How Fair Car Rental Works & Best Alternatives to Try

Fair is one of the best rental companies because of its flexible options for vehicle access. However, the popular vehicle rental program is currently undergoing restructuring.

Find out how Fair’s car subscription app works, and discover the best alternatives in this article!

What Is Fair Car Rental?

Fair Car Rental is a flexible car-ownership startup company offering weekly car subscriptions. It’s an independent car rental company with flexible and innovative car solutions.

Through Fair’s rental program, you can select and book a car through an app. There’s no need to go through the mountain of paperwork from renting or buying through a dealership.

Because of this, Fair became one of the preferred alternate car rental options for rideshare drivers!

A Brief History of Fair

Fair began in 2016 with a mission to become the cheapest car rental company. Its founder, Scott Painter, had the goal of disrupting the vehicle marketplace by making cars accessible to all.

At its peak, Fair had 22 rental locations in 12 states. It garnered over $1 billion in investments from SoftBank and other automotive groups.

Sadly, the company began losing money due to complications with its investors and structure. In 2022, Fair sold its assets to Shift for $15 million. The company is now restructuring and may be back in the future.

Meanwhile, Scott Painter went on to establish Autonomy, which is a car subscription app nearly identical to Fair!

How Does Fair Work?

Here’s an overview of how Fair works.

App-Based Booking

You can accomplish the entire booking process for Fair all from your smartphone. All you have to do is download the app and sign up by submitting a photo of your license.

Next, you select a vehicle and a monthly payment plan. There are affordable options below $200 per week.

Once you pay with your credit card, Fair will obtain your chosen vehicle type from one of its partner rental companies.

Pricing Structure

There are no hidden charges when it comes to the Fair App.

It can take up to six years to pay for an auto loan from a traditional dealership. However, with Fair, you can renew your rental with weekly or monthly options.

You first pay for a one-time fee called a Start Payment. The average cost for this fee is around $1,080.

Select a car based on your budget. The vehicle marketplace offers cars from $125 to $4,000 per month. You can opt-in for Fair’s insurance rates as well.

What’s great is that these fees include roadside assistance, maintenance, and warranty!

Pickup and Return

Finally, pick your car up from the nearest dealership and return it when your subscription is over. There are flexible hours for this rental program.

In case you want to replace a car, you can do so for free within three days or before you drive 100 miles.

How Much Does Fair Cost?

According to Fair, its users pay an average of $300 to $400 a month. This Fair price includes tax registration, rental fee, warranty, maintenance, and extra mileage.

Do note that customers with a bad credit score may need to pay additional insurance fees. There’s also the extra cost of the Start Payment.

Regardless, the Fair rates are lower than other rentals, considering the inclusions. Because of its cheap price guarantee and affordable rates, part-time drivers may prefer Fair’s rental deals.

What Sets Fair Apart?

With Fair, you don’t have to commit years of income to a depreciating asset. You can renew your lease monthly and cancel anytime without extra costs.

Here are a few reasons the Fair App is better than traditional car rentals.

• Online Processing: Fair is different from other companies because of its full digital experience. The app takes care of the whole rental agreement process for you.
• Wide Car Selection: Using Fair is like having full access to an online vehicle marketplace. There are options for every budget!
• Great Customer Service: Fair ensures a pleasant experience through its customer service. The app is transparent, and Fair strives for customer satisfaction.
• Flexible Rental Locations and Hours: Fair offers extensive car rental location options. Its service locations make it a flexible and convenient option for many.
• Affordable Prices: Other rental agencies often have hidden charges that ramp up the price. Fair is one of the cheap car rentals because of its inclusions.
• Earning Opportunities: You can rent a car from Fair monthly. Because of the cheap car rentals, you may earn money through rideshare services.

How to Use Fair [Step-By-Step]

Here’s how to use Fair in four simple steps.

Sign Up

Before anything else, you should first download the Fair App and pre-qualify. To sign up for Fair, you must be at least 21 years old and have a debit or credit card.

If you qualify for Fair, you can submit a scanned copy of your driver’s license and wait for approval.

Select A Car

Once in the app, you may browse through Fair’s marketplace. You can filter cars by price, color, and distance.

Select your ideal vehicle type and review how much it is. The cheapest price should be below $200, depending on the vehicle type.

Expect Fair’s transparency with the cost during the check-in process.

Pay With Your Credit Card

Choose your payment plan for future months and opt-in for the insurance. Fair’s insurance covers bodily injury, property damage liability, and collisions.

