Definition:

“Car Rental Check-in enables customers or their agents to communicate the driver’s details prior to rental allowing for a speedier process at the rental location by reducing/limiting time at the rental counter and ensuring the health and safety of both the customer and staff”

Background:

As part of our 2021 plans and with health and safety still a priority, it was identified that car rental companies needed additional information once car rental booking is made in order process the rental and prepare the rental agreement (e.g., driving licence details) prior to rental pick up.  The aim is to limit time spent and contact at the car rental counter, essential in maintaining the health and safety of both customers and staff.     It would also be a means for car rental companies to communicate any new health and safety pledges and requirements directly to the customer.

The concept of a Car Rental Check-in, similar to airline/hotel check-in, enables car rental companies to speed up the rental process at the counter with minimal/reduced contact between staff and customer. This concept would use either existing XML connections or an API and would collect the minimum data/information needed to process the rental.   Further technical solutions, timeframes and prompts would be developed between the car rental companies and travel technical providers.

Scope:

ACRISS determined, with the help of its members, the minimum standards/requirement needed for travel technology providers to create a Car Rental Check-in path (web and or app) for car rental customers or TMCs/OTAs to use.  A customer or TMC/OTA would be able to provide all mandatory information (including drivers licence number) which would then be pushed to the service/tech provider and communicated to the car rental company.  This could be at time of booking or most likely in between booking and rental pick up with timeframes still to be determined.  
Examples of minimum standards requirements or data elements required for car rental check-in:

  • Reservation number
  • First and Last Name
  • Driving Licence details
  • Address
  • Email
  • Phone nbr
  • Date of Birth

Additional optional data might also be added to this list (Driver ID/profile) though it was agreed all mandatory data must be included in any solution. Variances by region and country will need to be factored in.
Use of Driver ID or Frequent member ID could be used to populate the required information and bypass the need to provide all mandatory data elements.    The requirements might vary by car rental company though all requirements mandated by law will be included.

Types of Car Rental Check-in:

  • Offline Check-in
    • At counter process
    • Traveler goes to the counter at Pick-up time
    • Car rental agent validates and confirms the reservation
    • Car is delivered
  • Hybrid Check-in
    • Online & at counter process
    • Before Pick-up (N days or hours before) traveler is contacted
    • Traveler's details are collected online
    • Traveler goes to the counter at Pick-up time
    • Car rental agent validates the documents and confirms the reservation
    • Car is delivered
  • Online Check-in
    • Full online process
    •  Consent and passenger details collected online, and document signed and submitted
    • Car rental validates documents online and confirms reservation
    • Car is delivered, could be contactless/keyless access (Skip the Counter)

For further information or interest in supporting Car Rental Check-in please contact ACRISS:  info@acriss.org