Renting a car can provide business travelers with flexibility, convenience, and cost savings compared to alternatives like taxis or rideshares. With the rise of car rental apps, the process of finding and booking cars on-the-go has never been easier.
Car rental apps allow business travelers to quickly compare options across major rental agencies, efficiently reserve vehicles, modify existing bookings, and take advantage of loyalty programs. Features like mobile check-in, GPS navigation, and roadside assistance provide end-to-end support throughout the rental.
Below we explore the key benefits car rental apps offer business travelers, factors to consider when choosing apps, profiles of top rental apps, and tips for maximizing value.
Benefits of Car Rental Apps for Business
Car rental apps provide a number of advantages for those traveling for work:
Greater Control Over Scheduling
With an easy-to-use app, business travelers can make, modify, or cancel car reservations themselves, rather than going through an assistant or travel coordinator. This allows for flexibility in planning around shifting meeting times or agendas.
Access to Diverse Fleet Vehicles
Car rental apps provide access to everything from economy sedans to pick-up trucks to luxury vehicles. Business travelers can select the ideal vehicle based on factors like group size, length of trip, type of location, and required amenities.
Streamlined Expense Tracking
Apps simplify the rental process for easier reconciliation of travel expenses. Features like digital receipts, rental histories, and rewards dashboards allow business travelers to quickly categorize spending and submit standardized reports.
Significant Savings Through Rewards Programs
Most major car rental agencies offer robust loyalty programs that translate into discounts, free upgrades, and bonus miles for frequent business renters. These perks add up through regular app usage.
Contactless, Seamless Rental Experience
Apps enable users to select vehicles, submit ID verifications, and unlock rental cars in a low-touch, centralized manner. This allows business travelers to skip the rental counter when pressed for time.
Access to Useful Features Like GPS and Roadside Assistance
Car rental apps provide connectivity to ancillary services that enhance the rental experience. Built-in navigation eliminates having to use your phone‘s maps, while 24/7 roadside assistance provides peace of mind.
Key Factors in Choosing a Rental Car App
With dozens of car rental apps now available across app stores, it can be challenging to determine which ones best meet your needs as a business traveler. Below are key factors to consider in your evaluation process:
Reliability and Availability of Vehicles
You‘ll want to select an app powered by rental agencies that have significant fleet sizes and wide geographic availability. Avoid newer apps that may promise affordability but can‘t guarantee car availability.
Transparency Around Fees
Many apps lure users in with low baseline rental rates but make up for it with sneaky additional fees. Pay close attention to complete fee breakdowns before confirming your reservation.
Insurance & Liability Coverage
Review the fine print to understand how the app handles insurance coverage, collision damage waivers and liability. You may need to supplement with your own corporate card‘s rental coverage.
Ease of Modification
Choose an app that makes changes to existing reservations hassle-free. Business trips often need to shift on the fly, so flexibility here is key.
Rewards Programs & Status
If renting cars frequently for work, joining a rental agency‘s loyalty program can significantly reduce costs over time through free days and car upgrades. Focus on apps aligned to programs offering generous rewards.
Reviews From Other Business Travelers
Checking app store reviews can provide qualitative insights into the end-to-end experience provided. Look for feedback specific to those traveling for work.
Now that we‘ve covered criteria for evaluation, let‘s explore profiles of thirteen top-rated car rental apps suited for business travel needs:
Enterprise
Founded as a car leasing business in 1957, Enterprise has one of the largest rental fleets in the world today – and their app experience reflects that scale. With operations across 85 countries, Enterprise allows business travelers to quickly locate partner branches worldwide.
The app provides the same rates you would find on Enterprise.com, along with features like choice of vehicle class, shuttle requests from local branches, and GPS functionality. One standout option for business travelers is Enterprise‘s Corporate Discount plan which provides up to 25% savings on base rates globally. Enrolling is free through the app.
Key App Features
- Mobile check-in – skip the counter
- Enterprise loyalty program integration
- Confirmation emails and reminders
- GPS navigation add-on
Reviews: 4.7/5 (1M+ ratings on iOS and Android)
Hertz
As one of the world‘s largest car rental companies, Hertz offers business travelers consistency and reliability. With over 11,000 global locations across 150 countries, you can count on reserving quality cars regardless of destination. Beyond scale, Hertz also invests heavily in its loyal customer base through its Gold Plus Rewards program.
The Hertz app makes it easy for members to take advantage of perks like expedited bookings, confirmed upgrades, and surprise offers. You also have access to features like mobile pick-up, e-receipts, and license upload to simplify the rental process end-to-end.