You may also submit your personal insurance company if you don’t want to avail of Fair’s services.

Finally, sign for the car and pay with your credit card.

Pick the Car Up

Fair will guide you to the closest pick-up and drop-off locations.

You can get your car during regular business hours. There’s no need to wait for any paperwork. Fair does those for you!

Is Fair Worth It? [An Analysis]

Here’s our in-depth analysis of the Fair App.

Fair Car Rental Advantages

Based on customer reviews, Fair exceeds expectations when it comes to car quality. Most of the vehicles are second-hand, but they’re in good repair.

There’s also a fast processing time upon pick up, and the app is simple. It’s one of the best cheap car rentals because of the affordability and flexibility it offers.

We like that you don’t have to physically go to a dealership to see your options. You can select from within an app and see the transparent prices.

What’s more, Fair has lower prices. You spend an average of $300 to $400 on the app. In contrast, competitors like Hertz may cost you upwards of $1,000 per month!

These are Fair’s Advantages:

• Ideal for short-term renters
• Wider variety than traditional rental companies
• Straightforward customer experience

Fair Car Rental Disadvantages

Some users say they had a bad experience with customer service. Contacting Fair through email and in-app chat may be a lengthy process.

There may also be a lack of information on vehicle details because of the app’s simplicity. A usual negative Fair App review is that some cars may not have photos available.

Another downside is that Fair doesn’t offer delivery. You have to go to the dealership to pick your car up.

The three-day return policy may also be an issue. Fair starts the countdown upon signing, not upon pick-up.

These are some reasons why you may not want to go with Fair.

• High start fee
• Lack of information
• No delivery; you have to pick the car up from service locations

Fair vs. Traditional Renting vs. Leasing

Below is a comparative table between Fair, traditional renting, and leasing.

	Fair Car Rental	Traditional Renting	Leasing
Price	$300 to $400 per month	$500 to $600 per week	$540 per month
Commitment Level	Monthly renewals	Short-term daily renewals	Five to six years
Vehicle Variety	Car options across many dealerships	Limited to one dealership	Limited to one dealership

According to Nerdwallet, the average cost for traditional car renting is $500 to $600 per week. Meanwhile, auto leasing sets you back $540 per month.

Fair car rental is the most affordable option at $300 to $400 per month.

In addition, Fair is better in terms of suitability for different drivers. It can meet the needs of people looking for short-term and long-term rentals.

There’s also a wider variety of cars to choose from. You’re not limited to a single dealership unlike in traditional renting and auto leasing.

Tips for Getting the Best Out of Fair

How can you make the most out of your Fair car rental? Here are our top tips!

• Take Photos: Fair doesn’t tell you to take photos, but you should document the car’s condition upon receiving it. To avoid extra costs, take a photo of dents and scratches on the vehicle then send the images to Fair.
• Check the App Every Morning: The Fair App’s listings refresh every 24 hours. You may find better deals and even hybrid cars the morning of the following day!
• Ask Questions: Fair doesn’t provide information about the car’s history. You should ask the dealership about its warranty status and background details.
• Have Proof of Mileage: Another detail you should take a photo of is the mileage. Remember that Fair charges extra if you drive over 10,000 miles a year.
• Ask for Documentation: Fair may take up to 45 days to send you copies of the car’s registration. It’s best to get a temporary copy from the dealership.
• Rent for Longer: To make the most out of the Start Payment, you may want to rent for longer. Fair is perfect for those who need a car for 4 to 12 months!
• Call In: If you have any questions, it’s faster to call Fair than email them. Fair has competent customer service staff that can answer all your concerns.

The Best Fair Car Rental Alternative

As of 2024, Fair is restructuring and has yet to relaunch after encountering financial difficulties. The good news is that Fair’s founder, Scott Painter, established Autonomy.

Autonomy Car Subscription offers similar services as Fair Rental. What’s great about it is it has eco-friendly vehicles. Some choices of vehicles include the Tesla Model 3 and Y.

Prices start from $300 per month through Autonomy. You can download its app from the App Store or check out our other alternatives for rideshare car rental services!

Final Thoughts

Fair Car Rental is an innovative subscription service that offers flexibility and affordability. It’s amazing that you can rent a car with a few clicks on your smartphone.

We believe Fair makes having a car reachable for everyone. Of course, you should still weigh your options depending on your personal needs.

Hopefully, Fair will re-launch soon. In the meantime, you may try the electric vehicles that Fair’s founder offers over at Autonomy!