Turo-like Car Rental App: Development Insights & Costs

There is a surge in people using car rental services these days. This is one of the prime reasons many such services are sprouting these days. One of the conducive ways for the public to book cabs is through Apps like Turo. Moreover, the car rental industry needs a mobile application integration to boost their business too. One must say, car rental and the mobile app go hand in hand. 

What are Car Rental Mobile Apps?

The idea of owning a car for life is declining for the very reason that, even if a person rents out a car for his usage, he incurs less expenses than buying a car. Incidentally, the maintenance cost and other imbibed expenditures in maintaining a car add to the expenses altogether. With cab rentals being nominal and businesses wanting to stay ahead of the competition, car rental apps like Turo is built. 

More importantly, the service users’ mindset is to rent a cab that works out cheap as well. The mobile application development companies and the car rental companies work together in developing a delectable app that is user-friendly for people to use. More importantly, the applications that are developed also have the feature to compare the prices. This helps the customers to make informed decisions, they’re saving some money in the travel. 

Apps similar to Turo is booming a lot as the car rental industry is gaining recognition in recent times. The apps shall help the customer book a cab at a specific time and they get the notification of the details that include 

1. Model of the car
2. Name of the Driver
3. Driver Contact Number
4. OTP to make it a secure ride
5. Price to be paid at the end of the ride

Many other features depend on the company’s business process to stay at the top of the business all the time. All that a customer needs is a smartphone with internet and they can book a cab with no hassle. The usage of a desktop or a laptop is long gone for booking any services as their handheld of theirs serves the purpose. The best part is, you can book a car from anywhere as several cab services are functioning these days.

How well are Car Rental Apps like Turo Doing?

The car rental industry is growing spectacularly to meet user demands. This is where the difference lies among the cab service companies. There are many big-sized companies and small – medium-sized companies involved in this business. With travel being routine, the usage of apps similar to Turo is always on the rise. The demand of customers is rising every day and the industry is becoming one of the top businesses in the world. 

As the demand for cab services is greater, companies have been inclined to make apps. There is no discrimination between the small and the big companies. All the companies are making apps to build their business. Most of the ace can service, once started remotely with just a mobile application in place. The employees worked out of the home to coordinate things. Moreover, once the application is developed and you have a considerable number of cabs and drivers as partners, business functionality is not only automated but also seamless.

Let us see some of the statistics, that shall help you understand how big will be this industry and why should one have a mobile application as their ace weapon to drive their business.

In the US alone

1. There is a customer penetration of 3.6% by 2020 and it is expected to read 7.1% by 2024
2. The revenue is expected to grow by 18.5% every year if you constantly innovate and offer better services to the customers

The usage of cell phones in the nation is rising too. 85% of the people in the US use smartphones against 77% in 2018. That means say, rental apps like Turo which started in early 2018, have seen a considerable business increase once the mobile applications were developed. Incidentally, the applications reduce maximum manual intervention. In fact, the users, need not see the number on the web, then call the cab services, and the representative books the cab for you. They just have to tap open the app and book the can from anywhere. The applications are made in such a way that you can book the cab to start from a remote location from where you are booking. 

The combination of customer demand and business innovation has led many people to start a cab rental service of any size. The revenue models of the businesses differ but the main focus is to develop a mobile application to cater to the needs of the customers. There are different rental models that we can come across today.

• Car Rentals for Corporate

As the name implies, some companies offer cars on rent to the corporate to facilitate employee commutation.

• Car Rental Services for Outstation Trips

Specifically designed services only for outstation trips. 

• Car Rental Services for Local Usage

As with the outstation car rentals, this is restricted to local trips.

• Self–Driven Car Rental Services

This is one of a kind, where the businesses offer just the car and one can self-drive it for their local or outstation trips.

Depending on the size and the manpower availability, the companies operate in offering one of the above-mentioned services or a combination of 2 or 3 types. The companies again have different business models in operating the cab services.

• Businesses Own the Cars

This requires a lot of investment, where the business will have a fleet of cars. They hire drivers and pay them a monthly salary. Here again, we can see two types of companies. One gives the drivers a monthly salary, the other is giving their pay after each ride. 

