What Bargain Car Rentals does

Bargain Car Rentals is an Australian-owned and operated car rental company founded in 2005 in Hobart, Tasmania, operating under the legal entity Bargain Car Rentals Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 115 153 930). It runs an owned network of more than 14 depots concentrated at major Australian airports (Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Townsville) plus city depots in Hobart and Darwin, serving primarily leisure travellers, long-term renters, commercial customers, corporate groups and a luxury sub-brand (U R Drive, via Eden Rose Investments Pty Ltd). It claims to have served over 90,000 customers across 14 locations with over 31,000 verified 5-star Trustpilot reviews, and operates a single integrated booking platform spanning nine vehicle categories (compact, sedan, SUV, family SUV/7-seater, ute, luxury, van, mini bus, moving truck) from $25 to $170 per day.

The operating technology stack centres on a direct-to-consumer e-commerce booking engine at bargaincarrentals.com.au, integrated with a third-party Rental Car Manager kiosk workflow that uses AI-assisted extraction of structured data from photographed driver's licences to populate the booking system. Vehicles are fitted with GPS tracking devices used (with customer consent) for condition, performance and movement monitoring during the rental period, and automatic number plate recognition links rental vehicles to reservations for toll charging with a $5 per-toll service fee. The marketing stack uses Google Analytics, Google Ads and the Google Display Network, Microsoft Advertising and Microsoft Clarity session replay, and the Trustpilot widget for social proof, with an open Affiliate Program for travel and tourism businesses.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: short-term vehicle rentals billed per 24-hour period, subscription-like long-term rentals (30-365 days) billed monthly, commercial fleet hire (single vehicle up to ~50-vehicle fleets), liability reduction packages (Limited, Gold, Platinum) and add-ons (Roadside Assistance, Snow Cover), ancillary fees (refuelling, cleaning, toll service, claims handling, card surcharge, excess km), and affiliate referral commissions. Pricing carries a 5% direct-booking discount (code BOOKDIRECT), tiered group/corporate discounts up to 15%, and special Tasmanian school rates. Distribution is multi-channel (owned website, airport counters, phone-based contact centre with a Philippines-based service provider, dedicated Corporate & Group Sales team, and the affiliate channel).

Name

Bargain Car Rentals

Legal name

Bargain Car Rentals Australia Pty Ltd

Website

https://bargaincarrentals.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bargain Car Rentals is an Australian-owned car rental company founded in 2005 in Hobart, operating 14+ airport and city depots nationwide with daily rentals from $25, serving leisure travellers, long-term renters, commercial customers, corporate groups and luxury renters through a direct online booking platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vehicle Rental Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Local City / In-Town Car Rental (THADAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Long-Term Corporate Rentals (Monthly/Project-Based) (THADAOAH), Long-Term Car Rental (Monthly/Extended Hire) (TLABAAAD), Self-Drive Car Rental (THADAAAF)

Keywords

• Car rental services
• Passenger vehicle hire
• Long term car rentals
• Commercial fleet hire
• Airport car rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Hobart

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Daily vehicle rentals (passenger cars): Core revenue from short-term car hire billed in 24-hour periods. Vehicle-class pricing ranges from compact cars (from $25/day), sedans (from $35), SUVs (from $45), family SUVs (from $80), luxury (from $65), vans (from $85), utes (from $120), moving trucks (from $145) to mini buses (from $170). Includes free additional driver, free under-25 driver, airport pick-up/drop-off and unlimited km (ex NT).
2. Long-term rentals (30-365 days): Rentals beyond 30 days billed monthly at lower per-day rates with discounts on liability waiver options, no lock-in contract, no termination fees after 30 days, free vehicle exchange at 90 days or 10,000 km, included 24/7 roadside assistance, and a free additional driver. Sydney pricing starts from $25/day; Gold Coast $25-$95/day.
3. Commercial vehicle hire: Revenue from commercial fleet (utes, vans, trucks, mini buses, mine-ready 4WDs, civil vehicles) for construction, mine sites and project work, available for individual and multi-vehicle fleet bookings up to 50 vehicles.
4. Liability Reduction Packages (insurance/cover upgrades): Up-sell of Limited, Gold and Platinum Liability Reduction Packages plus Roadside Assistance and Snow Cover add-ons. Standard Damage Excess is $5,500 (standard vehicles) / $6,500 (commercial); Gold reduces to $1,500 / $2,500; Platinum offers nil Damage Excess.
5. Ancillary fees (fuel, tolls, cleaning, refuelling, claims, admin, surcharge): Ancillary charges including $85 refuelling fee, $5.00 per-toll service fee, up to $300 cleaning/deodorising fee, $180 roadside call-out fee, claims handling fee ($270-$370), Administrative Fee up to $65, 1.4% credit/debit card surcharge, late return fees, $20 per additional driver beyond the first free, and 30c/km excess kilometre fees (NT, commercial, 12-seat mini bus).
6. Affiliate Program commissions: Commission paid to Travel/Tourism affiliate partners on the total booking value of all eligible bookings (paid in full, vehicle returned and rental closed) made via their affiliate code or referral link, invoiced monthly by the affiliate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bargain Car Rentals rents passenger and commercial vehicles across Australia through an online booking platform and 14 airport and city depots, with daily rates starting from $25. Offerings span short-term leisure rentals, long-term rentals of 30–365 days, commercial fleet hire (utes, vans, trucks, mine-ready 4WDs), and corporate/group bookings with tiered discounts. Differentiators include free additional drivers, no under-25 driver surcharge, free cancellations, and unlimited kilometres on passenger vehicles (excluding the Northern Territory).

