One of the industries heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was the rental car industry.
In 2020, there was a steep drop in revenue of about 27.4%.
With the decline, many rental car companies sold off their inventory.
Ready to take up the reins was Uber with their new Uber Rent program, which includes partnerships with Hertz and Avis, among others.
Key Takeaways
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What Are Uber Rental Cars?
This is yet another line to the many Uber services offered to customers.
Users 21 years of age and older can easily rent a car directly through Uber with the Uber Rent program.
You can use these for short trips around town or long road trips.
With a few simple taps on your phone, you can reserve a rental car, pay for it, and schedule your pickup, making it easier than ever to rent a car.
Benefits of Renting a Car With Uber
Aside from the many benefits of using a rental car for your drive, there are additional perks for renting through Uber.
1. Convenience
Through Uber, you can rent a car with various rental options.
Use the Uber app to place your reservation for a rental car.
Then, you can use the vehicle and return it to the rental location when you’re done.
2. Uber Cash Promotion
For a limited time, you can get Uber Cash rewards for using Uber Rent.
The Uber Cash can be applied to your budget for Uber rides and rentals, making it easier and more affordable to get transportation.
With your Uber Cash, you can set a budget and pre-pay for your rentals ahead of time.
3. Uber Valet
One of the best Uber Rent is Uber Valet.
With Uber Valet, you can have your rental brought directly to your doorstep rather than sitting at a rental car counter, making it easier and more convenient to get moving.
This valet service is available for a small additional delivery fee.
When you finish with your rental car, a driver meets you to take the car back.
Instead of fighting in car rental lines or figuring out how you’ll get from there to your house, you can have the ease and convenience of this valet option.
How Do Uber Rental Cars Work?
The process of Uber Rent is straightforward.
It’s just three easy steps:
1. Book Your Vehicle
Tap the ‘Rent’ icon and complete your reservation all within the Uber app.
Here, you can choose to pay in advance, which will save you money, or choose to pay at the rental location.
If you pay in advance, you can use your Uber Cash to pay for or offset your balance.
2. Pick up Your Vehicle.
You have two options: go to the rental location or use Uber Valet to pick up your car.
If you choose to pick up at the rental location, arrive at your specified reservation time.
Don’t forget to bring your driver’s license and credit card.
Uber also offers $10 off an Uber ride-share ride to the rental location if you reserve your rental through them.
3. Return Your Vehicle
Head out on your trip.
Whether you’re renting to drive ride-share, take a road trip, or just run errands for the day, you are in control.
When you’re done, return the car to the location or use Uber Valet to have a driver come pick it up for you.
That’s it!
You’ve just had the easiest rental car experience of your life, thanks to the magic of Uber.
Check out the other current Uber promotions being offered to customers.
How Much Do Uber Rental Cars Cost?
The base price for Uber Rent is $180 per week.
After 75 rides, that cost goes to $0, meaning you could drive for free if you rent for enough weeks.
Remember, this base price doesn’t include the extra fees or add ons that you might need.
So, as a ride-share driver, you could make money without paying for your car if you rent enough times.
This pricing offers flexibility for ride-share drivers who only want to work a couple of days a week.
Let’s give an example.
You want to drive ride-share Wednesday and Thursday, saving the rest of the week to go live your life.
In less than a year of using Uber Rent, you could be renting your ride-share vehicle for free and still bring in money.
Uber Rental Car Pricing vs. Going Direct
One of the reasons to rent a car through Uber Rent is the deal you get on your rental car.
For example, a week-long rental through Enterprise, a top rental partner of Uber, has a base rate of $215, not including fees or add-on expenses.
If you rent a car for one week every month, that means you’d save about $420 every year just by reserving your car through Uber Rent rather than going direct.
Remember that many partners prefer a credit card.
Some will accept a debit card, but you should call ahead to make sure.
Uber Car Rental Insurance
Unfortunately, accidents happen, and the way a driver is protected is through insurance.
It’s essential to know whether the car you’re driving has insurance, and luckily, the Uber Rent cars do.
Do the Vehicles Come with Insurance?
Yes!
Each of the third-party car rental companies includes insurance with their rentals.
Additionally, the cars’ maintenance is covered, so you can drive with the assurance that you’re driving the safest car possible.
Should I Purchase Additional Insurance for Uber Rentals?
While all the Uber Rent vehicles include basic liability auto insurance with your reservation, some drivers purchase additional insurance when making their reservations.
This decision costs extra but can provide more protection in an accident.
You should consider whether you’re willing to pay the amount you are responsible for if the vehicle is damaged versus whether you’re ready to spend money for insurance you may not use.
Are Uber Rental Cars Safe?
Generally speaking, rental cars are seen as an incredibly safe form of travel.
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. conducted a Renter’s Sentiment report in April and May 2020.
Their report found that six out of ten drivers stated they find car rentals to be safe.
