Poas Rent-A-Car

What Poas Rent-A-Car does

Poas Rent-A-Car is a privately held, independent Costa Rican car rental company founded in 1985 (per company history) and operating for over 40 years from offices near San José Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) and Liberia International Airport (LIR). The company provides daily and weekly rentals of a compact, SUV-focused fleet (Premium Elite SUV UFAR, Compact Elite SUV/Suzuki Jimny DFAR, Premium SUV PFAR, Full Size SUV/Daihatsu Bego FFAR, Intermediate SUV IFAR, and Geely EBAR), complemented by ancillary services including complimentary airport shuttle pickup/drop-off, GPS with offline maps, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, child seats, comprehensive insurance add-ons, flexible one-way rentals, hotel delivery, and 24/7 roadside assistance.

The business runs a direct-to-consumer go-to-market via its website (reservations.poasrentacar.com), toll-free US and local Costa Rica phone lines, and in-person counters at both airports. Revenue is generated through transaction fees on vehicle rentals plus insurance and ancillary add-ons, with quote-based pricing that bundles mandatory insurance and taxes. The company targets inbound international tourists visiting Costa Rica's beaches, rainforests, volcanoes, and national parks, and has recently expanded distribution through a Premium Partners portal for travel agencies and tour operators, alongside a content-marketing program (blog plus Facebook, X, Instagram, and Spotify).

Ownership is founder-led by Merciades Campos, with 1-10 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no M&A history. A 2025 website redesign and rebranding marks the most recent material corporate action, alongside incremental service-line expansion (one-way rentals, hotel delivery, Wi-Fi, GPS). Technology is described as a standard rental booking and fleet management system with no disclosed AI/ML, integrations, or proprietary platforms.

Name

Poas Rent-A-Car

Legal name

Poas Rent A Car

Website

https://poasrentacar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Poas Rent-A-Car is a privately held, 40-year-old Costa Rican car rental company operating from San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) international airports, renting an SUV-focused fleet to inbound international tourists via direct online, phone, and counter bookings with complimentary airport shuttle service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Car Rental Services

NAICS

Passenger Car Rental (532111), Passenger Car Rental and Leasing (53211)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Local City / In-Town Car Rental (THADAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

One-Way / Intercity Car Rental (THADAAAD)

Keywords

• Car rental services
• Vehicle rental
• Airport car rental
• Tourism transport services
• Rental fleet management

Headquarters

HQ city

Argentina

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Rental: Daily and weekly rental fees for vehicles including compact cars, sedans, and 4x4 SUVs. Pricing varies by vehicle type and rental duration.
2. Insurance Products: Comprehensive insurance options offered as add-ons to rental agreements for full protection during rentals.
3. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue from optional add-ons including GPS navigation, Wi-Fi hotspots, and child seats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Poas Rent-A-Car is a Costa Rican car rental agency that rents a modern fleet of SUVs (Premium Elite, Compact Elite, Premium, Full Size, Intermediate, and Geely/EBAR) to travelers, primarily tourists arriving at San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) international airports. Core rentals are supported by complimentary airport shuttle pickup, 24/7 roadside assistance, comprehensive insurance options, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi hotspots, child seats, flexible one-way rentals, and hotel delivery.

Product overview

Poas Rent-A-Car is a Costa Rican car rental company operating for over 40 years, offering a modern fleet of rental vehicles consisting of six SUV models (Premium Elite SUV UFAR, Compact Elite SUV DFAR/Suzuki Jimny, Premium SUV PFAR, Full Size SUV FFAR/Daihatsu Bego, Intermediate SUV IFAR, and Geely EBAR) complemented by travel support services including complimentary airport shuttle pickup/dropoff, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot, child seats, comprehensive insurance options, flexible one-way rentals, hotel delivery, and 24/7 roadside assistance. The company operates from San Jose International Airport and Liberia International Airport locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SUV Vehicle Rental Daily and weekly rental of a modern fleet of SUVs (compact to full size) for travelers and tourists in Costa Rica, available with automatic transmission and gasoline fuel. Vehicles are suited for varied terrain including urban roads, beaches, and light off-road travel.
• Complimentary Airport Shuttle Service Free shuttle service transporting rental customers between San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) international airport terminals and the company's rental offices.
• Car Rental Insurance Comprehensive insurance coverage sold as an add-on to vehicle rental agreements to provide full protection during the rental period in Costa Rica.
• 24/7 Roadside Assistance Round-the-clock roadside assistance service included with rentals to give customers peace of mind while driving in Costa Rica.
• Flexible One-Way Rentals One-way rental option allowing travelers to pick up a vehicle at one location (e.g., San José SJO) and return it at a different location (e.g., Liberia LIR), supporting multi-region Costa Rica itineraries.
• Hotel Delivery Service Delivery of rental vehicles directly to hotels within the company's service range for added convenience to guests staying at partner or nearby hotels.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Premium Partners ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe company operates a premium partners program with a dedicated login portal, suggesting relationships with travel agencies, tour operators, or other businesses that refer customers. Details of the partnership structure are not publicly disclosed.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Hertz: Global car rental incumbent with airport counters at SJO and LIR — directly competes for the same arriving international traveler but offers Hertz Gold, mobile check-in, and a worldwide fleet/location footprint.
• Sixt Rent A Car: Global premium car rental brand with established counters at Costa Rica's international airports — competes directly with Poas at SJO and LIR but offers a much broader fleet, mobile app, and loyalty program as part of a global portfolio.
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car: World's largest rental company by fleet and revenue, with growing airport presence in Latin America — competes with Poas for the same airport leisure customer while bringing scale, technology, and insurance partnerships.
• Avis: International car rental brand with Costa Rica airport presence and Avis Preferred loyalty — competes with Poas at the same airports with broader fleet, technology infrastructure, and corporate-account reach.
• National Car Rental: Enterprise Holdings brand serving premium leisure and corporate travelers at major airports including in Costa Rica — broad incumbent overlap with Poas on traveler segments and airport-counter distribution.
• Budget Rent A Car: Value-oriented global rental brand (Avis Budget Group) with counters at SJO and LIR — overlaps with Poas's transparent-pricing, no-hidden-fees angle from a larger scaled platform.
• Alamo Rent A Car: Enterprise Holdings leisure-focused rental brand with strong Costa Rica airport presence targeting international tourists — the most direct international-brand competitive overlap with Poas's customer mix.

Direct peers

• Economy Car Rental: Costa Rica-based rental agency targeting budget-conscious tourists with airport pickup at SJO and LIR — overlaps with Poas's tourist-leisure segment at the same airports but from a price-driven positioning.
• Adobe Rent A Car: Long-established Costa Rican local car rental company operating at SJO and LIR with comparable fleet mix, shuttle service, and tourist-focused value proposition — directly competes with Poas for the same international leisure customer.
• Vamos Rent-A-Car: Costa Rica-based car rental agency serving both international airports with daily and weekly rentals, bilingual service, and shuttle pickup — the most direct operational comparison to Poas in the same Costa Rican airport-rental niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/poasrentacar
• Facebookfacebook.com/poasrentacar
• Instagraminstagram.com/poasrentacar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Poas Rent-A-Car