Hertz Launches Vehicle Upgrades Via Mobile Devices

PARK RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Delivering again on its commitment to provide the fastest and easiest experiences in the car rental industry, The Hertz Corporation (NYSE:HTZ) announced today that its Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members may now select an upgraded or different rental vehicle via their smartphone. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members are offered a range of cars on their smartphone which they can instantly rent in lieu of the reserved vehicle.  A significant enhancement of its 'Carfirmations' or Mobile Gold Alerts service, members can now execute a vehicle change in three simple clicks prior to pick-up and without talking to a rental agent.

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"Our customers expect speed and convenience which is why we continue to invest in user-friendly services and tools to meet their expectations in an increasingly technology-driven world," commented Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mark P. Frissora. "Carfirmations now give our valued Gold Members the ability to upgrade their reserved rental directly from their mobile devices as soon as they've landed. This new level of convenience and choice is unique in the car rental industry - and customers love it."

Hertz Carfirmations are an email and mobile SMS text service that notifies Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members, prior to arrival, about their rental, including specific vehicle information and car location.  Clicking a link in the message provides customers renting at U.S. airport locations up to three options: switching to a different car at no additional cost; the Deal of the Day; or upgrading to a nicer car while presenting the specific make, model and color of the available cars. In addition, where available, cars with NeverLost GPS are offered.

To launch the new upgrades, Hertz piloted the service in both Los Angeles and Washington D.C. throughout December and has since introduced Mobile Gold Alert upgrades to the top 50 airport locations in the U.S.  Thousands of customers participated in the pilot program and overwhelmingly positive responses included everything from 'loved it,' to 'being able to see in advance what I'm getting, and change it to something more suitable, is a big selling point,' to 'I couldn't believe how awesome this was.'

With more than two million customers using Mobile Gold Alerts, and more than 500,000 alerts sent each month, Hertz's Carfirmations upgrade is one of many recent technology upgrades from Hertz, including:

Hertz Gold Choice ("Choose Control") gives a Gold customer the power to select their own car and go. They can keep the pre-assigned car or simply choose another and head straight to the exit gate, something no other car rental company offers. Gold Choice is currently available at 58 locations worldwide.

Hertz's e-Return ("Zap Technology") allows customers to simply drop off their car and go at time of rental return.  With Hertz e-Return, Hertz emails the customer's receipt in a flash (typically within 30 minutes of returning a car). More than two million e-Return receipts have been sent on 78% of Gold transactions, with 650,000 e-Receipts sent each month.

Hertz ExpressRent Interactive Kiosks™, available at more than 100 airport and neighborhood locations in the U.S. and Europe, is the only self-service kiosk in the industry equipped with a touchscreen interface and a second screen that allow customers to interact directly with live customer service agents via video to pick up existing rentals or create new rental agreements. Recently, Hertz recorded more than 8,000 kiosk rental transactions per week in the U.S., setting a new record.  Hertz ExpressRent Interactive Kiosks have been recognized for innovating the car rental experience, winning awards including the 2012 CIO 100 award and Best (Self Service) Kiosk in Zagat's 2012/2013 car rental survey. 

Hertz is committed to offering its customers the most technologically innovative products and services available to keep customers "Traveling at the Speed of Hertz." This includes Hertz 'Carfirmations'; 'Gold Choice', which gives Gold members the power to keep the car they reserved or simply choose a different car from the Gold Choice area; and e-Return, with the fastest car rental drop-off that includes an email receipt within hours. These are all complimentary services for Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members, which is currently free to join. In addition, Hertz continues to expand the presence of its ExpressRent Interactive Kiosks that let customers rent a car, with or without a reservation, through a live, face-to-face video kiosk.

For more information, visit www.Hertz.com and/or follow Hertz at www.Facebook.com/Hertz and www.Twitter.com/Hertz. Click here to visit the Hertz YouTube page and view the Hertz ExpressRent Kiosk.

About The Hertz Corporation

Hertz operates its car rental business through the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands from approximately 10,400 corporate, licensee and franchisee locations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Hertz is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental brand, operating from approximately 8,800 corporate and licensee locations in approximately 150 countries. Hertz is the number one airport car rental brand in the U.S. and at 111 major airports in Europe. Dollar and Thrifty have approximately 1,580 corporate and franchisee locations in approximately 80 countries. Hertz is an inaugural member of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards Hall of Fame and was recently named, for the thirteenth time, by the magazine's readers as the Best Car Rental Agency. Hertz was also voted the Best Overall Car Rental Company in Zagat's 2012/13 U.S. Car Rental Survey, earning top honors in 14 additional categories, and the Company swept the global awards for Best Rewards Program and Best Overall Benefits from FlyerTalk.com. Product and service initiatives such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, NeverLost®, and unique cars and SUVs offered through the Company's Adrenaline, Prestige and Green Traveler Collections, also set Hertz apart from the competition. Additionally, Hertz owns the vehicle leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation and operates the Hertz On Demand car sharing business. The Company also owns a leading North American equipment rental business, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, which includes Hertz Entertainment Services.

To make car rental reservations or for more information, customers can call their travel agent, or call Hertz toll-free at 1-800-654-3001. Information and reservations are also available on the web at www.hertz.com.