Product overview

Bargain Car Rentals operates a single unified online car-hire platform that exposes a portfolio of vehicle categories — Compact Cars, Sedans, SUVs, Family SUV/7-Seater, Utes, Luxury Cars, Vans, Mini Buses and Moving Trucks & Vans — together with three cross-cutting service modules built on the same booking engine: Commercial Vehicle Hire (Bargain Commercial) for business and mine/construction customers, Long Term Car Rentals (30–365 days with free vehicle exchange and 24/7 roadside assistance) and Corporate & Group Bookings (tiered discounts for fleets, corporates and Tasmanian schools). The platform also layers in an Affiliate Program for travel and tourism partners and operational self-service tools (Manage Booking and a third-party Pre Check-In kiosk workflow via Rental Car Manager). Pricing starts from $25/day for compact vehicles and all offerings share one set of policies (T&Cs, Fair Wear & Tear, Privacy Policy, GDPR handling for EU/UK residents).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bargain Commercial: Commercial vehicle hire division of Bargain Car Rentals offering utes, vans, trucks, buses, 4WDs and mine-ready vehicles for businesses and worksites.
• U R Drive

Products and services

• Compact / Small Cars Economical, easy-to-park small vehicles available from $25 per day, positioned as the entry-level passenger rental option for leisure travellers and budget-conscious renters.
• Sedans Mid-size sedans with comfortable highway ride and generous boot space, priced from $35 per day.
• SUVs Versatile SUVs suited to both city and country driving, with higher ride height and fuel-conscious options from $45 per day.
• Family SUV / 7-Seater Spacious seven-seat SUVs sized for whole-family travel, priced from $80 per day.
• Luxury Cars Premium European-badged vehicles (Audi, BMW) for prestige and comfort, from $65 per day, subject to higher minimum age (25), higher pre-authorisation ($1,000) and additional identification requirements.
• Vans Spacious cargo and people-mover vans, from $85 per day, including 8-seat van variants for groups.
• Utes Durable utility vehicles with high clearance and a tray, marketed for both work and play, from $120 per day.
• Mini Buses 12-seat automatic mini buses targeted at group transportation, from $170 per day, with a separate 200 km/day limit on this vehicle.
• Moving Trucks & Vans Heavy-duty moving trucks and 3-tonne removal vans for relocations, from $145 per day.
• Commercial Vehicle Hire (Bargain Commercial) Dedicated commercial fleet including mine-ready 4WDs, utes, vans, trucks and buses, with flexible hire terms for single-vehicle and full-fleet (up to ~50 vehicles) business customers; subject to separate self-insurance conditions.
• Long Term Car Rentals Rental periods of 30–365 days with no lock-in contract, free vehicle exchange every 90 days/10,000 km, 24/7 roadside assistance and a free additional driver. Available across Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Townsville.
• Corporate & Group Bookings Discounted rates for groups (2 vehicles = 5%, 3–5 = 10%, 6+ = 15%), corporate accounts that aggregate 12 months of prior bookings, long-term rentals and dedicated Tasmanian school rates, bookable only via phone or sales email.
• Affiliate Program Commission-based referral program for travel and tourism businesses, with a custom affiliate code/referral link and monthly payout against invoiced commission amounts; eligibility is restricted to operating businesses in the travel or tourism industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 31,000 5-star reviews (homepage headline)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Microsoft (Clarity & Advertising)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrivacy Policy discloses a partnership with Microsoft Clarity and Microsoft Advertising to capture behavioural metrics, heat-maps, session replay data, and to support ad selection, fraud/security and site optimisation. Uses first- and third-party cookies for these purposes.
• Google (Analytics, Ads, Display Network, DoubleClick)coreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics, Google Remarketing, Google Display Network Impressions Reporting, the DoubleClick Campaign Manager and Google Analytics Demographics & Interest Reporting are used on the website for traffic evaluation and targeted advertising across Google's networks.
