Zipcar

• Availability
• Reservations
• Insurance
• Features and Fees

Availability

Zipcar is one of the largest car-sharing companies in the world. Zipcar currently operates in ten countries and 43 U.S. states. Within the United States, they have vehicles available in 350+ cities and on 570+ college campuses, making it easy to rent a car for an appointment, trip, or errands. You just pick it up and drop it off in a specially marked Zipcar parking spot at an appointed lot location. This service is convenient for college students and those who are looking to avoid the costs of car ownership, whether for financial or environmental reasons. 

For example, in Los Angeles alone, there are approximately 18 Zipcar rental locations. In each of these locations, there are 1-25 cars in the lot available for use.

View Car Sharing Providers By Location

Reservations

Drivers can reserve Zipcars for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 14 days. Customers can drive Zipcars for a max of 180 miles for every 24-hour period you have the car. For any miles traveled over the 180-mile cap, there is a $.45 per mile charge. 

With this sharing service, it's easy to reserve a car when you need it in advance or at the last minute. Book online through your account or via the free iPhone or Android apps. Once you go to find your rental car in one of the designated parking spots, you simply use your Zipcard to unlock the vehicle by holding it to the card reader on the car's windshield. 

Insurance

Members receive insurance coverage as a part of their membership and fees. The coverage is a little different, depending on your age and when you joined. 

All members under age 21 are covered by the minimum financial responsibility limits for the jurisdiction where an accident occurs. 

For members age 21 and up: 

• Members who joined August 1, 2018, or later will receive liability coverage up to the minimum financial limits in the state where an accident occurs.
• For members who joined March 1, 2015, through July 31, 2018, a 100/300/25 plan is in place. Members will pay $1,000 deductible fee in damages per incident. The main insurance coverage Zipcar provides is (100/300/25) third-party auto liability coverage:
  • $100,000 in bodily injury per person
  • $300,000 bodily injury maximum coverage
  • $25,000 for property damage
• Members who joined prior to March 1, 2015, receive $300,000 combined single limit coverage per accident. 

Features & Fees

Zipcar is part of the new "sharing economy" that is becoming widely popular and looked at by the media. Zipcar's fleet is available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Users, if located in a service area, will be able to receive help and make reservations at any point in time. When you become a Zipcar member, the fees cover gas (via a gas card), insurance, and 24/7 roadside assistance at 1-866-4ZIPCAR for customer service if you have a problem. 

Zipcar also offers a 30-day trial for new customers. If you decide the service is not for you, they refund the membership fee (but not the application fee). 

The approximate price for service in participating locations breaks down as follows: 

• A one-time application fee of $25 
• A membership fee of 
• $7+ monthly fee for the aptly named Monthly Plan, or 
• $70 annual fee for the Occasional Driving Plan, or 
• A special pre-paid Extra Value Plan is available in certain cities, offering a prepaid amount each month towards your membership and vehicle rental fees.
• Vehicles cost about $9+ per hour or $73+ per day to rent. (You can reserve for as little as 1 hour or up to 14 days.) 
• Late fees start at $50, plus another $50 for every hour you are late.
• If you drive more than 180 miles during a 24 hour period, you will be charged $0.45 each for additional vehicle miles traveled. 

The Zipcar mobile app was named one of the 50 best iPhone apps for 2011 by Time Magazine. Today, many people find the app easy-to-use, but a little plain. 

• Additional Fees
• Limitations

Additional Fees

As a non-traditional car rental service, if members need to use a Zipcar frequently for entire days, the price can get expensive. Additionally, if you go over 180 miles in one day, they start to add on charges by the mile. The overall costs have kept some from using Zipcar.

If you are planning on renting a car for a full day or an extended trip, the rates may exceed standard car rental rates available from a daily rate rent-a-car company like Avis Budget, Enterprise or Hertz.

A Zipcar membership allows you an easy rental process and way to unlock the car that traditional rental companies don't have. So, you will have to decide whether the ease and familiarity with your Zipcar carshare are more important than the full-day prices available at other companies specializing in full-day rather than hourly rate plans. You may just want to double-check before leaving on a week-long trip. 

Limitations

When you use Zipcar, the only features available include:

• Gas
• Roadside Assistance

Zipcar offers a variety of brands and models to drive, but that doesn't mean a customer will be able to rent them. The styles they offer include convertibles, cargo vans, hatchbacks, compact, minivans, suburbans, hybrids, luxury cars, and other premium vehicles. For instance, in L.A. there are 34 models that you can choose from whereas other cities have fewer options. If you want to drive a specific make or model, you can use the site or the Android or iPhone app to browse by model or style.