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If you're thinking of renting a car for an upcoming trip, and find the prices too expensive at traditional companies like Avis and Hertz, you'll be pleased to know that a number of nontraditional rental car companies have proliferated in recent years, which may offer better prices.
Some nontraditional companies operate like the Airbnb for cars, where people rent out their personal cars. When you’re exhausted by trying to find traditional rental cars, here are some of the biggest rental car alternatives to look into for your next trip. Just remember that whichever company you go with, booking with a credit card that offers complimentary car rental insurance can be a smart money move.
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One major advantage of these alternatives? Many let you skip the rental car counter entirely. According to the J.D. Power 2025 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, customers who bypass the counter save nearly eight minutes on average and report significantly higher satisfaction scores (704 vs. 662 on a 1,000-point scale). Despite these benefits, 80% of airport rental customers still visit the counter first — meaning there's a real opportunity to improve your rental experience by going counterless when possible.
Though not all of these are necessarily a win for your pocketbook, a handful also double as a cheap alternative to a car rental — making their broad attraction even more appealing for travelers.
1. Turo
What it is: Turo is basically the Airbnb for cars, where you rent out a car — booked online or through the Turo app — from the car’s owner. You usually pick up the car at a pickup location, which could be the owner’s house, or a public area like a park or shopping center. Turo certainly has its pros and cons, but it can be one of the best ways to rent a car if you don't want to g with traditional car rental agency.
Some owners offer the option to deliver the car to you (usually for an additional fee), which can be handy if you'd like them to meet you at the airport or your hotel.
There are also a few cars that offer a feature called Turo Go, where you can unlock the car via an app, allowing you to start the trip without ever meeting your host.
Turo can also be fun for aspirational travelers given how it prominently highlights its selection of unique cars. That's through a feature rolled out in June 2024 called limitless search. If you're interested in a particular vehicle, limitless search allows you to find where in the world that specific make and model is available for rent.
Minimum age: 21 for most trips and car types, although some cars can be booked at age 18 with an additional young-driver fee.
Why we like it: The option to have your car delivered is especially handy — and a potential money saver. We tested Turo on a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. The trip started at a fancy resort with expensive parking, so taking a cab to the hotel and staying a couple of nights on the resort grounds, sans car, was fine. When it was time to drive to the other side of the island, we had our Turo host meet us at our hotel, so we never had to pay exorbitant hotel parking prices. After the trip, we were able to leave the car at the airport, making drop-off convenient.
Cancellation policy: You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before your trip.
Potential drawbacks: Since you’re renting the car directly from the owner, quality may vary. With a rental car, you’re generally guaranteed to have a fairly new, just-washed car. Since Turo cars are owned by regular people, the car’s condition is a bit of a gamble.
2. Uber Rent
What it is: Uber Rent is the ride-sharing company's car rental service that brings delivery directly to you. The service allows users to have a rental car dropped off at their home, office or hotel, eliminating the need to visit a rental counter or pickup location.
Availability: In 2025, the service rolled out to 15 additional US cities, including Dallas, Phoenix, Charlotte and Las Vegas, bringing the total to 24 cities nationwide.
Why we like it: The biggest advantage is convenience. Unlike Zipcar, which requires you to pick up cars at designated parking spots, or Turo, where delivery is an optional extra that varies by owner, Uber Rent's core offering is having cars come straight to you. This means no waiting at rental car counters and no coordinating pickup logistics.
Potential drawbacks: The main limitation is geographic availability. With service in only 24 cities, Uber Rent isn't an option for travelers in many parts of the country. If you're outside these cities, you'll need to consider other alternatives.
3. Zipcar
What it is: Zipcar, which actually shares the same parent company as both Avis and Budget, allows you to book rental cars by the hour or day. The cars are usually parked in small lots or designated Zipcar parking spaces around the city, and can be unlocked via the Zipcar app. When you’re done with the trip, just return it to the same place.
Minimum age: 21 (or 18 if a student or where required by law).
Why we like it: Zipcar provides the best of both worlds. You can pick up cars all around your city for hourly intervals, enabling you the flexibility to rent a car for day trips without worrying about paying for overnight parking. And, since the cars are operated by Zipcar, you can almost guarantee high-quality cars (as opposed to renting from a person who owns the car and might not have cleaned or maintained it to traditional rental car standards).
Cancellation policy: You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before your trip for trips eight hours or longer, and you can cancel up to three hours before the trip for trips less than eight hours.
Potential drawbacks: You need to purchase a membership in order to actually rent Zipcars, and that’s on top of a bunch of other fees, including a one-time $25 application fee when you apply for membership.
» Learn more: The cheapest rental car company might surprise you
Credit cards with car rental insurance
Renting a car will most likely require you to put down a credit card, so it can be a smart money move to use a card that also provides car rental coverage. Some of these credit cards also offer extra rewards when booking car rental so it pays to be familiar with what card is best for booking your rental.
Here are a few cards that offer car rental coverage:
Cards with rental car benefits
Annual fee
$95.
$695.
$895.
$795.
Rental car benefits
• Primary rental car coverage with reimbursement up to the cash value of most rental vehicles.
• Booking a car rental through Chase's travel portal earns 5 points per dollar spent.
• Primary rental car coverage that reimburses up to $60,000 for most rental vehicles.
• Up to $100 in United TravelBank when you book Avis or Budget rental cars through United ($50 per reservation).
• Other day-of-travel benefits for United flyers including two free checked bags and United Club lounge access.
• Complimentary elite status with Avis, Hertz and National, which entitles the member to upgrades and discounts.
• Secondary rental car coverage.
• Other benefits include expansive airport lounge access and hundreds of dollars' worth of travel credits.
• Terms apply.
• Primary rental car coverage with reimbursement up to $75,000.
• Booking a car rental through Chase's travel portal earns 8 points per dollar spent.
• Cardholders eligible for special benefits from Avis, National and Silvercar.
Learn more
» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now
Popular rental car alternatives that are no more
The rental car alternative market has not been without its challenges. Getaround has a huge presence in Europe. But after struggling to take off in the U.S., Getaround shut down in February 2025. Another service, Kyte, shuttered in August 2025.
Even bigger names have failed to launch. Ride-sharing company Lyft tried its hand at car rentals through a service called Lyft Rentals. It launched in 2019, but by 2022 Lyft Rentals closed its doors.
And Audi had its own rental car service called Audi on Demand, which let you rent Audi sedans and SUVs from select Audi dealerships (plus a few other rental locations) across the country. The Audi on demand program ended in September 2024.
You still have car rental options that aren't traditional rental cars
The days of traditional rental car companies as your only way to hit the road are gone. And while some have come and gone, there are still plenty of car rental alternatives.
If you’re booking a trip and have found that traditional rental cars are booked out or just overpriced, don’t panic. One of these rental car alternatives might be exactly what you need to kick your vacation into gear. Regardless of which option you go with, since you'll need to use a credit card to book your rental, look for one that will also provide complimentary rental car insurance.
To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page.
Insurance Benefit: Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.
- Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
- Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
- Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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