Uber gets into the car rental business with a new feature

The logo for Uber appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, Aug. 16, 2019. Uber Technologies Inc. has filed to dismiss a complaint by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers at the Ontario Labour Relations Board about a deal the tech giant reached with another union. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Richard Drew

An app well-known for ride sharing and delivering food is now also getting into the car rental business.

Uber is allowing users to make a car rental reservation with Uber Rent through the Uber app.

If you already have the app on your phone, you can go to the rental feature and once you click on the app you can rent a car from Budget, Avis or Hertz with the click of a button.

Keerthana Rang with Uber Canada said the rental cost will depend on the vehicle, the location, and how busy it is, but claims that rental pricing on the app will be competitive.

"People will be able to take a look at the different vehicles and find something for them at the best price possible," said Rang.

Like other Uber offerings, the company makes money on service charges.

Users must decide where they will pick up the car and how long they will rent it. They are responsible for getting to the rental location and dropping it off when the rental is through.

The company already offers it’s Uber Rent service in the United States and the United Kingdom and as of May of this year, Uber Rent was available in Canada.

Michael Hopwood lives and works in Toronto and owns his own car, but he says being downtown he still uses ride sharing services like Uber to get around the city.

Despite owning a car, he said he also occasionally rents a larger vehicle if he goes on a road trip with friends.

"I think the biggest part for me is having to go on a friend trip and maybe use a four-wheel drive instead of trying to jam everyone into my small car,” said Hopwood.

Hopwood recently used Uber Rent for the first time to rent a vehicle and said it was a seamless experience.

"I would say it's that I could pick up the car that I wanted to rent, but I also think it's the fact that I could do it from my couch the same way I would order an Uber," said Hopwood.

Rang said it’s another option for those who need a vehicle occasionally, but don’t want to buy one.

“Making transportation options like this available for Canadians gives them more ways to get around and help them get where they need to go. It's an alternative to personal car ownership which helps reduce traffic and green house gas emissions overall" said Rang.

If you rent through Uber you'll need to show up with a valid driver's licence and credit card and make sure you have proper insurance coverage in case anything happens during your rental.