WAYZOR
WAYZOR is a car rental company operating across the Azores islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Faial, serving tourists and corporate travelers through 11 airport and hotel partner locations. It is a subsidiary of Bensaude Group, rebranded in 2024 from Varela Rent-a-Car.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSão Miguel, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WAYZOR does
WAYZOR is a car rental company operating across the Azores archipelago of Portugal, serving tourists on São Miguel, Terceira, and Faial islands. The corporate entity, Varela & Ca, Lda., is a subsidiary of Bensaude Group, one of the largest diversified business groups in the Azores. Originally established in 2000 as Varela Rent-a-Car, the company rebranded to Wayzor in 2024 under Bensaude's direction to modernize its positioning while retaining 24+ years of operational experience.
The company's core offering is short-term vehicle rental supported by a booking platform with online Fast Check-In, a fleet spanning city cars to 9-seater vans, three insurance tiers (Basic, Zen Trip, Peace of Mind), and an Eco Fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles. Distribution is hybrid D2C: customers book online for pickup at 11 strategic locations — airport counters at PDL, HOR, and TER, plus 8 partner hotels across the three islands. Marketing is digital-led (Instagram, Facebook, blog content, SEO) with the branded hashtag #AzoresYourWay, and a sub-brand (Wayzor Business) targets corporate travelers.
Revenue is generated per rental, with pricing tiered by vehicle class (deductibles from €1,300 to €3,200), optional daily protection add-ons (Zen Trip €21–€45/day, Peace of Mind €26–€56/day), and ancillary fees (young driver surcharge, after-hours fee €30/hour, road assistance fee up to €135, €50 fine-processing fee). The customer base is split between leisure tourists (primary segment) and corporate travelers (secondary, via Wayzor Business), with hotel partnerships providing a captive distribution channel through guest discounts.
WAYZOR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WAYZOR
- Legal name
- Varela & Ca, Lda.
- Website
- https://wayzor.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WAYZOR is a car rental company operating across the Azores islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Faial, serving tourists and corporate travelers through 11 airport and hotel partner locations. It is a subsidiary of Bensaude Group, rebranded in 2024 from Varela Rent-a-Car.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where WAYZOR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- São Miguel
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices13 records
Markets served
WAYZOR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Vehicle Rental: Car rental services with flexible rental options ranging from weekend breaks to longer adventures. Pricing is based on vehicle category, rental duration, and selected protection/coverage plan.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Mini (Group B) - €1,300 deductible |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Economy (Groups C, C2, C3) - €1,600-€1,800 deductible |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | SUV Compact/Automatic (Groups D, D2) - €1,800 deductible |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | SUV Medium/Full (Groups E2, I, I2) - €2,500-€2,700 deductible |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Minibus 9-Seater (Groups M, M3) - €3,200 deductible |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
WAYZOR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WAYZOR provides car rental services for tourists and corporate clients visiting the Azores islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Faial. The offering includes a diverse fleet ranging from city cars to 9-seater vans, an Eco Fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, optional insurance coverage tiers (Zen Trip and Peace of Mind), online Fast Check-In, and 11 pickup/drop-off locations across airports and partner hotels. Corporate car hire is offered via the Wayzor Business sub-brand.
Product overview
WAYZOR is a car rental company operating across the Azores islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Faial, with 11 locations including airports and partner hotels. The core offering is standard car rental with flexible rental periods, supported by a modern fleet including city cars, family vehicles, SUVs, and an Eco Fleet with electric and hybrid models. The company offers three insurance tiers: Standard/Basic (with vehicle deductible/excess), Zen Trip (with 300 EUR excess and 300 EUR security deposit), and Peace of Mind (0 EUR excess, premium roadside assistance with dispatch). Add-on services include Fast Check-In for online pre-registration and Wayzor Business for corporate clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standard Car Rental
- Eco Fleet (Electric and Hybrid Vehicles)
- Zen Trip Coverage
- Peace of Mind Coverage
Companies that use WAYZOR
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WAYZOR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
WAYZOR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hotel Partners NetworkcoreWayzor operates pickup locations at 8 partner hotels across the Azores: NEAT Hotel Avenida, Grand Hotel A. Atlântico, Hotel Marina Atlântico, S. Miguel Park Hotel, Caloura Hotel Resort, Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, Hotel do Canal, and Terceira Mar Hotel. Hotel guests receive 15% discount on car rental.
