Key Takeaways
- Getaround enables car owners rent out their vehicles via an app, differing from typical rideshare services.
- Setup is simple – list cars, create profiles with photos, and install ‘Getaround Connect’ for keyless rentals.
- Getaround offers insurance and damage reimbursement for every rental trip.
- Hosts can use ‘Getaround Connect’ for remote access or ‘Key Exchange’ for personal key handoffs.
- Income depends on car type, rental frequency, and location; owners report varied earnings.
Today, there are a host of ridesharing opportunities available for car owners who want to earn money on the side.
Getaround is one such car-sharing service, but unlike similar services like Uber, Lyft, or even Zipcar, this service has a twist.
If you’re a car owner who doesn’t need to use their car often, you can rent your vehicle to strangers in your town via the Getaround app and earn from it.
In this article, we share helpful information about how this service works and how you can earn via the app.
- What’s Different About Getaround?
- How Getaround Works for Car Sharers
- Steps to Get Started on the Getaround App
- Keeping Your Car Safe as a Getaround Car Owner
- Does Getaround Offer Renters’ Insurance?
- Can I Use Getaround Cars for Uber?
- Is there a Mileage Limit for Getaround Cars?
- How Much Can You Earn With Getaround?
- Final Thoughts
What’s Different About Getaround?
Getaround allows members on the platform to rent out their vehicles to people who need a car to get around their city.
Through the platform, people in need of a vehicle can request a car and find one close to their location within minutes.
Getaround differs from its ridesharing competitors, Uber, Lyft, Turo, and others, in that, as the car owner, you don’t have to wait to get requests to drive a passenger around. You just need to give the renters your car key and they’ll be on their way.
It’s the ideal service for people who have vehicles they can rent for personal trips without becoming their chauffeurs.
Getaround is the perfect ridesharing alternative for people who are too occupied to offer rides for several hours but would still like to make money with their vehicles.
If you’re not the type of person who likes interactions with strangers, Getaround makes it easy to hand your vehicle to the person who places the order without having to socialize with them.
Think about it like an Airbnb service, but instead of renting out your home, you hand over the keys to your cars for a short time — typically between a day and one week.
There’s no restriction to the number of cars you can list on the platform. Whether you’re a single car owner or a company that wants to rent out a fleet of cars, the app can serve your needs.
Brett’s Take: Thoughts From an Expert
While not entirely passive, hosting on Getaround requires less effort than a full-time job.
As a host, expect to do routine tasks like managing the car’s location, maintaining cleanliness, and interacting with renters.
The most successful hosts treat their Getaround operation like a business, thinking strategically about car placement, customer service, and return on investment.
While you can hire somebody to rent and maintain your vehicle, I suggest doing it yourself – at least at the beginning – to establish procedures that work for you and to maintain quality control.
Steps to Get Started on the Getaround App
If you’re ready to get paid for sharing your car with others, here’s how to get started on the app:
1. Sign Up and Give Your Car a Name
Signing up to Getaround is simple.
Fill in your details in the sign-up form and provide details about your vehicle, such as the car type, year of manufacture, mileage, and the city you live in.
You can check here for a list of requirements for eligible Getaround cars.
Use the app’s car manager to create a detailed profile of your vehicle, showing it off with the most appealing pictures possible to attract more renters.
If you have more than one vehicle, list each car under a separate profile with the car manager tool.
Each car listing costs about $100 to set up and $20 monthly afterward. The company will charge you for your listing after the car is ready for booking.
3. Install the Car Unlock Device “Getaround Connect”
Getaround Connect is a proprietary hardware device developed by the company to help keep your car safe from intruders or unverified drivers.
Once the above stages are complete, Getaround will contact you to plan the installation of this device — it’s free.
The Getaround Connect technology is hidden and connected to your car’s dashboard and allows guests to unlock your car with their phone, even in your absence.
4. Start Receiving Bookings
After Getaround conducts an identity check, a full inspection of your car, and installs the necessary technology, you can enable bookings and start receiving requests.
If you approve the request, drivers can start renting your car for trips. You’ll receive your pay for each rental in your bank after 5 working days.
Brett’s Take: Thoughts From an Expert
Many hosts compare Getaround with Turo. Some prefer Turo, citing better control over pricing and perceived better customer quality.
I suggest looking into both, as one might be better suited for you over the other. While they are the same, each platform has its own set of challenges and benefits.
Getaround Sharing Options
Getaround offers car owners multiple options to ensure their satisfaction when renting out their cars. There are two ways to share your cars to your advantage on the platform.
1. Getaround Connect
This option is for owners who have the Connect technology installed in their vehicles.
It’s the preferred option for most owners because it allows them to rent and earn often, even without meeting the people who requested the ride. It’s great for when you’re out of town or at work.
Here’s how the technology works in detail:
- Drivers book your vehicle from their Connect app. After getting to the car, they can use the app to unlock the car.
- Getaround will verify every driver’s identity beforehand. Rest assured that you’re handing over your car to a vetted individual. They’ll be able to unlock your car only after completing a thorough photo inspection.
