Is Zipcar Worth It? – Review, Membership-Based City Car Share Program

Sign up for Zipcar and get a FREE $25 driving credit.

Zipcar offers city-dwellers a viable alternative to traditional car ownership. Its hundreds of hubs around the globe make it one of the world’s largest carsharing companies, and once you have a membership you can use its vehicles anywhere – including Europe. Like the locally based nonprofits it competes with, Zipcar is great for folks who don’t drive frequently. It’s also useful for travelers who want the peace of mind that comes with having on-demand access to a personal vehicle, but who don’t want to pay for – and park – a rental car.

Using Zipcar is a lot like renting a car. With your membership card, you reserve a vehicle and drive it for a predetermined period of time, eventually returning it to its original location. This is different from other ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft. These require you to use a mobile app to hail nearby drivers, who pick you up in their personal cars and take you to your destination – similar to how taxi companies operate.

How Zipcar Works

Zipcar offers membership plans through which you find, reserve, and drive its vehicles. Every Zipcar has a dedicated home location where you pick it up and return it after use. These are typically in parking lots near major business districts, hospitals, and universities. All told, Zipcar operates in about five dozen global cities and has separate partnerships with more than 100 North American universities.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Zipcar membership, you must satisfy the following requirements:

These rules may be different in Europe, so it’s best to check with your country-specific Zipcar site to confirm your eligibility. And Zipcar reserves the right to make individual determinations, meaning your application may be denied or approved even if you do or don’t meet these eligibility requirements.

Zipcar Application

To apply for a Zipcar membership, you need to provide some basic contact information, have a driver’s license and a credit card, and pay a modest application fee (usually $25).

If you’re a U.S. or Canadian driver, the process typically takes just a few hours. If you have a foreign driver’s license, you’ll need to use your passport, and the process will be a bit more involved. Before you apply for an individual account, check whether your organization has an existing account that you can piggyback on – many major universities do.

Once approved, you receive your membership card (Zipcard) within a week and can begin driving immediately thereafter. You can add co-drivers, such as family members, to your account at any time. They must also pass the driver background check, and pay the application fee and ongoing membership fees.

Reserving and Using a Zipcar

You can rent a Zipcar on an hourly or daily basis: as little as 30 minutes for one-way journeys and one hour for round-trip rentals, to as long as seven days for one-ways and round-trips. Through the company’s website or mobile app, you specify a start and end time for your reservation. You can begin your trip early if the car isn’t in use by another driver. If availability allows, you can reserve a car as late as 30 minutes before your desired start time – and you can reserve up to a year in advance.

For reservations less than eight hours, you can shorten or cancel up to three hours before the trip starts. For longer trips, you need to give 24 hours’ notice. If you fail to do so, you’re charged the full amount of the original reservation. You can extend your reservation at any time with no penalty, provided you don’t overlap with someone else’s booking.

To unlock the vehicle, tap your Zipcard to the windshield reader. Your trip’s meter starts running whenever you unlock the car, or at your reservation’s start time, whichever is earlier. Start the car with a regular key (usually hanging from the steering column) or a push-button starter, depending on the model. You can make as many stops as you like on your trip, but you continue to be charged until your reservation’s end time, even if you return the vehicle early.

When your trip is over, the company automatically charges your stored credit card. If you drive more than 180 miles in a given trip, you’re charged 45 cents for each additional mile. Zipcar pays for fuel and insurance on the vehicle, though you may be hit with a fee if you get a ticket, have an accident, fail to refill a low tank, or pass through a highway or bridge toll. If you return the vehicle late, you’re fined anywhere from $50 to $150, depending on how late you are.

Zipcar automatically gives you the best possible deal on your rental rate. This comes into play on longer rentals. For instance, the hourly rate on a 10-hour rental is usually higher than the daily rate.

Zipcar Membership Plans

Zipcar offers two membership plans for consumers: monthly or annual. Both offer the same basic features, but the annual plan is a bit cheaper — you basically get two months free each year. The $25 application fee applies either way.

Plan costs may vary by location, so check your local rates before signing up. (The pricing below is for Philadelphia, a representative major metro market.) Both plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee (free trial).

Students and faculty may get special pricing, sign-up credits, and other perks for joining Zipcar if there’s a lot at their university. Rates vary by place. Zipcar also has business plans for eligible large corporations.

Monthly Plan

The monthly plan costs $9 per month. Hourly rates start at $11 per hour for the first 180 miles per day, then $0.58 per mile after that, but depend on the vehicle you select. If you stay under 180 miles per day, your daily cost is capped starting at $83, again depending on the vehicle you select.

Annual Plan

The annual plan costs $90 per year, paid in advance. Hourly rates start at $11 per hour for the first 180 miles each day, then $0.58 per mile after that. Stay under 180 miles to cap your daily cost starting at $83.

