As a Dollar Rent A Car franchisee, am I limited in the customers to whom I may offer services?
Dollar_Rent_A_Car Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
the System and may operate and conduct Your Franchised Business and provide services only within your Franchised Territory and only from the Franchised Premises.
You are not limited by the terms of the Franchise Agreement, any other agreement, or any practice in the customers to whom you may offer the services of Your Franchised Business.
If we permit you to have more than one brand, you must (1) submit commercially reasonable bids for the right to operate separately, your Hertz Business, your Dollar Business and/or your Thrifty Business from an in-terminal location at the airport within the Territory; (2) comply with all image and standards requirements for the operation of multiple brands, including potentially separate off-airport facilities, rental counters, and uniforms, and compliance with other guidelines so that it is clear to the public that your Hertz Business, your Dollar Business and/or your Thrifty Business are separate and distinct businesses; and (3) conduct your operations according the Multiple Brand Franchising Addendum and the Operations Guide, which generally will prohibit co-branding in conjunction with Your Franchised Business.
If permitted by us, a franchisee with more than one brand may service its customers using a combined vehicle rental fleet for use in the operation of its Franchised Business as long as the vehicle identification is neutral, unbranded and in compliance with required image standards. However, unless we otherwise authorize, you will not be allowed to co-brand your Courtesy Vehicles.
If we allow you to you have more than one brand, you must use a counter automation system that is compatible with the specifications of Hertz, Dollar and/or Thrifty, and which is capable of sending and receiving data from Hertz, Dollar and/or Thrifty.
If we authorize you to have more than one brand, you must have brand-specific dedicated employees in all areas where customer contact occurs. Sharing of counter employees across brands at the same time is strictly prohibited, unless we otherwise approve. Customer contact employees must always be uniformed in the attire of the brand they are currently representing and must wear authorized Hertz, Dollar or Thrifty uniforms and nametags. Common or neutral customer contact employee uniforms are not allowed, unless specifically permitted by us.
We, and our affiliates, retain the right, in our sole discretion, to unilaterally make changes to the operating requirements and procedures for operating multiple brands, to maintain the goodwill associated with the Hertz Marks, the Dollar Marks and the Thrifty Marks, to meet customer satisfaction demands and to meet competition. There may be variations in customer-based performance standards between the brands as set forth in the applicable Operations Guide and operating guides.
ITEM 17 RENEWAL, TERMINATION, TRANSFER, AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
**This table lists certain important provisions of the franchise and related agreements.
Source: Item 16 — RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT THE FRANCHISEE MAY SELL (FDD pages 75–77)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Dollar Rent A Car Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not restricted in terms of the customers they may serve. Dollar Rent A Car franchisees must operate their franchised business in accordance with the system standards and can only operate and provide services within their designated franchised territory and from the franchised premises.
Dollar Rent A Car requires franchisees to offer customers the option to purchase a loss or collision damage waiver. Franchisees must also honor specific charge and credit cards, solicit applications for these cards, and process car rental reservations. It is important that franchisees avoid any practices that could mislead the public.
If a Dollar Rent A Car franchisee is permitted to operate multiple brands (Hertz and/or Thrifty), they must submit competitive bids to operate each brand separately from an in-terminal airport location within their territory. They must also adhere to image and standard requirements to ensure each brand is distinctly recognized by the public, potentially including separate facilities, rental counters, and uniforms. Co-branding is generally prohibited under the Multiple Brand Franchising Addendum and the Operations Guide. If authorized to operate more than one brand, the franchisee must ensure that employees interacting with customers are dedicated to a specific brand and wear the appropriate uniform and nametag.
Dollar Rent A Car franchisees must participate in any and all programs, campaigns, or activities that the franchisor initiates, modifies, or replaces from time to time. These programs could relate to advertising, sales promotion, marketing, reservations, centralized billing, direct billing, charge cards, credit cards, debit cards, cash deposit ID cards, any cards issued by the franchisor or its affiliates, travel industry commissions or tour arrangements, customer satisfaction, operations, account programs, coupon programs, experimental or test programs. Franchisees must also participate in and promote the franchisor's reservation program or system and pay related assessments and contributions.