What Avis UK does

Avis UK, operating legally as Avis Budget UK Limited, is the United Kingdom operating subsidiary of the publicly traded Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ: CAR). Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Bracknell, England, the company provides vehicle rental services to leisure travelers, business and corporate customers, van-hire customers, and airport travelers through a multi-channel platform spanning physical rental stations, a transactional website (avis.co.uk), and iOS/Android mobile applications. Within the UK, the company maintains airport rental desks at Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Inverness, alongside city-center locations, while accessing a global parent network of more than 5,500 locations across 170 countries for international bookings.

The product surface is anchored by core car hire and is supplemented by van hire, EV and hybrid rentals, seven/eight-seater people carriers, automatic transmission vehicles, economy rentals, and Avis Prestige (luxury/premium). Long-term car hire, one-way rentals (including cross-continental), and add-on services (Avis Inclusive cover, additional cover, continental cover, child seats, sat-nav, winter equipment) drive incremental revenue per transaction. Operational technology focuses on removing friction at the counter: QuickPass pre-registration, self-service key kiosks (key collection in under 30 seconds for Avis Preferred members), the Avis Mobile App, and paperless rental agreements. Underlying fleet management and digital booking systems are described but not disclosed in proprietary depth.

The business model is transaction-fee based: customers pay per rental with pricing varying by vehicle class, duration, pickup/return location, and seasonal demand, and monetize add-ons at attach. A free loyalty programme (Avis Preferred) offers 10% off European rentals plus priority service to lock in repeat customers, while a dedicated SME booking tool supports business customers with consolidated invoicing and account management. GTM is direct-to-consumer via the website, mobile app, and rental stations, with marketing distributed across paid digital, organic social (Facebook/X/YouTube/Instagram), email, affiliate partners, and an Amazon cashback co-marketing partnership. Avis Budget Group consolidates Avis UK financials; no UK-specific revenue, headcount, or margin data is publicly disclosed.

Name

Avis UK

Legal name

Avis Budget UK Limited

Website

https://avis.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Avis UK is the UK operating subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, providing car rental services to leisure, business, and airport travelers via airport and city rental stations, a transactional website, and mobile apps, with access to a global network of 5,500+ locations across 170 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Car Rental Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Airport Car Rental (On-Airport Concessions) (THADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial EV Rentals (Electric Vans/Trucks) (THADANAE), Luxury & Premium EV Rentals (THADANAF)

Keywords

• Car rental services
• Vehicle hire
• Long-term car hire
• Van hire
• Corporate car rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Bracknell

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Rental: Core revenue from renting vehicles to customers on a daily, weekly, or long-term basis. Customers pay rental fees based on vehicle class, rental duration, and optional extras such as insurance, GPS, child seats, and additional driver coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Avis UK rents vehicles to consumers and businesses on a daily, weekly, or long-term basis from economy through luxury/prestige categories, including vans, EVs, hybrids, automatics, and people carriers. Services are fulfilled through airport and city rental stations, an online booking platform, a mobile app, self-service kiosks, and the Avis Preferred loyalty programme, with optional add-ons such as insurance, additional drivers, child seats, satellite navigation, and continental cover.

Product overview

Avis UK operates as a car rental platform offering a comprehensive range of vehicle hire services. The core product is Car Hire, supplemented by specialized offerings including Van Hire for commercial needs, EV & Hybrid Car Hire for environmentally conscious customers, and various passenger vehicle categories (7 Seater & People Carriers, Economy, Automatic, and Luxury via Avis Prestige). The service portfolio includes both short-term leisure rentals and Long Term Car Hire with flexible mileage options. Add-on services encompass insurance products (Avis Inclusive, Additional Cover, Continental Cover), technology-enhanced experiences (QuickPass, Self-Service Kiosks, Mobile App), and loyalty benefits (Avis Preferred). One-way rentals enable cross-continental travel flexibility. The company also serves business customers through dedicated SME booking tools. With over 5,500 locations across 170 countries, the platform provides car rental across Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East, Australia, Pacific, USA, Canada, and Central & South America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Avis Prestige: Luxury car hire service offering premium/prestige vehicles