- Bensaude GroupcoreBensaude Group drove the rebranding of Varela Rent-a-Car to Wayzor. Bensaude is one of the largest business groups in the Azores with extensive experience in the tourism sector.
- NEAT Hotel AvenidaminorHotel partner location in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- Grand Hotel A. AtlânticominorHotel partner location in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- Hotel Marina AtlânticominorHotel partner location in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- S. Miguel Park HotelminorHotel partner location in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- Caloura Hotel ResortminorHotel partner location in Lagoa area of São Miguel offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- Terra Nostra Garden HotelminorHotel partner location in Furnas area of São Miguel offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- Hotel do CanalminorHotel partner location in Horta, Faial offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- Terceira Mar HotelminorHotel partner location in Angra do Heroismo, Terceira offering car pickup and 15% discount for hotel guests.
- Hotel do CaracolminorHotel partner location in Angra do Heroismo, Terceira offering car pickup.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WAYZOR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Localiza: Latin America's largest car rental company (with Alamo/National franchises). Comparable as a regional airport-driven rental operator pursuing leisure tourist segments, though geographically focused on South America rather than Europe.
- Auto Jardim: Largest car rental operator in Madeira and the Azores, offering airport pickup, hotel delivery, and tourist-oriented fleet (including EVs). Comparable because it operates in the same Portuguese island-tourism rental category with similar airport/hotel distribution.
- Turiscar: Portuguese car rental company serving both mainland Portugal and island destinations. Comparable because it serves the same Portuguese tourist customer base with airport and city pickup, though it does not specialize in islands.
Broad incumbents
- Avis: Global car rental brand with established Portugal and Azores/Madeira presence. Comparable as a competing airport-based rental provider but operating as a generalist incumbent rather than an island specialist.
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car: World's largest car rental company by fleet and revenue, with growing presence across European leisure destinations. Comparable as a broad incumbent entering the same tourist airport-rental market.
- SIXT: Global premium car rental brand with strong airport presence across Europe including Iberia and Atlantic destinations. Comparable as a competing airport-driven rental option, but operates at much larger scale across many categories.
- Hertz: Global car rental incumbent with operations throughout Portugal. Comparable as a competing airport pickup rental brand in the broader tourist mobility market, but operates a much broader portfolio beyond leisure islands.
Direct peers
- Goldcar: European leisure-focused car rental brand owned by Europcar Group, dominant in Mediterranean island and southern-European tourist destinations. Comparable because it pursues the same budget-to-mid leisure tourist segment via airport and resort locations.
- Centauro Rent a Car: Spanish-headquartered leisure car rental brand focused on Mediterranean tourist destinations (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece). Comparable business model targeting inbound leisure tourists at airport and resort locations.
- Ilha Verde Rent a Car: One of the most established local car rental operators in the Azores, with airport pickup across São Miguel, Terceira, Faial and Pico. Directly comparable because it targets the same inbound tourist customer with the same island-coverage model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WAYZOR social profiles
Digital presenceWAYZOR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WAYZOR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
WAYZOR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WAYZOR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WAYZOR
What does WAYZOR do?
WAYZOR provides car rental services for tourists and corporate clients visiting the Azores islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Faial. The offering includes a diverse fleet ranging from city cars to 9-seater vans, an Eco Fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, optional insurance coverage tiers (Zen Trip and Peace of Mind), online Fast Check-In, and 11 pickup/drop-off locations across airports and partner hotels. Corporate car hire is offered via the Wayzor Business sub-brand.
Is WAYZOR a public or private company?
WAYZOR is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WAYZOR founded?
WAYZOR was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WAYZOR based?
WAYZOR is headquartered in São Miguel, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does WAYZOR make money?
One revenue line is on record: vehicle Rental.
Who are WAYZOR's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Localiza, Auto Jardim and Turiscar. Broad incumbents are Avis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, SIXT and Hertz. Direct peers are Goldcar, Centauro Rent a Car and Ilha Verde Rent a Car.
Does WAYZOR have an API?
No public API is recorded for WAYZOR.