- Straight-to-Car service runs through Avis Preferred app.
- Customers bypass rental counter and unlock the car using their cellphone.
- Car selection can also be swapped instantly via the app.
Avis claims it has achieved a New Zealand-first in the mainstream rental-car industry with contactless pickup, meaning customers now have the option to skip the rental counter entirely, head straight to the car they
have chosen, unlock it on their phone, and go.
"Straight-to-Car" pick-up is available to Avis Preferred (free to join) members, both local and international, who use the Avis App. The technology is similar to that used by car-sharing services for years, which allows modern cars to to synch with a cellphone for unlocking/locking and starting.
"People are accustomed to seamless, tech-driven experiences, from ordering groceries online to
booking accommodation," says the company. "The Avis Preferred Straight-to-Car experience matches the ease and speed travellers now expect of the travel industry."
Customers can also swap the car assigned to a different model via the app, with the new selection updating imediately.
Avis Preferred Straight-to-Car pick-up is now available at airports in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Wellington (as well as Wellington city), Nelson, Picton, Blenheim, Christchurch and Invercargill. It's arriving at Napier, Tauranga and Dunedin from August 18, New Plymouth from September 1 and Queenstown from September 8.