• Commission-based Car Rental Services

Here, a car owner can use his/her car for rental services by integrating it into a mobile application. As the booking is done, the car owner can use a driver or drive on his own to take the customer to the preferred location. The fare that is paid shall be shared with the app developers as well. This peer-to-peer car rental is the model used by Turo. 

How Does Turo App Work?

Turo is a mobile application that is used by two parties; Vehicle Owners – Hosts and Renters – Guests. Ideally, the hosts shall list their cab in Turo. The guests can log in to Turo and search for the services and book the cab for their use. The app is made flexible for the users to book a cab online or by using the mobile application. The phone app helps direct communication between the two parties.

This is an excellent model because Turo is the best car rental app and it is popular among commuters. That means to say, if the guest wants a cab to be booked, the possibility of them tapping the Turo app on the phone is more. That means to say, as a car owner, you need not keep the vehicle idle for a long time, instead make a good amount of business too. As the trip ends, the customers pay for the services where a certain percentage goes to Turo and the rest to the car owner. 

The Turo app has incredible features that help both the drivers and the customers in many ways. Moreover, the cars offered by Turo are mostly basic economy cars that are 5 to 10 years old. Of course, the app also features luxurious cars too, but the Turo Car Rental cost is higher compared to the economy vehicles. 

The best part of the app is, it has details available for both the users as well as drivers to make informed decisions. Firstly, for the user, it has the following details

1. Listing of the vehicles
2. Pictures of the vehicles
3. Description and Features
4. Ratings of the Owners

The app also has the mention of extra-cost services for any customized pickups; like specific location.

On the other hand, the drivers can also see the customers’ ratings and they can in turn rate the customer too. The Turo app offers the flexibility of the driver to cancel or refuse a ride in case of a negative review of the customer. 

The owners find the application robust as they have options to set

1. Rental price for the day
2. Number of miles allowed for the day
3. Minimum age of the renters who can avail their services
4. Amount of fuel in the tank at the time of return

This helps the customers to check, compare and select their desired vehicle for their use. 

How to Build Car Rental Apps like Turo?

If you are planning to develop rental car apps like Turo, then you must be aware of the basic aspects of the application. As an application developer, focus on the below mentioned to set the business application right away.

Listing the Cars

This is the most basic set-up, but most important too. If you are planning to strike a seamless connection between the owner and the guest you must

1. The app must have a block to add the description of the car. It can have the following information

1. Model of the Car
2. Years of usage to date
3. Transmission rate
4. Information about the Odometer

      2. You can also give provision to add the car owner’s picture

      3. There must be a block mentioning about the driver and the picture as well

As such, a car rental app like Turo, sets the travel price automatically, depending on the market value. So, you must set up such a feature so that, when the customer opts for a ride mentioning the destinations, the application must give the price range for different models of the car or type. 

• Add the dates when the car is available for use

• Notification while a customer books for the ride

Once this is done, as an owner you must meet the customer and check for a car license. Hand over the keys once satisfied. This must be in your business process.

Once the trip is done, you must check the car for any damage. Once the trip is done, add a review about the customer in the application.

The above mentioned are the business process that you must set to develop an app like Turo. 

Most Important Features to Have in a Car Rental App

As you make a car rental application, you must give a balanced approach to both the owners of the car as well as the customers. Let us have this section divided into 

1. Vehicle User Features
2. Vehicle Owner Features
3. Admin Panel

Features – Vehicle User

Download and Login

This is the first factor you must have in your mobile application. The user as soon as the app is downloaded must be given an easy login method. More importantly, the registering page must be simple yet secure. At the same time, you can also set login credentials as their Google or other social media accounts. 

List of Cars – Selecting the Right Car

As a user, they have different demands and preferences towards travel and requirements. You must not only have a list of cars but varieties too. The application must offer a range of cars with a difference in price depending on the type. Say, economy, standard, luxury. This shall help them to choose their car depending on their budget and preference too.