Business Plan

Business plans come with a one-time activation fee ($75) and ongoing annual fees ($35 per driver). The hourly fee is around $9, and the per-day fee starts at $69 but can vary by location. You can use a single business credit card for the whole account or bill each driver separately.

Historical Plans

Zipcar once had two additional plans that were considerably more complex than the current lineup. For posterity, and in case they return, here the are:

Occasional Driving Plan

Usually came with a $25 application fee and $70 annual fee, prorated and refunded if you canceled before a year passes. Each co-driver cost an additional $35 per year, plus another $25 application fee. 

Weekday hourly rates for basic cars (non-luxury sedans and hatchbacks) typically ranged from $8 to $12, depending on the city. Weekend rates ranged from $7 to $11. Daily rates ranged from $60 to $90, depending on the city and time of week. 

For instance, the regular rate in Phoenix was $10 per weekday hour and $9 per weekend hour, compared to $79 per full weekday and $69 per full weekend day.

Extra Value Plans (EVPs)

Zipcar’s extra value plans required you to make a commitment to drive a certain amount each month. You prepaid for that amount, then paid as you went for anything beyond it.

All driving was discounted 10% relative to the regular rates in your location. EVPs came in $50, $75, $125, and $250 increments. With the $50 plan, you lost any unused prepaid time at the end of the month. The $75 plan let you roll over unused time for a single month.

For instance, if you only used $50 worth of drive time one month, you got $100 in prepaid driving the following month – but, if you still didn’t use the $25 that rolled over, you forfeited it at the end of the month.

The $125 and $250 plans let you roll over unused time for two months. 

Co-drivers didn’t cost extra (except the one-time application fee), and you shared the monthly commitment with them. You could generally switch from one EVP to another for a one-time (per change) fee of $25.

Possible Extra Fees

Zipcar users may incur extra fees depending on how they use the service and other factors. Young drivers pay a premium for membership, for example. Tolls, late returns, and other actions incur one-time fees as well. See Zipcar’s fee schedule for more details.

Key Features of Zipcar

Zipcar has some important features worth noting. Some are integral to the experience, others you may or may not encounter depending on how you use the service.

Zipcard

You need your Zipcard to open your reserved vehicle. If you lose it, you get one free replacement per year. It’s $15 for replacements after that.

Vehicle Selection

Zipcar’s vehicles range from subcompacts to SUVs. Typical models include the MINI Cooper subcompact, Toyota Prius hatchback, Nissan Frontier pickup, and Ford Escape SUV, but selection may vary by area. You can choose a particular model when you reserve the car. Keep in mind that luxury models and SUVs may cost more.

Vehicles With Hand Controls

For disabled members, Zipcar offers cars with hand controls. These vehicles aren’t available everywhere, and you do have to reserve them at least 24 hours in advance. In areas that don’t normally have hand-controlled vehicles, Zipcar asks for seven days’ notice.

Zipcar Hotline

Zipcar maintains dedicated, country-specific hotlines for membership questions, accident and ticket reporting, and reservations.

Zipcar App and Reservation System

You can use the Zipcar app to manage your account’s billing information, find your nearest home location, and reserve a vehicle. You can also call Zipcar’s hotline to make a reservation, but this costs $3.95 per use.

Home Location

Every Zipcar lives in a specific parking area, such as a parking garage, surface lot, or street with parallel parking spots. Zipcar marks its reserved spaces with green signs or green paint on the curb or asphalt. 

To complete your round-trip reservation, you must return your vehicle to the area you picked it up. If there’s more than one Zipcar-marked space in the home area, you can park it in any one. You can return one-way Zipcars to any space in your designated destination lot. If you don’t return the car to the proper home area, you’re charged a hefty fine (typically $150).

Insurance

Every Zipcar is covered by an insurance policy that includes bodily injury coverage of $300,000 (max) per accident, property damage coverage of $25,000 per incident, and personal injury protection (PIP) in the minimum amount mandated by the car’s home jurisdiction.

If you’re involved in an accident, you’re automatically charged a $1,000 damage fee, which functions as the policy’s deductible. All limits and deductibles are subject to change.

Fuel Card

Every Zipcar has its own prepaid fuel card that you can use to fuel up – you’re obligated to do so if the tank drops below 25% capacity on your trip. If the card doesn’t have enough money on it, Zipcar credits your account.

Additional Fees

Under certain circumstances, Zipcar may bill you for fees unrelated to driving. In addition to fines for getting into an accident and parking in a non-approved parking area, you can be charged for:

• Not refueling ($30)
• Losing the ignition key ($75)
• Returning the car after your reservation ends ($50 to $150, depending on how late)
• Smoking or having a non-kenneled pet in the vehicle ($50, plus cleaning costs)

If you cancel a reservation after the designated window closes, you’re charged the full cost of your reservation. Fees may vary by jurisdiction and over time, so check ahead with Zipcar before you go.

