Although car rental costs vary widely, you can typically expect to pay between $50-$100 for a two-day rental. And, that’s not to mention a $25-35 “young driver fee” for anyone between the ages of 21-24.
Worse yet, you typically have to wait in a long line at the car rental office, fill out a bunch of paperwork, and wait for an employee to retrieve your rental vehicle, a process that can take more than an hour or two!
Now, imagine if you could rent a car directly from your smartphone and for as little as $5 per hour. Your information would be already saved to the app, you have more flexibility over how many hours you need to use the car, and you would save money on vacations, business trips, or other times when you don’t have access to your usual mode of transportation.
If this sounds too good to be true, then you might not have heard of Getaround. Getaround is the latest development in the sharing economy that lets consumers rent their personal automobiles to other consumers for much better prices than the exorbitant fees that car rental companies charge.
Similar to Airbnb, Getaround lets you rent cars to or from others with minimal effort, hassle and headache. If Getaround seems like it might be useful for a future vacation or business trip, then here are all the details you should know before signing up.
Getaround Review
Affordable, Accessible Car Rentals
Car rentals shouldn’t be as expensive as Enterprise, Hertz, and Thrifty make it seem through their fee-heavy pricing schemes. Getaround’s founders recognized the necessity of business and pleasure travelers’ access to affordable transportation and combined this need with another growing societal problem, overcrowded roads. As Getaround’s website explains, the average car is on the road for just two hours per day, but what about those other 22 hours?
If the car was going to sit in the garage or driveway anyway, then the owners are likely willing to rent it out for a modest price to a responsible driver. This is how Getaround keeps prices low for interested car renters while still helping car owners make money.
Prices for Getaround rentals start at $5/hour. This rate will be higher if the car is relatively new or an expensive make/model, and there are some fees you’ll want to be aware of.
- Young driver fees, for drivers between the ages of 19 and 24.
- License fee, a one-time, $10 fee to cover the cost of checking your driving record.
- Booking fee, which is 3% of the trip price.
- Cancelation fee.
- Mileage fee. For each mile you travel over your agreed-upon allotment, you’ll pay $0.50/mile for the standard fee.
There are no monthly fees for renters, and the fees applied to your booking also include renter’s insurance. All in all, Getaround rental prices are incredibly low compared to traditional car rental companies. They’re likely to decrease as more folks join the Getaround network and increase the supply of available cars on the rental platform.
Make Money With Getaround
Want some extra money to help pay for auto expenses like insurance, monthly payments, gas and repairs? Or maybe you want to supplement your income for other expenses without working several hours per week for side gigs like driving for Lyft or Uber?
Renting your car on Getaround’s platform requires minimal effort and expense to get started. You’ll have to pay a one-time $99 set-up fee to have Getaround Connect™ installed. Plus, a $20 monthly fee for your Connect™ subscription thereafter.
The Connect™ technology allows renters to access you car using their phones, so you won’t have to micromanage your car’s rental schedule or worry about your car’s security when other people are out driving it.
Additionally, you can enjoy peace of mind that your car is 100% covered by Getaround. Coverage includes $1,000,000 primary liability, collision, comprehensive, theft, and uninsured motorist protection. This helps make your car insurance affordable while being able to make up to $10,000 per year renting out your car to other responsible drivers.
Getaround Locations
At the moment, Getaround primarily operates in northern California, Portland (Oregon) and Washington D.C. The company has plans to expand to other cities around the U.S. in the future, but in the meantime, service is limited to major cities in these areas.
If you don’t live in an area where Getaround currently operates, be sure to follow the company on social media for the latest updates on when they’ll come to your city!
Should You Sign Up for Getaround?
Getaround is extremely convenient for drivers and renters alike. It helps save drivers money on car rentals while helping car owners make money on their personal vehicle while it’s not in use.
Whether you want a little extra money to pay off your car loan or you simply want a hands-off way to supplement your income, Getaround is an incredibly innovative platform that has the potential to transform the car rental industry as we know it.
