Dollar Rent A Car Launches Rebate, Loyalty Program
Dollar Rent A Car has introduced a new corporate car rental program that provides rebates to businesses with at least $1,000 in annual rental car spend through proper channels in the company.
Corporate clients of the Tulsa, Okla.-based company, part of the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, now may create a Dollar 4Business account to earn rebates and receive simplified booking and billing options. While Dollar traditionally has focused on leisure travel, it aims to welcome more business travelers into its fold, said Scott Anderson, Dollar Thrifty's senior executive vice president for global markets.
"I do believe that corporate business is something you can expect to see Dollar Thrifty more focused on going forward," Anderson said. "A lot of companies out there are interested in saving money in every piece of their travel experience."
Dollar 4Business, launched in mid-April, offers a flex-rate plan with no minimum rental volume for companies. Besides access to Dollar's lowest retail rates with an additional 5 percent discount, companies earn a 3 percent quarterly rebate when their spend with Dollar reaches $1,000. Revenue can be carried over quarters, so a company that spends $700 in both the first and second quarters, for example, would earn the rebate in the second quarter.
The program also offers an authorized billing option, in which employees can rent with only a billing code and without credit cards or paperwork. Companies will receive monthly invoices for all such rentals. Central billing credit vouchers are available to companies as a second option.
Dollar 4Business also comes in the form of a corporate rate plan that has similar reservation methods but provides benefits based on the amount the company plans to spend with Dollar. Rentals in many major U.S. cities also will carry a surcharge under a corporate rate plan, however.
Other benefits associated with Dollar 4Business include waivers of underage driver fees, roadside assistance, free membership to Dollar's express service program and earned frequent flyer miles. Dollar did not disclose enrollments, but said initial participation exceeded expectations.
Neil Abrams, president of Purchase, N.Y.-based Abrams Consulting Group, said Dollar's new courting of corporate clients is to be expected. Dollar Thrifty is the only of the major brands to be a publicly traded, standalone car rental company, and a string of strong earnings showings puts them in a good position for expansion, he said.
"They have traditionally not been known as a corporate supplier, certainly on the higher end," Abrams said, "but like many strong companies, their stockholders and management are looking to grow into new markets and new sectors."