Key App Features
- Gold Plus Rewards integration
- Mobile notifications for upgrade eligibility
- Special member coupons and flash offers
- Confirmed vehicle availability
Reviews: 4.7/5 (1M+ ratings on iOS and Android)
Avis
Originally founded in 1946, Avis is now available in over 170 countries worldwide courtesy of its purchase by Budget Rent A Car in 2002. This expanded market presence combines seamlessly through Avis‘s modernized mobile app. Business travelers can leverage loyalty programs on both sub-brands using one unified interface.
The app itself surfaces exclusive member-only deals not found on Avis.com for significant savings. You can also quickly modify existing bookings, access digital receipts post-trip, and submit customer service issues through integrated messaging.
Key App Features
- Last minute hot deals
- Simple reservations with preferred details preloaded
- In-app customer service via chat
- Digital receipts & rental history access
Reviews: 4.7/5 (100K+ ratings on iOS and Android)
National Car Rental
While smaller in scale compared to leading brands, National Car Rental differentiates itself by focusing intently on the airport rental market. With over 1,500 global airport locations, National has optimized its mobile app experience for business travelers who move fast through airports.
Through the Emerald Club loyalty program, the National app provides expedited counter service, queue-cutting ability, and dedicated amenities like Emerald Aisles where you can choose your vehicle. As a smaller operation, National also offers highly personalized rewards redemption recommendations and notifications as you accumulate rental points.
Key App Features
- Emerald Aisle access to select own car
- Exclusive member counter for expedited service
- Personalized rental recommendations
Reviews: 4.6/5 (300K+ ratings on iOS and Android)
Alamo
As a value-focused brand in budget car rentals, Alamo‘s app provides business travelers surprising quality for lower costs. Owned by Enterprise Holdings, Alamo allows customers to search across thousands of locations domestically and globally across Enterprise, National, and Alamo itself.
The Alamo app makes it simple for travelers to modify existing reservations on the fly to adjust for changing pickup times, rental periods or vehicle selections. Last minute deals exclusive to the app can also keep per day costs low. Members enrolled in the Alamo Insiders loyalty program can access quicker bookings and elite member discounts.
Key App Features
- Ability to add additional drivers
- Alamo Insiders integration
- In-app booking modifications capability
- Mobile check-in maps
Reviews: 4.7/5 (500K+ ratings on iOS and Android)
Budget
As one of the largest car rental companies globally, Budget provides business travelers consistency in its fleet quality and availability. Owned by the same parent company as Avis (Avis Budget Group), Budget allows customers to book cars across both brands while earning loyalty points.
The Budget app mirrors the functionality offered on Avis‘s app related to mobile check-in, rental histories, e-receipts, and reward redemption for simplicity. One differentiator for Budget is slightly lower rates which can benefit business travelers aiming to stay under per diem allowances. Members can enroll in Budget‘s Fastbreak loyalty program for additional savings opportunities.
Key App Features
- Ability to reserve vehicles across Budget & Avis
- Fastbreak membership discounts surface automatically
- Deals and promotions exclusive to app
Reviews: 4.7/5 (1M+ ratings on iOS and Android)
Sixt
A popular European car rental service now expanding globally, Sixt offers business travelers an upscale yet affordable private transportation alternative. While still growing its airport location footprint, Sixt differentiates itself through high-end luxury vehicles like BMWs, Mercedes, Audis and Porsches.
The Sixt app provides the standard ease of use for booking, adjusting, and canceling reservations. Given its origin as more of an on-demand car service, Sixt also enables quick hailing of available drivers for point-to-point trips. This can provide flexibility for business travelers on the go needing reliable rides to offsite client meetings and events.
Key App Features
- High-end luxury vehicle availability
- Ride-hailing functionality
- Simple mobile bookings in seconds
- Premium rewards program
Reviews: 4.6/5 (1M+ ratings on iOS and Android)
Getaround
Representing the next generation of car rental experiences focused on flexibility, Getaround provides private cars for rent from local owners on-demand. With over 20,000 vehicles across over 300 cities globally, business travelers can score great deals on short driving trips.
The Getaround app uses mobile GPS location tracking to display nearby available vehicles across a range of body types perfect for meetings around town. You simply book the hours needed, unlock the car with the app, and drive off while the car owner‘s insurance covers you. The app can save significant budget given lower hourly rates and zero membership fees to access cars.
