Avis Preferred straight-to-car rental experience
Avis Preferred straight-to-car rental experience

1. You must be an Avis Preferred Member. This includes all Avis Preferred member statuses such as Avis President’s Club.
2. When you make a booking, your Avis Preferred Wizard number AND a valid email address or mobile phone number must be included on your reservation.
3. You must be logged into the Avis App when you come to pick-up your car, using the same Avis Preferred wizard number which is included on your reservation.
4. You must complete an ID and Driver Licence check at least 24 hours prior to the rental start. We will send you a request to do this via email or SMS.

You can book directly with Avis anyway you choose. It can be via the website, the Avis App, the Avis reservations team or directly with the Avis team at an Avis location.

You can also book with selected travel agents and booking partners, who can add your Avis Preferred Wizard number to your reservation. Unfortunately, our straight-to-car experience is not possible if you have booked through a third-party booking partner who does not have the capability to include an Avis Preferred Wizard number on your reservation.

Regardless of where you book, provided your Avis Preferred Wizard number has been included on your reservation, this reservation should automatically appear in the Avis App.

We will be providing this rental experience at most (but not quite all) passenger vehicle locations across New Zealand. Straight-to-Car is not available at Commercial Vehicle Locations.

Available now at:

Auckland Airport AKL
Christchurch Airport CHC
Wellington Airport WLG

Coming soon to other locations.

This experience is available when you rent cars only.
It is not available when you rent a Tesla.

It is not available when you rent trucks and other commercial vehicles.

It is a legal requirement of the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) for Avis to sight and record each renter’s Driver Licence. New digital technology now allows you to do this prior to travelling, rather than having to physically present your card to the Avis team when you pick-up your car.

We will send a request via email or text message to complete ID and Driver Licence verification approximately 72 hours before your rental starts.

You must complete this verification at least 24 hours prior to the rental start.

Electronic Driver Licence verification is a critical requirement to experience Avis Preferred Straight-to-Car pick-ups. It is also recommended for counter pick-ups as it helps to expediate the time you spend at the counter.

If you rent a car from the same car group the base rate will not change, provided your rental period remains the same. If you rent from an alternative vehicle group, the cost of the rental may change. The new applicable base rate will be provided within the Avis App at time of pick-up.

Yes, you can still choose to visit the Avis counter to collect your car keys.

Please lock the car using the car key; and either drop the car keys in the Avis key drop box which can be found in the Avis carpark; Or return the key to the Avis counter.

Straight-to-Car is available to any Avis Preferred member who holds a full and valid New Zealand Driver Licence.
Straight-to-Car is available to any Avis Preferred member who holds a full and valid Overseas Driver Licence regardless of the language.

It is a requirement of the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) for Avis to sight and record each renter’s Driver Licence. New digital technology allows you to do this electronically prior to travelling, rather than rather than having to physically present your card to the Avis team at the counter.

(Note for Overseas Renters: To drive a vehicle in New Zealand, renters with a Driver Licence which is not in English are required to carry an approved translation of their licence such as an International Driving Permit in addition to their Driver Licence. Please visit NZ Travel Agency here for up-to-date requirements to drive on New Zealand roads).

If you're sharing the drive, all drivers must visit the Avis rental counter at pick-up for Driver Licence verification.

Our digital Driver Licence check us only sent to the person with whom the rental agreement has been made. This means, if you wish to share the drive with someone else, then ALL drivers are required to go to the Avis counter for pick-up as we will need to validate the Driver Licence for all drivers. Drivers who have not had their Driver Licence verified are not authorised to drive the car.

You can add the any additional drivers to your rental agreement at the counter if you have missed them on the initial reservation.

Your car will usually be assigned to your reservation approximately 20 mins before your scheduled pick-up time. The Avis App will then show you where your car is located in the Avis carpark area. You are welcome to be on your way in this car at once and your rental period will begin when you leave the Avis carpark.

If you arrive before your car has been assigned, you can choose your own car from the vehicles we have available. To do this press the SELECT button on the Avis App home screen. Once you have selected a car you can go straight to this vehicle, unlock it on the Avis App and be on your way.

Alternatively, you can continue to the Avis rental counter where the Avis team will prepare your rental.

If you have the car for any days in addition your pre-agreed rental period, it will affect the final cost of your rental. Further details are outlined in Avis New Zealand Rental Terms and Conditions.

As per Avis New Zealand Terms and Conditions, your rental period will end when you return your car.

If you are changing the return date by more than 24 hours, we recommend you modify your booking within the Avis App as soon as you are aware of your trip changes.

If you have the car for any days in addition your pre-agreed rental period, it will affect the final cost of your rental. Further details are outlined in Avis New Zealand Rental Terms and Conditions.

Once you are signed into your Avis Preferred account your upcoming reservations should appear in your TRIPS. This happens automatically when your Avis Preferred wizard number is included on your reservation and you are signed into the Avis App using the same Avis Preferred wizard number. 

If a reservation doesn't automatically appear please follow these steps.

1. Check that your Avis Preferred wizard number is included on the reservation. If it's not been included, you can contact the Avis reservation team to add your Avis Preferred wizard number to the reservation. (Note: due to systems limitations adding an Avis Preferred wizard number after your booking has been made may result in a change of price to your original reservation).

2. Check that you are signed into the Avis App using the same Avis Preferred wizard number which is on your reservation. If they do not match, log out of the Avis App and sign-in again using the Avis Preferred wizard number as shown on your reservation.

Please note also: If you search for a reservation in the Avis App using your rental confirmation number, it will appear in your TRIPS but may not meet the conditions outlined above, which are required to experience a straight-to-car pick-up.

Please visit the Avis counter to collect your car. We also recommend you check that the contact details in your Avis Preferred profile are correct.

Please open the Avis App and make sure you are signed into your Avis Preferred account with the same Avis Preferred wizard number as shown on your reservation.

Provided you have met the renter requirements for straight-to-car pick-ups: instructions on where to find your assigned car should appear on the Avis App home screen approximately 20 mins prior to your pick-up time.

If an assigned car is not shown, you can also choose your own car from the vehicles we have available. To do this press the SELECT button on the Avis App home screen.

If you are not assigned a car nor given the option to select your own car, please proceed to the Avis rental counter.

If you are at an Avis location, please reach out to our teams in the carpark or at the counter if you need assistance. 

Even if you choose to “Pay Later” or “Pay at Counter” – you do not need to visit the counter. We will use the credit card details provided with the reservation to charge you on completion of the rental. We will also place a pre-authorisation hold on this credit card at the start of the rental.

We will send the usual Avis PhotoProofed email after the car has been checked out. This email may take half an hour to arrive. Once you get this email you can view our damage report along with photos of the car. If you feel we’ve missed anything you can add your own photos too, via the link included on the email. You have an hour to do this, after the rental has started.

If there is any damage on the car which you are concerned about, please take your own time and date stamped pictures before you leave the Avis carpark area.