- Once your car is on the road, the device gives you updates about the car’s fuel levels, mileage, location, trips taken, and the overall safety of your vehicle.
- You may also be happy to know that the installation of the device doesn’t affect your car’s warranty, and it’s reversible too.
In short, this is a highly scalable feature within the Getaround app that frees up the host’s time.
2. Key Exchange
This option is perfect for people who wish to rent out their cars only occasionally.
If you choose this sharing option, you’ll have to meet with the renters on every check-in and check-out date to drop your keys off and sign the rental agreement.
It’s a good option for sharing cars in areas where Getaround Connect isn’t available.
Brett’s Take: Thoughts From an Expert
As an avid user of peer-to-peer carsharing platforms, I pretty much exclusively look for rentals with contactless pickup.
When I land in a new city, I don’t want to have to coordinate a pickup and potentially have to wait around for the host to arrive. Instead, I look for airport rentals that have the keys inside.
I am not alone in this. Many other users also feel the same.
Scheduling isn’t a huge deal under normal circumstances, but it sure can make renting a vehicle incredibly painful in the cases of early/delayed flights.
Trust me… if you can rely on contactless pickups and dropoffs, and then have some way of verifying quality of the vehicle on your own time – without having to be there, you’ll save many headaches.
Keeping Your Car Safe as a Getaround Car Owner
Although rare, there are instances where thieves have broken into Getaround Connect cars and stolen them, or renters damaged the car while in their possession.
While there’s little you can do to avoid issues like these, participating in the Getaround review process can help eliminate such drivers subsequently.
Another advantage to this is that Getaround will offer reimbursement if renters return your car in a poor state.
You could get a reimbursement if the renter:
- Smoked in your car
- Misplaced or damaged items in your car
- Returned the car covered in filth
- Returned the car late
- Returned the car to the wrong location
- Got a speeding or parking ticket while using your car
Your renters’ insurance may also help to cover dire situations like accidents.
Brett’s Take: Thoughts From an Expert
While there are many good renters on peer-to-peer carsharing platforms, there are also quite a few bad eggs. The forums are FILLED with people ranting about bad renters.
Common cases that I hear pretty often are renters disabling, removing, or tampering with tracking devices within the vehicles. Or, simply not cleaning the vehicle once it has been returned.
Alternatively, the saying “drive it like I rental” couldn’t hold truer. Many people expect Getaround hosts to be deep-pocketed corporations where damage to vehicles is just part of the rental process.
They oftentimes don’t realize that hosts are regular people who might just have an extra vehicle they make money renting.
I suggest having a GREAT insurance policy, for this reason. Normal wear-and-tear is to be expected, but when things really go wrong, you’ll need a policy you can rely on.
Does Getaround Offer Renters’ Insurance?
Yes, it does. Car owners are supposed to pay a 40% commission to Getaround as part of the company’s terms of operation.
This commission partially pays for insurance. In effect, it functions like an auto insurance policy, provided by a company called Broadspire.
For every active trip, the policy covers both you and the renter. For any incident during the trip, the renter is responsible for paying you $1,000.
For high-priced cars ($80,000 and up), new cars, exotic cars, or classic cars, this damage fee goes up to about $2,500.
Can I Use Getaround Cars for Uber?
Yes, you can. If you don’t own a car and would like to drive for Uber, Getaround offers an Uber partnership that can make this happen. Uber must first verify you’re fit to drive for them.
To get a verification, you need to apply to drive for Uber, undergo a background check, and provide valid IDs and licenses.
Once cleared, log in to Getaround and book a car that’s listed under the “Drive with Uber” section of the Getaround app. You must choose cars that are listed under this category to avoid getting banned from the program.
Sadly, this Getaround x Uber partnership is only available in Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, and several other cities, for now.
Is there a Mileage Limit for Getaround Cars?
Yes, the base mileage for each trip is calculated based on the car type and the duration of its rental.
- For standard cars, the mileage is set at 20 miles per hour and a maximum of 200 miles a day.
- For specialty cars, it’s 10 miles per hour with a limit of 100 miles daily.
Renters who exceed this limit will pay an extra charge to cover the maintenance fees.
- For standard cars, the payment charged to the driver is $0.50 for every extra mile. However, Getaround will pay you, as the owner, $0.30 per mile.
- For specialty cars, the payment is $5 per mile, but the company will pay you $3 of that figure.
How Much Can You Earn With Getaround?
There isn’t a fixed figure that all car owners can earn via Getaround. Earnings vary based on the car type you’ve listed, the number of hours you put your car up for rent, and how well you maximize Getaround promotions.
Users of the platform on Reddit claim they’ve made between $800 – $1000 (monthly) on the platform in previous years but have noticed a significant decline in earnings in 2023.
Many factors may have contributed to this decline, including the quality of the driver’s car compared to other listed cars, their location, and more.
Final Thoughts
Getaround makes it easy for vehicle owners to earn from their cars when they don’t need to use them themselves.
Thanks to the secure Getaround Connect technology, your car will be placed in vetted hands and returned to you as scheduled.
Sign up using the steps listed in the article and start accepting bookings today!