Schedule the Ride

Once the car is selected, the user must be provided with the option to select the date and time for booking the cab. The app must help the user in booking the car instantly. 

Booking Management

Also, the list of cars must display the time and dates available. So that, they can click on it to book the cab at the respective time mentioned in the app. This helps in easy booking and the owners are given leverage to mention the time when the car is available for use. 

Price Calculation

As said earlier, the Turo Car rental app displays the fare for the ride automatically. This is on par with the market value. This will enable the customer to check for the price once again and confirm the booking.

Notification

Once the car is booked, the user must get the information as a text or a WhatsApp as a confirmation. The details must include the car, time and date of the travel too. 

Booking Cancellation

The user must be given the option to cancel the ride too. However, you must be clear about the cancellation policy and relevant charges as well. 

Features – Vehicle Owner

Customer Details

This is required to get to see the customer. The details must include their picture, license number, trip date and time and other relevant details of the trip.

Customer Rating

The owner must view the rating of the customer depending on experience. This will help the vehicle owner to stay confident about the car and the customer. 

Payment Information

The owner must also see the payment made by the user as a part of the booking process. If needed, the owner can transfer the funds to his account if it stays in the app wallet.

Features – Admin Panel

Cars Management

As an App admin, you require this feature to manage multiple cars and their information. Further, this must provide the details of the owner whose car is set to use by a user. That means to say, the admin must be able to see the ride information as well.

Dashboard

This is the major feature of the admin panel. The admin can update the information about the car and also see the information of the cars that are set for the ride and those that are idle. 

Customer Management

As the app needs to be unbiased in looking after the well being of the owner and the user, a customer management feature shall help you monitor the customer information along with their ratings and the reviews

Owner Management

As we have the customer management feature, the same must be applicable for drivers and owners. Their rating and the reviews must be available too.

Payment Management

This is the place where you can get to see the consolidated as well as individual payment information. This also helps you maintain the payment gateways. You can get to see the commission received for every ride and the pending commission too.

Business Analytics

You can see the most preferred vehicle. The car which is not in use for a long time. The reasons for the same. The analytics shall help you make informed decisions and get clinical insights about your business. 

Category Management

The admin is the superuser. He must be able to manage all the categories right from booking to payment collection. 

Advanced Car Rental App Features

The car rental industry is getting competitive these days. The above-mentioned features are for a basic car rental app. If you have to stay ahead of the competition, you can ponder upon the below-mentioned advanced features to develop an incredible and captivating mobile application for car rental services.

Allow Users to Pick the Drivers of Their Choice

Most of the time, it is not the car but the driver that becomes a defining moment for the users to select the car. If a user wants to book a can service for a longer duration or a regular service, he/she must be provided with the option to fix the driver along with the car. 

Multiple Payment Options

Online payment is always considered vulnerable by the public. However, they also trust renowned gateways. You must give the customers several options to make the payment. This must be secured too.

Offers and Discounts

You can set up such a feature in your application to lure customers. As an admin, you can definitely see the location or a region where maximum trips are happening. You can set up offers for rides in such locations and increase the demand for the services. Further, offering discounts or joining offer features will see an increase in the customer base.

Track The Vehicle

This is a most needed aspect for the current scenario. Most car rental services applications ignore this function. The owner must know where the car is and the user’s friends or relatives or even the admin must know where the vehicle is. Moreover, tracking the vehicle helps in security as well. This feature shall help grow business, as owners and the users shall stay confident about their respective belongings. 

Guest Behavior Tracking

If you are planning to develop a car rental app like Turo, you must keep both parties happy and secure. As the user will look for the driver of the car that receives positive reviews, the driver or the owner must also receive the behavior of the guests. If the guest has a track record of cancelling the ride multiple times and has seen offending drivers while travelling, such users can be blocked from using the service. Further, such information shall help the driver to decide to accept the ride or not. 

Calculator

The guest hiring a car must know the price that he/she will pay at the end of the ride. This shall help them calculate on their budget too

In-app Voice and Video Calls

This will help the guest connect with the driver. 