Key App Features
- Hourly rentals starting at ~$5/hour
- Instant in-app booking to secure reservations
- Unlocking vehicles made simple through app
- Insurance included in all rentals
Reviews: 4.8/5 (300K+ ratings on iOS and Android)
Turo
Similar to Getaround, Turo provides business travelers peer-to-peer car rentals from local owners at lower hourly rates. Core differences from Getaround include a wider selection of higher-end cars like Audis, BMWs and Range Rovers in addition to standard sedans. Turo also has a stronger use case for longer multi-day rental periods given its focus on substitute replacement vs. short trips.
Through the Turo app, approved drivers can browse detailed listings for vehicles (and owners) rated across different attributes before submitting reservation requests. Once approved, all rental activity from unlocking doors to returning keys is handled through the app for owner assurance and security.
Key App Features
- Expansive car selection including luxury vehicles
- Multi-day rental periods for extended trips
- In-depth owner & car reviews
- Streamlined post-trip transactions
Reviews: 4.7/5 (300K+ ratings on iOS)
carSHAiR
A relative newcomer in the peer-to-peer car sharing market, carSHAiR differentiates itself through specialization – providing premium and luxury brand vehicles focused exclusively around the airport transportation use case. Business travelers arriving through major hubs like LAX can conveniently access high-quality vehicles via the app.
By centering fully around the airport delivery channel, carSHAiR is able to optimize the user experience for travelers in need of reliable rides after flight deplanement and baggage claim. Cars can be scheduled ahead of arrival or on-demand. With operations currently limited to Los Angeles, the service provides strong business utility in one of the country‘s largest metro regions.
Key App Features
- Luxury & premium vehicles only
- Specialized for airport delivery/pick-ups
- Enhanced member screening for quality assurance
Reviews: Various reviews unavailable given small member community currently and limited geography. But given focused model provides differentiated value.
Other Notable Apps
Beyond the major car rental platforms profiled above, below are a few additional apps useful for business travel purposes when needing rental vehicles:
Kayak – The Kayak app allows you to compare rental rates across multiple providers in one view to find the best deals. Useful for quickly determining cost differentials across agencies.
AutoSlash – AutoSlash tracks your existing reservations across platforms and notifies you when rate drops are identified allowing you to rebook at lower prices.
Uber Rentals – Uber‘s mobile rental functionality integrates with your broader Uber/Uber Eats profile and provides discounts if needing a car before or after Uber trips.
Hotwire Hot Rates – Hotwire enables you to score unsold rental car inventory at deep discounts without knowing the agency source until booking completion. Useful for flexible travelers.
Key Tips for Maximizing Car Rental App Value
To make sure you extract the most savings and convenience from leveraging car rental apps as a business traveler, keep the following tips in mind:
Join loyalty programs whenever possible across apps to unlock exclusive member rates, earn free rental days and gain priority access to higher car classes.
Compare pricing across apps before booking as rates can vary substantially. Avoid sticking to just one go-to app without checking alternatives.
Carefully understand insurance coverage to determine if you should supplement corporate card‘s policy for collision damage and liability.
Use filters intelligently to narrow down vehicles that best match your trip‘s requirements from passenger room to fuel efficiency needs and more.
Read the fine print on any deals or discounts to be aware of blackout periods and limitations before factoring into budget.
Follow agencies on social media for access to limited time coupon codes and promotions.
The Future of Car Rental Apps for Business
While car rental apps provide significant utility for today‘s business traveler, we‘re likely just scratching the surface of how seamless and personalized this experience can become thanks to ever-advancing mobile technology.
Here are some likely innovations on the horizon that will further cater to corporate rental customers:
More flexibility for one-way trips – While some progress has occurred here, expect advances through GPS tracking to allow easier point A to point B rentals.
Expansion of more diverse fleet offerings – Greater segmentation of vehicle classes and amenities to align with customer trip requirements.
Deeper connectivity across the travel tech stack – Car rental apps linking hotel, air and entertainment modules all in one.
Enhanced data analytics for corporate travel managers – Platforms providing rich insights to optimize company savings, policy decisions and more.
Conclusion
It‘s clear car rental apps provide significant utility for today‘s business traveler needing efficient and affordable ground transportation while on company trips. By providing mobile convenience, rewards programs, diverse fleets, and enhanced rental features, these apps simplify car procurement across locations.
Keys to success include taking advantage of loyalty programs, comparing costs across apps, clearly understanding insurance liability, reading fine print for deals and maximizing app-only savings features.
As technology enhances these platforms, corporate travelers can look forward to increased seamlessness, personalization and connectivity when leveraging rental apps for work trips moving forward.
