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Popular car sharing company Zipcar enables people who do not have a car to take short-term trips in and around the city by becoming Zipcard-holding members. Cardholders can use an app or website to identify a Zipcar parking lot close by, book a ride, and collect the car from its parking space.
How To Rent A Zipcar For A Month
- Check And Confirm Eligibility
- Select A Zipcar Membership Plan
- Apply for Your Zipcar Membership
- Receive Your Membership
- Book Your Zipcar
- Get A Monthly Zipcar Rental
1. Check And Confirm Eligibility
Zipcar is a hire-on-demand service. The actual costs of hiring are only determined when you book a car as a Zipcard holder. You must acquire a Zipcar membership, irrespective of the type and length of hiring you have in mind. Start the process by ensuring you are eligible for Zipcard Membership and understand how memberships work.
You must be 21 or older. Registered students and residents of some states must be 18 or older. Present a valid driver’s license issued by the US Government. You may be asked to provide other identifying documents if your license does not contain a photo.
You may not use a photocopied driver's license or a digital one; temporary licenses are not allowed. There should be no incidents or violations on your record, and you must accept the terms and conditions of a member’s application and agreement, which include divulging previous legal incidents or violations. You require a valid credit or debit card.
2. Select A Zipcar Membership Plan
Zipcar has three membership plans: a personal/family membership, business membership, and student membership. Personal membership, which may include additional drivers, is connected to a single account profile and payment method. It is suited for American citizens or permanent residents with a valid US driver's license and good driving and credit history.
Business memberships are available to businesses who wish to have cars available to their employees, as current company cars are, but without the hassles of owning or leasing, registering, maintaining, and insuring a vehicle fleet. The company opens a business account, and employees join the account as drivers.
Student memberships are linked to hundreds of universities in the US. Each university has a Zipcar lot on campus, which helps students to use their place of study for Zipcars collection and return. Cars are safely available 24/7 and may be booked as and when required, which helps students who often need transportation at short notice.
3. Apply for Your Zipcar Membership
Membership applications may be made online or through the Zipcar App. Once you have figured out which plan suits you best, choose the city where you will use your membership card. Zipcar hire is a roundtrip service that requires you to return the car to the same place you picked it.
Next, you must pay a $25 application fee, which is a non-refundable charge, irrespective of the outcome of your application. After you have signed up for a Zipcar membership, you will be charged a monthly fee. If you'd rather pay annually, you get two free months each year. Monthly fees are deducted even if you do not hire a car unless you cancel your membership.
4. Receive Your Membership
On application, you must provide a photo of yourself and a photo of your driver’s license, as well as details of your online account. Once you submit your application, Zipcar will verify the information you provided. Usually, Zipcar applications are approved within minutes. If it takes longer, Zipcar will keep you informed via email.
All arrangements are made online, and once registered and your membership kicks in, you can plan your booking schedule. Your Zipcard is your link to each car you hire. Because the process is automatic, it can be done on demand at a Zipcar parking location of your choice. There is no need to go to an office or central hiring facility.
5. Book Your Zipcar
With a confirmed membership, you can book a car. You can do that immediately with Zipcar's app. Once you have booked a car, go to your chosen Zipcar location, use your app to unlock the door, and you are good to go. Your Zipcard should arrive via mail within seven days.
An attractive benefit to Zipcar drivers is that hiring costs include gas and insurance. Check the available insurance plans on offers, and make sure you choose a plan that suits your needs. Zipcars also come with 180 miles, covered for free during the first 24 hours. You use the car’s gas card to get your 180 miles of free gas.
Zipcar rates may change from city to city. Use Zipcar’s location-based pricing calculator for the latest hiring costs in your area. Choosing monthly payments seems logical if you rent a Zipcar for only one month. If you seek monthly rentals over a longer period (and subject to Zipcar agreeing to this arrangement), you may consider an annual membership.
6. Get A Monthly Zipcar Rental
People seek long-term rentals when they need uninterrupted access to a car. Personal monthly rentals may cover specific trips, such as a family holiday in another part of the city, another city, or another state. Companies need around-the-clock access to vehicles for various business requirements. Students may require monthly rentals during exam times.
Renting a car for a month alleviates the pressure around crunch times without owning the car. If you require a car for a month and you will not exceed Zipcar's 180 miles limit, then a monthly Zipcar membership with the longest rental period may be worthwhile.
Zipcars may be taken-out in half-hour increments for a minimal period of an hour and a maximal period of 14 days. When the rental period ends, you must return the car to where it was collected. You must make a new booking if you wish to extend the rental.
If you had the car for 14 consecutive days and wish to extend the rental further, Zipcar may authorize it at its discretion. You need to arrange this with a Zipcar representative, and the rental will continue, using the same Zipcar, and billed accordingly. If you exceed the 180 permitted miles per 24 hours, you will be charged extra for each additional mile.
Extending the rental on the same car for another 14 days (permission pending) allows you to keep the car for 28 days. But is this the best rental scenario? The average daily charge for an economy Zipcar is around $74 per day. A 14-day rental will cost $1036, or $2072 per month. Once you go over the 180 miles allocation, you will be charged $.045 per additional mile.
Zipcars are best when used for shorter periods. The system is based on half-hour increments, and rentals have hourly or daily rates. In addition, Zipcar’s free petrol allocation covers 180 miles per 24 hours. Instead of keeping the same car for the second rental period, you could get another car and create a new reservation with new usage.
You can break it down further into weekly rental periods. You can change your collection-and-return points in another neighborhood, suburb, city, or university to suit your requirements. Use similar Zipcars if you wish but get the best out of your car.