This is striking when you compare it with the following safest form of travel: air travel.
The report showed travelers find air travel the following safest form of travel, with 24% saying they found it was safe.
One of the benefits of using an Uber Rent car is that you are driving a regularly maintained vehicle.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also subjected to regular cleaning to maintain health and safety standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you still have questions, don’t fret!
We have more answers about uber rental cars.
What Happens to Uber Rent Cars When Uber Is Done with Them?
Typically, once a car has been a rental car for a certain period, merchants sell it within the marketplace.
You can find these cars available at used car dealerships, typically for a great price despite their recent production.
The reduced price often results from the increased mileage.
Is a Rental Car Business Profitable?
If you choose to use Uber Rent to build a ride-share business, it’s essential to understand your rental costs as overhead.
If you have a $260 weekly rental, you’ll need to do enough rides to make up that cost before you start making a profit.
The average Uber driver makes about $18 per hour.
That means you would have to drive at least 12 to 13 hours every week to break even.
Any additional hours you go would be profit.
Why Did Uber Get into the Rental Car Space?
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel was put on hold for everybody.
To make up for their lost profits, rental car companies sold off their inventory, leading to a shortage of rental cars.
In turn, this gave Uber the chance to expand its car-based travel enterprise to include car rentals.
Indeed, this will attract new customers while also making it easier for people to become ride-share drivers because they don’t need to use their cars.
This also makes it easier to rent out your car to make more money passively.
Wrapping Up
Whether you want to take a road trip to San Francisco or just need to get around town, Uber Rent is an option worth considering in many major cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Chicago.
With accessible financial terms and the flexibility you need, Uber Rent can give you the options you want.
As a ride-share driver, it also offers the benefit of rental terms that can eventually have you earning money without having to pay for your car.
So, start schlepping the kids to practice and go pick up the groceries.
You can do it all with Uber Rent.
Hi Brett,
Reading through your article I found a few things that are new to me regarding Uber. I’ve been driving for Uber for a few years now and really don’t want to continue adding extra miles to my own vehicle , so thinking about renting through Uber. You mentioned a few things in your article that I’m not familiar with.
1. Uber cash…Uber rewards renters?
2. After 75 rides, that cost goes to $0, meaning you could drive for free if you rent for enough weeks.
I live in Michigan so just wondering these perks are only available in other States.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Jan
What are the additional fees/policies for drivers under 25? Traditional car rental services add a surcharge for drivers under 25 or require additional insurance. Does Uber have similar policies?
Thanks for the article it was very helpful! I have a couple of questions though. If I sign up as a ride-share driver, do I HAVE to use the rental for ride-share or can I use it for Uber Eats delivery’s as well? Is there any penalty for not using the rental for ride-sharing at all and just for Uber Eats or other errands? Thanks again for the help!
Not easy not convenient I spent 4 hours of my time plus transportation to and from to end up without the car I reserved it’s a sham there is no reservation it’s first come first serve but that’s even questionable. I counted at least a dozen teslas when they said they were out and the people that work there are not helpful at all worst program I’ve ever seen Uber continues to be clueless on how to treat those who bring in the money
Great article! Thank you for that.
I have a couple questions. Are the rentals done only by week?
Other rental car companies allow you to drop off the vehicle at any of their other locations across the states. Does Uber also have this handy policy?
Finally, do you pay for miles plus returning it with a full tank? What is the average cost per mile?
Thank you for your time!
Hi Brett so who pays for the fuel?
How much does it initially cost when you first go pick up the rental to use for weekly use through Uber , I was recently working about 8-12 hours a day 5-7 days a week and a lady pulled out on me and now my whole front tire is destroyed so I have to get that repaired before I can get on the road again , but how much would it instally cost when I first walk in to get the rental how much would I have to put down ? I know there’s different options but on the app it says they start at 260 and go up to 334 when you get the Tesla the best option I’m guessing , but again if I were to get the 260$ weekly rental how much would I have to put down when I first go pick it up ? Or am I able to pick it up and when I get the money on my uber card will they be able to just take it right off of that instead of putting money out when I first get there to rent the vehicle ? I live check to check so it’s kind of hard to put out 200-500$ jus to get a rental to get back on the road and pay the weekly that’s why I’m curious, my car is being fixed in the meantime but I cant have my life on pause because some 75 year old woman wants to pull out on me and her insurance wasn’t even up to date but you know everyone takes her side because she’s a little old granny and I’m a 31 year old male… So if you could tell me how much would it cost to walk in and rent a car and get right back on the road to work Uber , or if they can take the money out of my uber account when I get back on the road and at the end of the week take out the money ? I don’t know how it works that’s why I’m asking because I just put the money out to get my tire fixed and I’m close to being flat broke again so wouldn’t have the money to put out when I first go get the rental but will be able to pay it off in literally 48 hours.. well less then that but Uber only lets ya work 12 hours max a day wit the 6 hour break gap in between.