• Rental Car ManagercoreTechnology or IntegrationPre Check In on the website links to web.rentalcarmanager.com using an authenticated workflow, indicating integration with Rental Car Manager's kiosk/workflow platform for self-service rental processing.
• TrustpilotcoreTechnology or IntegrationTrustpilot widget embedded on homepage linking to the Bargain Car Rentals review page; over 31,000 5-star reviews are cited as social proof.
• Facebook / Instagram (Meta)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial social media presence used for marketing and customer engagement; privacy policy references collection of demographic/behavioral data from social media platforms for targeted advertising.
• Affiliate Program partners (Travel / Tourism businesses)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOpen affiliate program restricted to businesses operating in the Travel or Tourism industry; partners receive an affiliate code, referral link and marketing assets and earn commission on the total booking value of eligible bookings made through their links, paid monthly via affiliate invoice.
• Overseas call centre service provider (Philippines)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrivacy Policy discloses that personal information may be disclosed to or accessed by the company's call centre services provider based in the Philippines.
• IMOOVA (relocation rentals)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTerms & Conditions reference "relocation rentals through IMOOVA" as an exception to interstate use restrictions, indicating a distribution relationship for vehicle relocation rentals.
• Ionata DigitalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFooter credit: "Web Design by Ionata Digital" — relationship inferred as the website design/development agency.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bayswater Car Rental: Australian independent car rental operator with depots in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie and Melbourne. Directly comparable to Bargain on Tasmania-focused leisure rentals, fleet range and direct-to-consumer booking model.
• Drive Now: Australian independent car rental brand serving major Australian cities and airports with a similar value-positioned DTC offering. Comparable on customer segment (leisure/SME), fleet breadth and online booking engine.
• East Coast Car Rentals: Australian independent rental operator with depots along the east coast. Overlaps directly with Bargain on leisure traveller segment, airport depot footprint and value-based pricing for compact and SUV vehicles.
• Atlas Car & Truck Rental: Australian rental operator spanning passenger and commercial vehicle hire. Most directly comparable on the commercial-vehicle and truck side of Bargain's fleet (utes, vans, trucks) and on multi-depot Australian footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Hertz Australia: Global incumbent rental brand with deep Australian airport network. Competes with Bargain on the same airport counters but at a premium positioning, broader international customer base and significantly larger fleet.
• Avis Australia: Global rental brand with Australian operations across all major airports. Comparable product range and airport-depot footprint, but with a larger fleet, corporate account depth and loyalty programme that Bargain does not match.
• Budget Australia: Value-tier global rental brand operated in Australia. Direct overlap on the value-conscious leisure and SME customer that Bargain targets, with comparable airport locations but materially larger fleet and global distribution.
• Thrifty Australia: Value-tier rental brand with strong Australian airport presence. Closest incumbent comparable to Bargain on price-led positioning and leisure-traveller focus, but with global brand backing and larger fleet.
• Enterprise Mobility (Australia): Global rental giant with Australian operations across passenger and commercial vehicles. Comparable to Bargain on airport-depot footprint and on the commercial/truck segment that Bargain Commercial targets, but at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• Sixt Australia: European-headquartered rental brand expanding in Australia with a premium-leaning fleet and tech-led booking platform. Competes in the same airport corridors with newer vehicle inventory and a stronger app/digital experience than Bargain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bargaincarrentals
• Instagraminstagram.com/bargaincarrentals

Compliance1 record

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 Bargain Car Rentals