Payless Car Rental Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Payless Car Rental offers affordable car rental services, providing reliable transportation solutions for travelers and individuals in need of temporary vehicles.

Payless Car Rental is a prominent franchise known for its affordable and convenient car rental services. Established in 1971 and headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, the franchise has built a strong reputation in the industry.

Payless Car Rental has been offering franchising opportunities since 2001, enabling entrepreneurs to join a brand celebrated for its commitment to providing dependable and budget-friendly car rental options.

The franchise boasts a diverse fleet of rental vehicles, including economy cars, SUVs, and vans, catering to both business and leisure travelers.

What distinguishes Payless Car Rental from its competitors is its dedication to affordability without sacrificing quality or customer service. The franchise strives to make car rentals accessible to a wide range of customers, offering competitive prices and a seamless rental experience.

Initial investment

Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial License Purchase Fee$50,000
Construction, remodeling, decorating, and leasehold improvements$15,000 – $75,000
Furniture, fixtures, other fixed assets, and equipment$15,000 – $28,000
Signage$10,000 – $20,000
3 months’ rent and security deposits$9,000 – $18,000
Vehicle Insurance Premiums$15,000 – $37,500
Grand opening advertising and promotional costs$2,000 – $5,000
Office supplies$500 – $2,000
Miscellaneous opening costs$1,000 – $3,000
Automobiles$450,000 – $1,290,000 plus interest
Travel and living expenses during training$3,000 – $7,500
Additional funds—three months$55,000 – $72,400
Total Estimated Initial Investment$625,500 – $1,608,400
Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial License Purchase Fee$50,000
Construction, remodeling, decorating, and leasehold improvements$15,000 – $75,000
Furniture, fixtures, other fixed assets, and equipment$15,000 – $28,000
Signage$10,000 – $20,000
3 months’ rent and security deposits$9,000 – $18,000
Vehicle Insurance Premiums$15,000 – $37,500
Grand opening advertising and promotional costs$2,000 – $5,000
Office supplies$500 – $2,000
Miscellaneous opening costs$1,000 – $3,000
Automobiles$450,000 – $1,290,000 plus interest
Travel and living expenses during training$3,000 – $7,500
Additional funds—three months$55,000 – $72,400
Total Estimated Initial Investment$625,500 – $1,608,400

Franchise Disclosure Document

Number of units

Training 

Payless Car Rental provides extensive training to franchisees through various programs and instructions. Key aspects of this training include:

Web-Based Training and Seminars: Payless periodically updates and introduces new web-based training programs and seminars. These are mandatory for franchisees, their General Managers, and other managerial staff. Attendance at Payless conventions or seminars is also required.

On-the-Job Training: Experienced instructors, often from the Licensee Relations Department and with a minimum of one year in the car rental industry, provide hands-on training.

Operating Assistance and Training: A thorough training program is available, offering courses, resources, webinars, and training materials to help train the franchisee's General Manager and employees in running the rental business.

Territory Protection

Payless Car Rental ensures territory protection for its franchisees by assigning them an exclusive area, typically delineated by political boundaries or a designated radius around the franchise location.

Throughout the franchise term, Payless commits to not opening or authorizing another Payless franchise within this protected territory, as long as the franchisee adheres to all terms of the agreement.

However, Payless reserves the right to operate and grant licenses outside of this territory and, in certain situations, within the territory under specific conditions.

Competitors

Below are some of

Payless Car Rental

key competitors in the

Other Automotive

sector.

Franchise
Franchisees
Initial fee
Total investment
Revenue
Upgrade
Gross Profit
Upgrade
EBITDA
Upgrade

12

New
+
-50%
-50%

$45,000

$626,000

$1,608,000

n.a.

$0

$xxx,xxx

n.a.

xx%

n.a.

n.a.

xx%

n.a.

Competitors

NextCar

NextCar is a vehicle rental franchise offering neighborhood and airport car rentals, leasing, and related mobility services, serving travelers and corporate accounts, and known for flexible franchise support, robust reservation systems, and affiliation with the NP Franchise Group network.

Franchisees

?

12
+
9%
9%
Investment

?

$315,000 - $1,593,000

Auto Appraisal Network

Auto Appraisal Network is an automotive services franchise offering certified vehicle appraisal reports, serving classic car owners, insurers, lenders, and legal professionals, and known for low-overhead home-based operations, nationwide brand recognition, and expert evaluations across classic, custom, and late-model vehicles.

Franchisees

?

20
+
18%
18%
Investment

?

$17,000 - $44,000

Velofix

Velofix is a mobile bicycle repair and service franchise offering on-site maintenance, parts and rental fleets, serving cyclists and active customers, and known for low overhead, mobile flexibility and a franchise-ready support system.

Franchisees

?

34
+
-33%
-33%
Investment

?

$203,000 - $252,000

Thrifty Car Rental

Thrifty Car Rental is a vehicle-rental franchise offering airport and local car hire services, serving business and leisure travellers, and known for recognizable brand strength, broad global presence and scalable fleet-management business model.

Franchisees

?

73
+
9%
9%
Investment

?

$879,000 - $15,874,000

RimTyme

RimTyme Custom Wheels & Tires is an automotive retail franchise offering custom wheels, tires, and rent-to-own payment plans, serving vehicle enthusiasts seeking upgrades, and known for same-day installations, flexible financing and a targeted niche market.

Franchisees

?

29
+
-22%
-22%
Investment

?

$473,000 - $802,000

SailTime

SailTime is a boating-lifestyle franchise offering fractional ownership, boat club memberships and watercraft access services, serving recreational boaters and lifestyle-seeking customers, and known for turnkey business operations, proprietary software and proven network support.

Franchisees

?

21
+
-13%
-13%
Investment

?

$75,000 - $152,000