Products and services

• Car Hire Core daily and weekly car rental service offering vehicles across economy, standard, and premium categories for leisure and business travellers across the UK, Europe, and worldwide.
• Van Hire Commercial van rental service for house moves, business equipment transport, and adventure holidays, offered in various van sizes.
• Long Term Car Hire Extended rental periods with flexible mileage options and a complimentary additional driver benefit, suited to business and leisure customers needing a vehicle for weeks or months.
• One-Way Car Hire Rental service allowing customers to pick up a vehicle at one location and return it at a different location, including across UK cities and between continents.
• Avis Prestige Luxury and premium car hire service featuring high-end vehicles for customers seeking prestige brands and enhanced standards.
• Avis Select Series Selected premium vehicles offering enhanced features and quality standards within the Avis fleet.
• EV & Hybrid Car Hire Electric and hybrid vehicle rental options for environmentally conscious customers.
• 7 Seater & People Carriers Hire Multi-passenger vehicle rental for families or groups requiring additional seating capacity.
• Economy Car Rental Budget-friendly compact car rental options for cost-conscious leisure and business travellers.
• Automatic Car Hire Vehicles with automatic transmission offered as a distinct rental line for customers who prefer not to drive manual cars.
• Avis Preferred Loyalty Programme Free loyalty programme offering 10% discount on European rentals, priority service, and exclusive partner benefits across Europe and South Africa.
• Avis Inclusive Comprehensive coverage package bundling roadside assistance and discounted zero-excess cover for peace of mind during a rental.
• Additional Cover Supplementary insurance and protection options for rental vehicles, offering extra protection beyond standard cover.
• Continental Cover Coverage option enabling customers to drive rental vehicles from the UK into mainland Europe.
• SME Business Booking Tool Dedicated online booking platform for small and medium-sized enterprises to manage company car rentals, quotes, and accounts.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partnership offering 10% back on Avis rentals via Amazon.co.uk Gift Card. Customers booking through specific promotional links can receive cashback rewards on their rental purchases.
• Avis Preferred Loyalty MemberscoreOthersFree loyalty programme offering 10% discount on European rentals, priority service, exclusive partner offers, and complimentary benefits across Europe and South Africa.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Virtuo: Digital-first, app-based car rental operator with a premium positioning, increasingly present in major UK and European cities. Represents the emerging app-native threat to traditional counter-based operators like Avis UK.
• Green Motion: UK-headquartered value and environmentally positioned rental brand with growing airport and city presence. Targets similar leisure and business customers as Avis UK with a more price-led proposition.

Direct peers

• Hertz UK: Direct UK competitor operating airport and city car rental locations with similar product categories (economy, prestige, vans) and a global network inherited from The Hertz Corporation. Closest head-to-head competitor to Avis UK.
• Thrifty Car Rental UK: Value-oriented car rental brand with UK airport presence, competing directly with Avis UK's economy and standard segments on price-led leisure and business rentals.
• Europcar UK: Major European car rental brand with significant UK presence, including airport stations. Directly comparable on leisure and business rentals and frequently positioned alongside Avis UK on price-comparison sites.
• Sixt UK: German-headquartered premium car rental operator with growing UK airport and city presence. Directly competes with Avis UK, especially in the premium and corporate segments, with a strong digital booking experience.
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car UK: Largest car rental operator in the UK by fleet size, with broad airport and neighbourhood branch coverage. Competes with Avis UK across leisure, business, and van hire segments with strong brand recognition.

Broad incumbents

• National Car Rental UK: Premium corporate-focused rental brand under Enterprise Holdings. Targets business and executive customers with similar service positioning to Avis UK's corporate offering, representing direct competition in the corporate segment.
• Budget UK: Sister brand to Avis under Avis Budget Group, targeting price-sensitive leisure customers. Operates in the same locations and benefits from the same fleet and back-office infrastructure, representing direct internal cannibalisation risk.
• Zipcar UK: Car-sharing service owned by Avis Budget Group, offering short-duration vehicle access in UK cities. Addresses overlapping but distinct urban mobility demand and shares fleet and digital infrastructure with Avis UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AvisUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2vsNAAKZc38FUZwJUQHNwg?view
• Facebookfacebook.com/AvisRentACarUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/aviseurope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avis-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Avis UK