Ace Rental Cars

What Ace Rental Cars does

Ace Rental Cars (legally Ace Tourist Rentals (NZ) Ltd.) is a budget-focused car rental company operating 17 branches across 15 cities in New Zealand and Australia, headquartered in Auckland. Founded in 1987 by John Chatterley and Warrick Purdie with two second-hand Toyotas and acquired by Hertz International as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2011, the company serves inbound and domestic tourists, value-conscious travelers, inter-island renters, and young drivers aged 18-25. Its core offering spans three vehicle tiers — Super Saver (mystery make/model), Regular categories (hatchback, sedan, SUV, van), and Premium Fleet — all of which include free basic insurance, unlimited kilometres, no young driver surcharge, and 24/7 mechanical assistance. The company deliberately operates an off-airport branch model, positioning all locations 5-15 minutes from terminals and providing a complimentary customer shuttle, which underpins its affordability positioning against on-airport multinational competitors.

The business generates revenue through daily, transaction-based rental fees quoted per vehicle category, season, and location, distributed primarily through a direct-to-consumer online booking engine and toll-free phone reservations (0800 502 277 in New Zealand), supplemented by travel agents and brokers. Technology infrastructure is light: the company operates a standard booking engine, an online check-in flow, the My Journey Portal for booking management, and the proprietary Ace Shuttle Collection Portal that enables mobile-based airport pickup coordination. All vehicles are cleared through a 30-point safety inspection prior to rental. Ace also markets themed driving experience packages (Beach Hopping, Memory Making, Town Painting, Grid Escaping, Snow Shredding) and supports inter-island rentals through dedicated Wellington and Picton Interislander ferry terminal branches. The company holds Qualmark Gold certification from New Zealand's official tourism quality body, a Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers award, and is affiliated with Tourism New Zealand and the Tiaki Promise, lending credibility to inbound tourist acquisition.

Name

Ace Rental Cars

Legal name

Ace Tourist Rentals (NZ) Ltd.

Website

https://acerentalcars.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ace Rental Cars is a budget-focused, off-airport car rental operator with 17 branches across 15 cities in New Zealand and Australia, serving inbound tourists, domestic travelers, and inter-island renters; it is a wholly-owned Hertz International subsidiary since 2011.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Car Rental Services

NAICS

Passenger Car Rental and Leasing (53211), Passenger Car Rental (532111), Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Drive Car Rental (THADAAAF)

Keywords

• Car rental services
• Vehicle hire
• Tourism transportation
• Rental fleet management
• Airport shuttle service

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Short-Term Vehicle Rental: Ace Rental Cars generates revenue primarily through daily vehicle rental fees. Customers pay per rental day based on vehicle category (economy, compact, SUV, minivan, etc.), rental duration, and seasonality. The company offers both a core fleet of older (but maintained) vehicles at budget prices and a Premium fleet of brand-new vehicles with additional features at a higher price point. Revenue is one-time and transaction-based per rental agreement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ace Rental Cars (legal entity Ace Tourist Rentals (NZ) Ltd.) provides budget-friendly vehicle rental services across New Zealand and Australia through 17 branches in 15 cities. The company rents a fleet ranging from economy cars to SUVs and premium vehicles, including a lowest-priced "Super Saver Mystery Vehicle" tier, with inclusions such as unlimited kilometres, free basic insurance, and complimentary airport shuttle pickup/drop-off. It also offers inter-island (North-to-South Island) rentals and ancillary accessories such as child seats, ski racks, and GPS units.

