What is Turo Car?

Turo is a peer-to-peer sharing company based in San Francisco and was previously called RelayRides. Turo is a car rental service giving car owners can earn extra cash by renting out their cars online or through the mobile app. Turo Car operates in 56 countries and is available on the Play Store and App Store. The app is one of the leading car-sharing apps in America and is a great way to rent cars. It is ideal for planned trips like a job interview in another city or exploring the countryside. Users can book a car to test it for a few days before purchasing one. Turo is more cost-effective than traditional car rentals and is ideal for owners who do not mind lending their cars to people under 25. The platform offers cars for different budgets and tastes, and use it to splurge on a Porche during your vacation or looking for a reliable station wagon.

Signing up

You can signup on to Turo using your Google, Facebook, Apple, or email account. 

Finding the perfect car

Turo Car has a user-friendly interface, and you can peruse the site to look for rental cars by entering the name of the city or location and your travel dates. The app offers multiple filters to help you find your perfect car – the type of car, price, number of seats, class, and color. Remember to pay attention to the number of miles included in the package, as owners can limit the distance traveled by their car. If you are going on a road trip, consider how much you plan to travel, and you can request an extension to avoid additional charges. Communicating with your host is vital, and you should select a host with a high rating when you first start using the app. At the bottom of the listing, read the guidelines written by the host carefully before you continue with the booking. 

Instructions may include – whether pets are allowed in the car, can you smoke and eat in the car, if you need to refuel the car and where and how you will return it. Before you drive, take pictures and videos of the interiors and exteriors for your security. 

How does Turo Work?

Turo connects local vehicle owners with people looking to rent a car in the vicinity. It offers two booking options-

Book instantly – Does not require the owner’s approval and should be used if you are in a hurry.  Regular booking -Owners can accept or reject your trip within eight hours and respond quickly.  

Before checking out, select the pickup and return location or have the car delivered at extra cost. Owners usually list multiple sites for delivery and drop-off that will be free or have an additional charge depending on the distance. There are five steps required after you select your pickup and drop location.

Add extras– Different hosts offer additional services you can purchase at additional costs. You can opt to hire a car seat or cleaning or purchase prepaid refuel.  Select Turbo Protection Plan – Insurance is unavoidable when you rent a car. Turbo gives the option of Premium, standard, or minimum coverage. Enter payment info – Turo is flexible when it comes to accepting payments. You can pay by credit card, or debit card linked to your account, use Google Pay (in the US and Canada), or Apple Pay. The app does not accept Prepaid or reloadable debit cards.  Message the host – You need to write a short introduction and give a brief description of your itinerary for your host.   

After your host approves your request, you can pick up your car if you have not requested delivery. Some hosts may hand it over in person at the agreed place and time. You can use the opportunity to ask questions you may have, like the location of car papers and how you hand over the key when you drop it. You may not always meet your host as they may choose to hand over the keys in different ways. You can contact your insurance before renting through the app or check credit card offers insurance.

Do I have to pay a deposit with Turo?

Guests under 30 or who rent a super deluxe car need to pay a deposit of $750. Turo charges a $200 deposit if the security system selects the trip based on details entered and other factors, and the host or Turo cannot waive it. The deposit amount is displayed prominently in a separate line on the checkout page and is processed separately. You can receive a discount of $250 on your deposit if you enter personal insurance information details while booking. 

Can you make money on Turo?

Yes, Turo is a great source of passive income, and the average car owner can earn $600/month.

Do Turo Cars have Cameras?

Yes, Turo Cars can have a camera. Owners can choose whether to have a camera or any other tracking equipment on their vehicles, as long as they mention it in the car description. If the car has a dash cam, owners require written authorization from their guests using the Turo messenger system.