Apex Car Rentals

What Apex Car Rentals does

Apex Car Rentals is New Zealand's largest independently owned car rental company, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Christchurch. The company operates a trans-Tasman network of 24 airport and city branches—14 in New Zealand (including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Picton) and 10 in Australia (including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Cairns)—and targets international tourists, domestic travellers, families and groups, senior citizens via the SuperGold Card program, and corporate accounts. Free airport shuttles, free one-way rentals between most branches, and free additional drivers are central to its transparent, all-inclusive pricing positioning, with rates covering GST, unlimited kilometres, and standard motor vehicle insurance.

Apex's core product is a late-model vehicle fleet spanning small hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, 4WDs, 8- and 12-seater people movers, and cargo vans, rented on daily or weekly terms. The company's primary technology differentiator is PhotoProofed, a proprietary damage-capture system that photographs each vehicle before pickup and enables customer review via QR code or in-branch device, with privacy-blurring image processing and customer-uploaded photo support. Revenue is generated principally through vehicle rental fees, supplemented by optional Excess Reduction Cover (reducing or eliminating the per-incident liability), optional Roadside Assistance Cover, child-safety-seat and GPS rentals, and a refueling service fee. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via apexrentals.co.nz and apexrentals.com.au with no third-party intermediary bookings described.

Commercial moats include the integrated branch network, the PhotoProofed trust mechanic, and a partnership stack that bundles the Air New Zealand Koru loyalty programme (earning 2.5 Airpoints per day), AA New Zealand roadside assistance, and Linkt automated tolling in Australia. Apex's careers page links to Avis Budget Group job listings, indicating a licensee or franchisee-style affiliation with that global group. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, revenue, or headcount-growth data in the source material.

Name

Apex Car Rentals

Legal name

Apex Car Rentals

Website

https://apexrentals.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Apex Car Rentals is New Zealand's largest independently owned rental car company, operating 24 airport and city branches across New Zealand and Australia. It serves international tourists, domestic travellers, families, seniors, and corporate accounts with a transparent all-inclusive pricing model and proprietary PhotoProofed damage-capture technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Car Rental Services

NAICS

Passenger Car Rental (532111)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Vehicle Rentals (SUVs, Convertibles, 4x4) (THADAAAH)

Keywords

• Car rental services
• Vehicle hire
• Airport car rental
• Rental fleet management
• Excess reduction insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Rental Fees: Core revenue stream from daily/weekly vehicle rental charges. Rates include GST, unlimited kilometres, and standard motor vehicle insurance with excess liability. One-way rentals between most branch locations are free of charge.
2. Excess Reduction Cover: Optional protection products: Limited Cover reduces excess to $500, Maximum Cover reduces excess to zero. Cost depends on rental length and vehicle type.
3. Roadside Assistance Cover: Optional coverage for non-mechanical breakdowns including fuel delivery ($15), lockout assistance, jump-starts, tyre changes, and towing up to 100km.
4. Child Safety Seats and Accessories: Rental of child safety seats (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster), GPS navigation units, and other optional accessories at additional cost.
5. Refueling Service: Customers can return vehicle with full tank or pay a refueling service charge (cost of fuel plus service fee per litre).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Apex Car Rentals rents a fleet of late-model vehicles (hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, 4WDs, 8- and 12-seater people movers, and cargo vans) to consumers and corporate customers through 24 branches across New Zealand and Australia. The company differentiates through transparent all-inclusive pricing (GST, unlimited kilometres, standard insurance, no airport or booking fees), its proprietary PhotoProofed damage documentation system, and tiered excess reduction cover options.