Product overview

Ace Rental Cars operates a car rental business in New Zealand and Australia offering budget-friendly vehicle hire across multiple categories including economy, compact, SUV, and minivan vehicles. The core offering consists of Super Saver (budget mystery vehicles) and a Premium Fleet (near-new vehicles with modern amenities). Supplementary services include an online Shuttle Collection Portal, Online Check-In, My Journey Portal, and Inter-Island Rentals. The company also markets themed driving experiences under the 'Rent The Experience' brand featuring road trip packages like Beach Hopping, Memory Making, Town Painting, Grid Escaping, and Snow Shredding. All rentals include unlimited kilometres, free basic insurance cover, and complimentary airport shuttle service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Car Rental Service Core daily vehicle rental service offering economy, compact, intermediate, full-size, SUV, premium and people-carrier vehicles from 17 branches across 15 cities in New Zealand and Australia. Includes unlimited kilometres, free basic insurance, no young-driver surcharges, and complimentary airport shuttle pickup and drop-off. Targeted at leisure travelers and self-drive tourists.
• Super Saver Mystery Vehicle Lowest-price rental tier where customers accept a vehicle assigned at pickup (make/model not pre-selected) in exchange for the best available rate. Designed for travelers prioritizing price over specific vehicle choice.
• Premium Fleet Rental Higher-tier rental option within Ace's fleet, offering premium and specialty vehicles for travelers seeking upgraded comfort, features, or driving experience beyond economy tiers.
• Inter-Island Rental Service One-way rental service specifically designed for North Island to South Island (or reverse) road trips across New Zealand. Coordinates vehicle handover compatible with the inter-island ferry so travelers can drive both islands without backtracking.
• Car Rental Accessories Add-on equipment available alongside vehicle rentals, including child seats, ski racks, GPS units, and additional driver fees, designed to make self-drive trips safer and more convenient.
• Corporate Club Corporate-account rental program providing negotiated rates, account servicing, and centralized bookings for businesses, government departments, and organizations with recurring staff travel needs across the Ace branch network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free Basic Cover included with every rental
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tourism New ZealandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAce Rental Cars is affiliated with Tourism New Zealand and displays the Tourism New Zealand logo on its website as a partner in promoting New Zealand tourism to international visitors.
• Interislander (KiwiRail)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAce Rental Cars has dedicated branches at the Wellington Interislander Ferry Terminal and Picton Interislander Ferry Terminal to serve travelers crossing between New Zealand's North and South Islands. The company supports inter-island car rental with specific booking processes, ferry crossing coordination, and relocation fee structures for cross-island travel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ezi Car Rental: Ezi Car Rental is a New Zealand-based rental company offering vehicles across multiple NZ cities. Comparable to Ace on tourist self-drive rentals with overlapping branches and a similar value-oriented positioning in the NZ market.
• Apex Car Rentals: Apex Car Rentals is a New Zealand-based rental company operating across NZ and Australia with both airport and city branches. Comparable to Ace in fleet composition (economy through SUVs/vans) and target customer (self-drive tourists), with overlapping coverage in Auckland, Christchurch, and Queenstown.
• Omega Rental Cars: Omega Rental Cars is a New Zealand-based car rental operator with multiple branches serving tourists. Directly comparable to Ace as a domestic budget rental brand offering similar vehicles, unlimited kilometres, and off-airport service at competitive daily rates.
• Jucy Rentals: Jucy Rentals is a New Zealand-founded budget rental car and campervan company operating across NZ and Australia. Directly comparable to Ace as a budget-focused, off-airport rental operator targeting tourists and backpackers with a similar vehicle mix and shuttle-based model.
• Go Rentals: Go Rentals is a New Zealand car rental company operating at major NZ airports and cities. Comparable to Ace as a self-drive rental operator targeting tourists with a similar off-airport branch strategy and economy/SUV fleet positioning.
• Bargain Rental Cars: Bargain Rental Cars is a New Zealand-headquartered budget rental company with branches across NZ and Australia. Directly competes with Ace on price-sensitive self-drive tourists, offering similar off-airport pickup, unlimited kilometres, and economy-to-SUV fleet mix.

Regional players

• Tourist Transport Fiji / Drive Fiji (regional budget rental analogue): A regional Oceania budget-focused rental operator that mirrors Ace's value positioning for inbound tourists in a neighboring Pacific market, illustrating the regional playbook Ace operates within.

Broad incumbents

• THL (Tourism Holdings) — Maui / Britz: THL operates Maui, Britz, and Mighty rental brands across NZ and Australia, primarily in campervans but also cars. Comparable to Ace as a regional incumbent in the tourist mobility market with overlapping branches and shared customer base of self-drive travelers.
• Budget Rent a Car: Budget Rent a Car is a global rental brand with established NZ and Australia operations. Comparable to Ace as an airport-adjacent rental competitor offering a similar economy-to-SUV fleet mix, but positioned as a broader incumbent with deeper brand recognition and on-airport counter presence.
• Hertz (Australia & New Zealand): Hertz is Ace's parent company and also operates its own premium on-airport brand across NZ and Australia. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same geography with overlapping fleet categories and customer overlap, though positioned at a different price/quality tier.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AceRentalCars
• Facebookfacebook.com/AceRentalCars

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Ace Rental Cars