Over the past two decades, we’ve seen a lot of changes in the car rental industry.
With the introduction of P2P car sharing, we just have to say goodbye to the old days of having to wait in a long line, do several paperwork, and make hefty payments to rent a single car.
However, while you might want to choose a P2P car sharing company instead of a traditional car rental, you also want to get the very best.
This article covers a deep comparison between Gig car and Zipcar, one of the few well-known car-sharing companies.
Gig car vs Zipcar: Introduction
Zipcar has been in the Car sharing business, long before Gig car. The company was established way back in 2000. It was, however, acquired by Avisbudget group, a group of companies behind one of the most successful car rentals in the United States, in 2013.
Due to Zipcar’s pricing method of rate by time, it was able to garner millions of people into its system.
On the other hand, we have Gig car a product of AAA, a federation of motor clubs throughout North America founded in 2017.
Now, how do you think these two companies measure up?
For comprehensibility, we’d be comparing these two car-sharing companies (Gig car and Zipcar), based on the following criteria:
- Availability
- Requirements
- Pricing
- Flexibility
- Customer Service
Availability:
Before going into a detailed comparison of these two car-sharing brands, it is best we analyze how available both of them are in strategic locations.
Because, as a matter of fact, it is a waste of time to make a choice, all to find out that your choice isn’t available in your location.
Starting from Zipcar…
Zipcar is only available to countries in Europe, Northern America, and Southern America. This means that if you’re located in Africa, Australia, or Asia, you can’t use Zipcar, and you might just have to look over to Gig car.
Undermining this, Zipcar’s location is a more diverse compared to Gig car.
Digging deep into Zipcar locations within its eligible continents, below is a list of countries Zipcar is available in:
- Austria
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Spain
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United State
It’s worth mentioning that Zipcar is located across 500 cities and towns in urban areas and university campuses.
On the other hand, Gig car is only located in the United States, more specifically, 3 states in the United States which include:
- Bay Area
- Sacramento
- Seattle
Obviously, Zipcar has an upper hand here.
Flexibility
So what platform, between Zipcar and GIg car make up the based on the “flexiblity” criteria.
Getting into these car rentals are typically the same as most other car sharing platform.
Firstly, you have to get registered by going through some verification process which involves submitting some essential documents like driving license, passport photo, name, email address, etc.
Afterward, you get access to the platform, where you can find available cars in your location.
However, Zipcar requires users to pay an upfront $25 application fee before they can be allowed to get into the app properly.
On the other hand, Gig car is totally free, when starting out.
In the sense of flexibility, one other thing to consider is how the picking and dropping off system in these car sharing companies work.
For Zipcar, it operates based on two return systems:
- Roundtrip (Default)
- Flex
On the roundtrip, which is the normal system in the company, when you pick a car, you have to drop it off in the same location where you picked it from.
To have more flexibility, you’ll have to book a “Flex” trip, which allows you to drop off at other drop locations eligible for flex. However, it cost more.
Gig car, on the other hand, uses a system called “Home Zone.”
Just like in Zipcar, after picking a car from a certain home zone, you’re required to return it to that same Home zone.
However, better, Gig car’s home zone is wide in distance, hence more flexibility.
Requirements
There’s no point analyzing any of the car sharing if you can’t satisfy their requirements. After all, your goal is to get the best of them and give it a try.
Starting from Zipcar…
Zipcar’s requirement list is divided into two set; students and everyone else.
For students aspiring Zipcar:
- You must be up to 18 years of age
- Have no trace of moving violation or accident
- Have a driving license of up to a year plus
- Have had No alcohol or drug-related violations
For everyone else:
- You must be up to 21 years of age
- Have a driving license of up to a year plus
- Have no major violation in the past 3 year
- Have not broken any laws relating to drugs or alcohol in the last seven years.
In the case of Gig car, you are basically required to provide just a credit card, a driver’s license, and be up to 18 years. This is less of a hassle compared to Zipcar.
Pricing
When it comes to the pricing of Gig car and Zipcar, they operate on a totally different pricing model.
Zipcar’s pricing is majorly dependent on the city you reside.
And just like most car-sharing companies, you can choose to rent a car by the hour or by the day (which are typically more economical).
You are prone to have a different rate per hour, depending on the type of car you choose.
For instance, if you go for a large vehicle or SUV, your charge should start from 10 per hour
It’s also worth mentioning that you’re required to pay an application fee of $25 before getting into Zipcar. And you’d also need to keep up with a monthly fee of $7 to stay on the platform, regardless of whether you book a car or not. Note that you can switch it to an annual fee, if you choose to.
To find out more about Zipcar pricing, do well to read this article.
Gig car, on the other hand, is more straightforward and a lot cheaper when it comes to pricing.*
There’s no application fee, as well as a monthly fee. You’ll need to pay an access fee of $1 for every ride you take.
Note that your renting rate would vary slightly based on your renting location. These locations include; Seattle, Bay Area, and Sacramento.
On average, below are the fee you pay per hour:
- Seatle: $19.99
- Bay Area: $18.99
- Sacramento: $18.99
Note that, Zipcar
Final Thoughts
Zipcar and Gig car are all good options if you plan locally renting a car to avoid unnecessary costs, as supposed in an established car rental company. Choosing between both all depends on your preference and needs.
If you need to use it across just 3 states, you might want to choose Zipcar. But, for instance, you want something cheaper, Gig car is the way to go.