Email and Messaging of the Details

Apart from sending the notification through the app. The mobile application must send an email and text message of the same. Further, the invoice that is generated shall be sent through this mode as well. 

Options for Multiple Booking

This is probably not available in most of the apps. Users can be given the flexibility to make multiple bookings.

Read More: Why Android is the Best Choice for On-Demand App Development

What Is Important To Remember While Building Apps Like Turo?

Developing a rental app for the car is not a difficult task. But the underlying business challenges might hamper the functionalities in the longer run. Some of the important factors that you must incorporate while building an app are

• Vehicle Insurance

The vehicles listed in the app must be insured. Further, as the user takes the car for the ride, the owner must hand over the insurance papers to the guest for the travel. 

• User and Owner Safety Features

The app must comply with the government norms and guidelines and also provide appropriate safety measures for the users to drive the car. There must be on-road assistance in case of any emergency too. The in-call and in-video call features can help them connect with the admin or the required authority of the car to get some assistance. 

• Speed Limit

The tickets are cut online and as an app developer, they must instruct the car owners or the rental services to maintain the speed limit depending on the region they travel. 

• Strict Fuel Policy

There are different types of car rental services. One type will have the fuel tank filled with fuel and expect the customer to refill it as they end the trip. A few others will expect the user to fill the fuel as they take the fuel for the ride. If there is a request from the user to have it filled, it can cost extra. Such information must be clear to the user. 

• Authentication of The User

It is a sheer safety factor. The app must verify the user and then allow them to log in from the very first time. There must be strict measures to go for a background verification too.

• Damage Policy

The app must feature a clear damage policy for the users to understand and seek confirmation as they book the cab. 

What You Should Know to Build a P2P Car Rental Marketplace?

Peer to Peer car rental is a new age business and it is trending. But, the major factor about the business is, as an app developer, you must concentrate on optimizing the usage of the available cars and not getting new ones to run the business. This becomes a sharing app as the revenue made the car owner shares it with you as well.

This business model is called the ‘ Sharing Economy Model’. The car owner shares the care as well the money made from the trip and you will receive funds in the form of commission. As you are planning to set up a business of this sort, there are a few things you must realize. Let us see them one by one.

Customer Safety:

The app needs to get popular in terms of safety factors. None shall open your app or even download it if they do not feel confident about the security of the services. So, set up multiple scanning methods to authenticate the driver. Moreover, your app must provide the option for the driver to scan and upload the driving license too. You must include review data as a part for reference too. 

Insurance Cover:

Partnering with insurance companies must be on priority. Also, ordinary car insurance shall not give you the option to share the car as a rental service. So, work with insurance partners and add trust to the customers too.

Add Value to Your Drivers/Owners:

Your job is to develop the app and manage it. The most difficult job is on the owners’ side. Ensure that you add value to the customer as well as the car owners. In fact, Turo takes 25% of the total revenue made in a trip, but offers insurance cover and does not charge the owners for listing themselves in their application. 

Cost to Build An App Like Turo

The Car Rental App Development Cost depends on the hours put to build the app. On average, to develop a car rental app takes 1529 hours. And, the hours can increase or decrease depending on the features you require in the app. Moreover, are you planning for a web application or a mobile or do both also matter the most here?

A rough estimation to make an app is between $18,000 to $40,000.

Car Sharing involves the community to emerge itself trustworthily. If this is your business plan, then what you are doing is worthy only when you have a strong purpose. As such, it is why you are doing it matters in building a business than what you are planning to do. With smartphones making people’s life easy, app development companies have emerged a lot too. Your prime agenda is to find the purpose, layout the plan for the business, and connect with an ace mobile app developer. 

Conclusion

So all the details are in place and you get an overall idea of how to create and the money you need. Now it’s time for you to jump into the field and make one for convenience. If you need assistance with car rental or taxi app development, we can assist you. Let us know about your company idea, and we’ll do everything we can to make it a reality. If you already have a car booking app in mind, don’t lose time and contact us; let’s work together to make this fantastic app! Our talented app  developers will assist you in creating quick, modern, and dependable apps that will wow your users.