance, minor cosmetic damage, pre-existing conditions known at time of enrollment, intentional damage, normal wear and tear items, upgrades beyond replacement value, Tire Damage, or any item where the member has not paid their pledges current. Coverage begins 30 days after first pledge payment.

Kyodo Mutual Core Tiers

Per-car monthly pricing by earnings level. Larger fleets get automatic discounts.

Fleet Size	More Peace of Mind $250 deductible	Balanced $1,500 deductible	More Earnings $2,750 deductible
1 Car	$10/car	$40/car	$60/car
2–6 Cars (15% off)	$8.50/car	$34/car	$51/car
7–14 Cars (25% off)	$7.50/car	$30/car	$45/car
15–25 Cars (35% off)	$6.50/car	$26/car	$39/car
>25 Cars	Custom Quote — tailored to your operation in all three coverage levels