CarRentals.com

What CarRentals.com does

CarRentals.com is an online car rental search engine and price comparison marketplace that allows consumers to search, compare, and book rental vehicles from a curated set of third-party rental suppliers. Founded in 1998 and operated as a subsidiary brand of Expedia, Inc. — a Washington corporation within Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) — the platform aggregates inventory from more than twenty car rental brands including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Sixt, Dollar, Europcar, Payless, Ace Rent A Car, Advantage Rent-A-Car, Fox Rent a Car, and others across both core and minor strategic tiers. Travelscape, LLC is named as a wholly-owned operating subsidiary within the same corporate group.

The core technology stack is Expedia Group's online travel booking platform, comprising a comparison search engine, reservation management system, and customer-facing web and mobile interface with self-service online booking supplemented by phone-based reservation support. The platform supports both "Pay now and save" and "Pay at pick-up" payment models, and offers a Collision Damage Protection insurance add-on that can be purchased at checkout or up to 24 hours prior to pick-up. Ancillary products include the CarRentals Rewards loyalty program and an AI-powered virtual agent chatbot that supports text-based help, multilingual interaction, and trip-planning assistance. Members access discounts and special features via authenticated accounts, with social-login integration through Google and Facebook.

CarRentals.com generates revenue primarily through transaction fees or commissions earned on completed car rental bookings between consumers and supplier brands, with additional modest contribution from the optional Collision Damage Protection product. Distribution is direct-to-consumer online through carrentals.com for individual and business travelers, with phone-based reservation support as a secondary channel. The customer base is segmented into individual leisure/business travelers (primary segment) and corporate business travelers (secondary), both served through the same horizontal platform. Marketing relies on organic search, paid digital advertising, and email/member communications managed within Expedia Group's marketing infrastructure. Compliance posture includes PCI-DSS, GDPR, CCPA, EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, Global CBPR, and CSA STAR Level 2 certifications inherited from the Expedia Group.

Name

CarRentals.com

Legal name

Expedia, Inc.

Website

https://carrentals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CarRentals.com is an online car rental price-comparison and booking marketplace operated as a subsidiary brand of Expedia, Inc. within Expedia Group. It aggregates inventory from 20+ rental suppliers and serves individual leisure and business travelers searching, comparing, and reserving vehicles worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Travel Booking

NAICS

Passenger Car Rental and Leasing (53211), Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Car Rental & Mobility Reservation Engines (THALADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Car Rental & Car-Sharing Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAF)

Keywords

• Car rental booking
• Price comparison platform
• Online travel marketplace
• Rental car search
• Vehicle reservation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Jersey City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Car Rental Booking Commission: CarRentals.com generates revenue by facilitating car rental bookings between customers and car rental suppliers. The platform acts as an intermediary, earning commissions or transaction fees on completed bookings. The company offers both 'Pay now and save' and 'Pay at pick-up' payment models, with the platform收取交易费用或佣金。

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CarRentals.com is an online car rental search engine and booking platform that aggregates inventory from over 20 car rental suppliers (including Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Alamo, National, Sixt, Thrifty, Dollar, Europcar, and others). Customers can search, compare prices, and book rental vehicles through the website or phone, with options for airport and off-airport pick-up, one-way rentals, and same-day reservations. The platform also offers optional Collision Damage Protection insurance and member-exclusive discounts through a free loyalty account.

Product overview

CarRentals.com is a consumer-facing car rental price comparison and booking platform that aggregates inventory from multiple third-party car rental companies. It operates as a single unified website and mobile application within the Expedia Group ecosystem. The core platform enables users to search, compare prices, and book rental cars from suppliers including Ace Rent A Car, Advantage Rent-A-Car, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Europcar, Fox, Hertz, Midway, National, Nu Car, Payless, Routes, Sixt, Thrifty, Silvercar, Green Motion, and others. Related offerings include Collision Damage Protection (optional insurance product), member-exclusive pricing through account membership, and trip management tools for viewing and modifying bookings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CarRentals.com Booking Platform Web-based and mobile platform for searching, comparing prices, and booking car rentals from multiple supplier companies. Supports filtering by car type, rental company, pick-up location, and includes same-day booking capabilities. Offers airport and off-airport pick-up, one-way rentals, weekend rentals, and long-term rentals.
• Collision Damage Protection

