Zipcar is a car-sharing company that offers individuals the opportunity to rent vehicles for short periods of time. With over one million members in more than 500 cities, Zipcar has become a popular choice for city-dwellers looking for an alternative mode of transportation.
But how much does Zipcar cost? The answer to this question depends on several factors such as location, membership type, and the length of time you need access to a vehicle. In this article, we will take a closer look at the costs associated with using Zipcar.
Membership Fees
The first cost that users encounter when joining Zipcar is the membership fee. There are two types of memberships – annual and monthly plans. Annual plans are paid upfront while monthly plans require payment every month. Generally speaking, an annual plan works out cheaper than a monthly plan so if you know you will be using Zipcar regularly it may make sense financially to sign up for an annual subscription.
Annual Memberships
For those who choose an annual membership, they can opt for one of two options:
Basic Plan: For $7 per month or $70 per year members get access to thousands of cars and vans across multiple cities worldwide at any hour fewer fees.
Plus Plan: For $15 per month or $150 annually members will receive everything included in the basic plan plus fuel cards which pay for gas and other mileage expenses after reserving their ride through their phone app.
Monthly Memberships
For anyone going down this path there are three different possibilities:
Occasional Driving is only needed from time-to-time which means occasional drivers have no set timeframe commitments with prices starting from just under $80/month taking care most expenses excepting gasoline.
Frequent Use comes without fuel charges where customers pay hourly rates (upwards) from around fifteen dollars with terrific availability assuming scheduled well ahead.
Business accounts come equipped with all beneficent perks offered by standard memberships but also feature generous quantities of Zipcar hires intended for coworker or team use.
Once a membership plan has been selected and paid for, members can begin to reserve vehicles through the app. The cost of using a Zipcar is made up of an hourly or daily rate plus additional fees such as fuel charges and insurance.
Hourly Rates
The hourly rates that members pay depend on the type of car they rent. For instance, renting a small city vehicle like Ford Fiesta might cost around $9/hour while other rented cars could be over $15+/hour if you are borrowing larger cars such as SUVs or vans. Saloon sedans generally lie in-between with pricing rates hovering just above $12/hours (standard). Zipcar users will typically book rentals beforehand – especially during busier hours of day/night – but late cancellations forfeit reservation guarantees/shares at no refunds!
Daily Rates
For those needing to rent a car for longer periods there are options available with daily rental plans starting from somewhere above 70 dollars per day (larger/dearer hires not-withstanding).
Additional Fees
There are several other costs associated with renting a Zipcar besides the hourly/daily rental rate:
Fuel Charges: Members must refuel their vehicle before returning it though current fuel discounts can provide some leniency even applying discounts to locked-rate bookings meaning you would never be able to obtain fuel less expensively any other way.
Insurance: All reservations include comprehensive insurance coverage, which protects drivers against liability claims involving crashes as long their negligence doesn’t result in avoidable accidents.
Late Return Fee An overdue charge applies when borrowers bring back cars after reservations have past expiration times but most people encounter few issues timing theirs returns correctly!
Cleaning/Maintenance Any awful smoke smells dog hairs mud stains spots marks etc incurred throughout rides will incur cleaning bills charged directly by owner fleet managers who oversee upkeep belonging stock inside-and-out.
Conclusion
Zipcar provides an affordable alternative to traditional car rentals and helps to reduce carbon emissions in urban areas. The cost of using Zipcar is broken down into several components including membership fees, hourly/daily rental rates, fuel charges, insurance, late return fees (sometimes), cleaning/maintenance bills which can vary depending on the type of vehicle you reserve and how long you need it for but with adequate preparation needed upfront along being mindful of time requirements – renting from Zipcar can tend to provide a positive user experience overall.
Zipcar: The Affordable Car-Sharing Solution
As urban living and environmental issues continue to influence the daily lives of people around the world, car-sharing options like Zipcar have gained popularity as an affordable and sustainable alternative to traditional car rentals. With over one million members in more than 500 cities worldwide, Zipcar has become a reliable source of transportation for city-dwellers who need access to vehicles for short periods without committing to long-term leases.
While many people may be intrigued by the convenience and benefits of using such services, common questions often arise about how much these services cost. To help answer this question in detail, we will take a closer look at the costs associated with using Zipcar – from membership fees to hourly/daily rental rates and additional fees that contribute towards making up overall expenses.
Membership Fees
The first expense associated with using Zipcar is usually its membership fee. There are two types of memberships offered – monthly plans and annual plans. Generally speaking, an annual plan works out cheaper than a monthly plan so if you know you will be using Zipcar regularly it may make sense financially to sign up for an annual subscription.
Annual Memberships
For those who choose an annual membership, they can opt for either basic or plus plans depending on their needs:
Basic Plan: For $7 per month or $70 annually members get access to thousands of cars and vans across multiple cities worldwide at any hour fewer hidden taxes.
Plus Plan: For $15 per month or $150 annually members receive everything included in the basic plan plus fuel cards which pay for gas/mileage after reserving their ride through their phone app.
Monthly Memberships
For anyone going down this path there are three different possibilities:
Occasional Driving: These drivers have no set timing commitments but still need occasional driving service available starting from just under $80/month taking care most expenses excepting gasoline/other cleaning charges.
Frequent Use: Drivers pay hourly rates from around $15 with good availability assuming scheduled well ahead. Fuel charges are exempted from this option.
Business Accounts: business accounts come equipped with all perks offered by standard memberships and offering generous quantities of Zipcar redemptions intended for coworkers giving opportunity to reshape modes of transportation within bigger companies on a more sustainable level.
Once the membership plan has been selected and paid, members can begin reserving vehicles through the app. The cost of using a vehicle in Zipcar is made up of an hourly or daily rate plus additional fees such as fuel charges and insurance.
Hourly Rates
The hourly rates that members pay depend on the type of car they rent – smaller city cars like Ford Fiesta might cost as low as $9/hour while other rented cars could be over $15+/hour if you borrow larger unsuitable hires such as SUVs or vans. Saloon sedans frequently lie in-between pricing ranges just above $12/hours (standard), which means users generally book rentals beforehand – late cancellations forfeit reservation guarantees/shares at no refunds!
Daily Rates
For those needing to rent cars for longer periods, there are options available with daily rental plans starting from somewhere above $70 per day (larger/dearer hires not factored into these costs).
Additional Fees
There are several other costs associated with renting a Zipcar besides the hourly/daily rental rate:
Fuel Charges: Members must refuel their vehicle before returning it; however, current fuel discounts can provide some leniency even applying discounts to locked-rate bookings meaning you would never be able to obtain fuel less expensively any other way.
Insurance: All reservations include comprehensive insurance coverage protecting drivers against liability claims involving crashes except cases attributed directly towards each driver’s personal negligence
Late Return Fee An overdue charge applies when borrowers bring back their rides after reservations have passed expiration times but most people encounter few issues timing theirs returns correctly!
Cleaning/Maintenance Any unpleasant smells, dog hair, mud stains, spots marks etc., accrued throughout rides will incur cleaning bills charged directly by owner fleet managers who oversee upkeep belonging stock inside-and-out.
Conclusion
Zipcar provides an affordable alternative to traditional car rentals and helps to reduce carbon emissions in urban areas. The cost of using Zipcar is broken down into several components including membership fees, hourly/daily rental rates, fuel charges insurance as well as late return and cleaning/maintenance fees which can vary depending on the type of vehicle you reserve and how long you need it for but with ample preparation upfront while being mindful of time requirements – renting from Zipcar tends to provide a positive user experience overall.