Product overview

Apex Car Rentals is a New Zealand and Australia car rental company offering a diverse fleet of late model vehicles including hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, and people movers. The company provides car rental services at all major airports and city locations in New Zealand. Key differentiating services include PhotoProofed damage capture technology, Peak Rewards loyalty program, and tiered insurance options (Basic, Limited, Maximum excess reduction cover). Additional offerings include roadside assistance cover, child safety seats, and interisland ferry ticket coverage for eligible rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vehicle Fleet Rental Daily and weekly rental of late-model vehicles including small hatchbacks, mid-size and full-size sedans, SUVs (small to full size), 4WDs, 8-seater people movers, 12-seater vans, and cargo vans. Available at all major New Zealand and Australian airport and city branches for self-drive travelers, families, groups, and corporate customers.
• Excess Reduction Cover (Limited and Maximum)
• Roadside Assistance Cover
• Child Safety Seats and Accessories Rental
• Peak Rewards Loyalty Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Earns 2.5 Airpoints per day on qualifying rentals for Koru members

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Air New Zealand (Koru Program)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerApex Car Rentals is a Koru partner with Air New Zealand, allowing Koru members to earn 2.5 Airpoints per day on qualifying rentals in both New Zealand and Australia. Members can book through either the Air New Zealand website or Apex website. This partnership targets frequent flyers and travelers who value loyalty rewards.
• Automobile Association (AA) New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAA provides 24-hour roadside assistance for all Apex rental vehicles in New Zealand. Covers mechanical faults including flat batteries, flat tyres, lockouts, and running out of fuel. Free phone number 0800 222 739 for breakdown calls.
• Interislander and Bluebridge FerriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership enables interisland vehicle ferry bookings. Apex may cover vehicle ferry ticket costs depending on rental length and travel period, facilitating North Island to South Island travel.
• Avis Budget GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApex Car Rentals appears to be affiliated with the Avis Budget Group, as evidenced by careers page linking to Avis Budget Group job listings. Nature of affiliation appears to be as an independent licensee or franchisee within the system.
• SuperGold Card ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering exclusive savings and discounted rates for SuperGold Card holders (seniors and veterans). Supports affordable mobility options for eligible card holders.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hertz: Hertz is one of the largest global car rental brands with established NZ and AU operations through licensee networks. It competes with Apex at major airports across both countries but operates at much greater scale and with broader corporate and premium-segment exposure.
• Sixt: Sixt is a European-headquartered global car rental and mobility company with a growing presence in Australia. It overlaps with Apex's airport rental focus but differentiates more toward premium segments and a tech-led booking experience.
• Budget: Budget is a global value-positioned car rental brand under Avis Budget Group with operations across NZ and AU. It is comparable to Apex on value positioning but operates at significantly greater scale with global distribution and corporate account penetration.
• Avis: Avis is a leading global car rental brand with NZ and AU operations under Avis Budget Group, which appears to be affiliated with Apex via shared career listings. It competes with Apex across airport and city locations but serves a broader corporate and loyalty-integrated customer base.
• Thrifty Car Rental: Thrifty is a global value car rental brand with established operations across NZ and AU markets. It competes with Apex for value-conscious travelers at major airports and downtown locations, with comparable positioning but materially larger scale.
• Europcar: Europcar is a European-headquartered global car rental brand with operations in Australia and New Zealand. Comparable to Apex as a competing airport-and-city rental operator, though with broader geographic reach and larger fleet resources.

Direct peers

• JUCY Rentals: JUCY is a New Zealand-founded, independently operated car and campervan rental company with operations across New Zealand and Australia. It is the closest direct competitor to Apex given its similar independent positioning, trans-Tasman footprint, and value-focused brand serving inbound tourists.
• GO Rentals: GO Rentals is a New Zealand-based independent car rental company operating at major NZ airports and cities. Comparable to Apex in business model, target customer (tourists), and value positioning, and overlaps directly in key urban and airport locations.
• Omega Rental Cars: Omega Rental Cars is a New Zealand-based independent car rental company operating at multiple NZ cities and airports. Comparable to Apex as a direct independent competitor serving inbound tourists with similar fleet diversity and value positioning.

Regional players

• Tourism Holdings Limited (THL): THL is a New Zealand-listed tourism and rental company best known for Maui and Britz campervan rentals. While primarily a motorhome operator, it competes with Apex for self-drive tourist demand across NZ and AU, and is comparable on inbound-tourist customer segmentation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apex-car-rentals

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Apex Car Rentals