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability10 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ace Rent A CarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAce Rent A Car is one of the car rental brands available for booking through the CarRentals.com platform. Customers can search and reserve Ace Rent A Car vehicles through the comparison marketplace.
• Advantage Rent-A-CarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvantage Rent-A-Car is a partner rental brand available on CarRentals.com's booking platform.
• Alamo Rent A CarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlamo Rent A Car is one of the major car rental brands available through CarRentals.com's platform.
• AviscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAvis is a partner brand available for booking through CarRentals.com.
• BudgetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBudget is a partner rental brand available on CarRentals.com.
• Dollar Rent A CarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDollar Rent A Car is available as a rental option through CarRentals.com.
• EnterprisecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnterprise is a partner brand available for booking on the CarRentals.com platform.
• EuropcarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropcar is available as a rental option through CarRentals.com.
• Fox Rent a CarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFox Rent a Car is a partner brand on the CarRentals.com platform.
• HertzcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHertz is available for booking through CarRentals.com.
• National Car RentalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational Car Rental is a partner brand on CarRentals.com.
• SixtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSixt is available as a rental option through CarRentals.com.
• Thrifty Car RentalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThrifty Car Rental is a partner brand on the CarRentals.com platform.
• SilvercarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSilvercar is a partner rental brand available on CarRentals.com.
• Green MotionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreen Motion is available as an eco-friendly rental option on CarRentals.com.
• Rent-a-WreckminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRent-a-Wreck is a partner brand offering budget-friendly rental options on the platform.
• PaylesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayless is a partner rental brand available on CarRentals.com.
• Routes Car RentalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoutes Car Rental is available as a booking option through CarRentals.com.
• Nu CarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNu Car is a partner brand available on the CarRentals.com platform.
• Midway Car RentalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMidway Car Rental is available as a rental option through CarRentals.com.
• PricelessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPriceless is a partner rental brand on CarRentals.com.
• NextCarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNextCar is a partner brand available on CarRentals.com.
• U-SaveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU-Save is a partner rental brand available on the platform.
• Economy Rent a CarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEconomy Rent a Car is a partner brand on CarRentals.com offering budget-friendly options.
• Expedia, Inc.coreOthersCarRentals.com is a subsidiary and brand of Expedia, Inc., operating within the Expedia Group of companies. Expedia, Inc. is the parent company providing technology, distribution, and operational infrastructure.
• Expedia Group CompaniescoreOthersCarRentals.com shares personal data and jointly uses technology with other Expedia Group companies for platform usage, booking purposes, communications, and security/compliance.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kayak: Leading travel meta-search engine owned by Booking Holdings; compares flights, hotels, and car rentals. Directly comparable to CarRentals.com in the car rental comparison vertical, with broader cross-category distribution advantages.
• Rentalcars.com: Booking Holdings-owned car rental meta-search and booking platform. Most direct comparable to CarRentals.com in product (comparison booking engine), supplier breadth, and target customer (leisure/business travelers), differing primarily in parent conglomerate.

Broad incumbents

• Google Travel: Google's integrated travel search product including car rental comparison and direct links to suppliers. Comparable as a powerful search-driven intermediary competing for the same organic, high-intent car rental queries.
• Priceline: Booking Holdings' flagship OTA with car rental inventory alongside hotels, flights, and packages. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering car rental comparison and booking to a similar consumer base.
• Hotwire: Sister Expedia Group brand offering discounted travel including car rentals alongside hotels and flights. Comparable as an Expedia-owned car rental distribution channel that competes for similar traveler demand.
• Expedia: Flagship brand of CarRentals.com's parent company, offering car rentals among other travel products. Comparable as the dominant Expedia-owned travel platform that overlaps in car rental distribution and competes for the same bookings.
• Tripadvisor: Major travel meta-search and reviews platform with car rental comparison features. Comparable as a broad incumbent in travel comparison that overlaps with CarRentals.com's consumer-facing comparison and booking experience.

Regional players

• Skyscanner: Trip.com-owned global travel meta-search engine with car rental comparison. Comparable as a meta-search competitor with strong international (particularly European/APAC) reach where CarRentals.com has lighter brand presence.

Emerging players

• Hopper: Mobile-first travel app with AI-driven pricing for flights, hotels, and car rentals. Comparable as an emerging digital-native player bringing AI-led pricing and personalization to the car rental booking experience.
• AutoSlash: US-focused car rental discount and price-tracking service that helps consumers find cheaper rental rates. Comparable as a niche player in the car rental meta-search/comparison category with a focus on discount optimization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carrentalcom

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CarRentals.com