What must a Dollar Rent A Car franchisee do to identify themselves to the public?
Dollar_Rent_A_Car Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
(e.g., the sale, leasing or parking of vehicles). You may only use the Marks in advertising featuring the products we approve in our national advertising.
You must at all times identify yourself to the public as an independent Franchisee of the Dollar System. You may not register or assist others in registering the Marks or variations of them, or any name or mark in which we have an interest, with any domain name registrar that has the authority or ability to allocate or assign Internet domain names on either the international, national, regional, or local levels.
When the Franchise Agreement terminates or expires, you must stop using our Marks. We have exclusive rights to our Marks. We also have the right to monitor, supervise and control the use of our Marks by our franchisees and the nature and quality of the goods and services provided under the Marks.
We have the right to modify or discontinue the use of any of the Marks and you must comply with our standards for their use as modified, at your expense and within a reasonable period of time.
If you have more than one brand, you are strictly prohibited from co-branding and you must conduct your operations, and comply with the image and standards requirements, according to the franchise agreements, the Multiple Brand Franchising Addendum, and the Operations Guide, including separate offairport facilities, rental counters, and uniforms, and compliance with other guidelines so that it is clear to the public that the Dollar Business, the Thrifty Business, the Firefly Business and the Hertz Business are separate and distinct businesses.
Source: Item 13 — TRADEMARKS (FDD pages 71–73)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Dollar Rent A Car Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must always identify themselves to the public as an independent franchisee of the Dollar Rent A Car system. This means franchisees cannot present themselves as a direct branch or corporate entity of Dollar Rent A Car. This requirement ensures customers understand they are dealing with an independently owned and operated business that is part of the larger Dollar Rent A Car network.
Furthermore, the FDD states that franchisees are prohibited from using any Dollar Rent A Car mark or the word "DOLLAR" as part of any corporate name or with any prefix, suffix, or other modifying words, terms, designs, or symbols. Franchisees also cannot use any Dollar Rent A Car name or mark in connection with the sale of any unauthorized product or service, such as the sale, leasing, or parking of vehicles, and may only use the marks in advertising featuring products approved in Dollar Rent A Car's national advertising. These restrictions are in place to protect the integrity and consistency of the Dollar Rent A Car brand.
If a Dollar Rent A Car franchisee operates more than one brand, they are strictly prohibited from co-branding. They must conduct their operations and comply with image and standards requirements according to the franchise agreements, the Multiple Brand Franchising Addendum, and the Operations Guide. This includes maintaining separate off-airport facilities, rental counters, and uniforms to ensure the public clearly recognizes that the Dollar Rent A Car business is separate and distinct from other businesses like Thrifty, Firefly, and Hertz. These measures are crucial for maintaining brand clarity and avoiding customer confusion in multi-brand franchise operations.