Other Drivers

If you’re riding with another Zipcar member, you can share driving responsibilities with no restrictions. If the vehicle is involved in an accident or moving violation, the person driving at the time is liable.

Hourly-Only Vehicles

A limited number of Zipcars are only available for hourly use (at the same hourly rate as other Zipcars). These are designed for short trips, such as grocery runs, and can’t be reserved for longer than a full day. The Zipcar app indicates which cars are available for this purpose.

Advantages of Zipcar

Zipcar has a lot of selling points. It’s flexible, affordable, and widely available, among other benefits. Here’s why you might want to join.

• Affordable for many trips. Zipcar is often more affordable than its competition. Though prices vary slightly by location, a typical weekday reservation costs between $7 and $10 per hour, or between $60 and $90 per day. With base fees, per-mile, and per-minute charges, Uber and Lyft are more expensive than Zipcar for trips of any length.
• Wide variety of available vehicles. Zipcar has a much wider selection of vehicles than most neighborhood carsharing services, including SUVs and hatchbacks. Local carsharing services, such as Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Hourcar, are often nonprofits that place a premium on efficiency – specializing in Prius hatchbacks and gas-powered subcompacts – and thus choose not to offer larger vehicles.
• Some Zipcars have hand controls. Zipcar’s selection of vehicles with hand controls makes it friendly for members who can’t drive a regular car. This is a vital accessibility feature that isn’t common elsewhere in the carsharing space.
• The app functions as an extra pair of keys. Zipcar’s app functions as a second set of car keys. If you’re logged into the app, you can unlock the vehicle from anywhere without returning to it – and you can leave the keys in the car without worrying about locking them in.
• More widely available than other carsharing options. Zipcar is more widely available than many of its competitors. In particular, its university-centric network brings the company to cities that might not normally be able to support a carsharing service, such as Moscow, Idaho (University of Idaho) and Iowa City (University of Iowa). Many small university towns, which have relatively high populations of car-less students, don’t even have a nonprofit carsharing alternative.
• You can drive in any country where Zipcar operates. If you travel to another country, and you’re legally allowed to drive there, you can use its Zipcar network.
• The reservation system reduces uncertainty and extra costs. Since you can reserve your Zipcar for a set period of time, you don’t have to worry about a vehicle being unavailable when you need it – either before or during your trip. You don’t pay extra for this privilege – the car is simply yours.

Disadvantages of Zipcar

Zipcar’s principal downsides include the designated parking area requirements, unavoidable membership costs, and restrictions on young drivers (which can affect users associated with colleges and universities).

• You must return to a designated parking area. Every Zipcar has a home location, such as a surface lot or parking garage, that can’t be changed by users. While you don’t necessarily have to return your Zipcar to its home lot – one-way rentals offer added flexibility – you do have to return it to a Zipcar lot. Your reservation isn’t complete until you do so; you’ll face hefty fines and possibly other penalties for leaving your Zipcar on the street This restriction makes it impossible to use a Zipcar on point-to-point trips that don’t involve a second Zipcar lot.
• Membership isn’t free. No matter what membership plan you use, you either need to pay a monthly or annual fee, or commit to a certain amount of driving per month. By contrast, ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft only charge you for the rides you take.
• You can’t take spontaneous trips. Before your trip, you need to reserve a specific Zipcar and choose start and end times for your reservation at least half an hour in advance. You can’t just spontaneously hop into a car and drive away. This requires some pre-trip planning.
• Membership is more restrictive for young people. To be eligible for a Zipcar membership, you must be 21 years old, or a student at least 18 years of age at an affiliated university, even if you have a spotless driving record. This rules out membership for young people who aren’t enrolled at the major universities that Zipcar typically works with.

Is Zipcar Legit?

Yes, Zipcar is legit. It has hundreds of thousands of members in dozens of cities in the United States (and beyond). it’s popular with university students, corporate travelers, city governments, and other high-volume users.

How Zipcar Stacks Up

Zipcar doesn’t have much competition in the carsharing business anymore, at least not at the national level. But it’s also not the only game in town for mostly car-free folks who need personal rides every once in a while.

So let’s see how Zipcar stacks up against its two principal foes: the traditional rental car model and the ride-hailing model popularized by Uber and Lyft.

Final Word

If you don’t need to drive your car frequently or for long distances, a carsharing service such as Zipcar is a viable alternative to traditional car ownership. That said, though Zipcar is affordable, widely available, and user-friendly, it can’t do everything a wholly owned vehicle can.

Depending on where you live, it’s probably best to pair a Zipcar membership with other transportation options, such as cycling, walking, and public transit. Still, the service offers one thing that these other options don’t: the freedom to hit the open road when you want – and go where you want.

Sign up for Zipcar and get a FREE $25 driving credit.