Thrifty Car Rental franchise
2022 filing · March 30, 2022
Thrifty Car Rental at a glance
A car rental business renting Thrifty vehicles from airport and local locations in an assigned territory. At the end of 2021 there were 226 Thrifty Car Rental locations in the US, 68 franchised and 158 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Estero, Florida
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $564K–$12.5M
- A Thrifty car rental business, excluding real estate
- Franchise fee
- $25K–$100K
- Depending on the market, for a starting fleet of 30 to 300 cars
- Royalty
- 6%–8% + minimum
- 6% to 8% of gross receipts, paid monthly, subject to an annual minimum set for the market
- Renewal fee
- $5,000 to $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 226
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 68
- Company-owned
- 158
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 42
- Most in California, Florida and Texas
From Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Thrifty Car Rental among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Thrifty Car Rental | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $6,551,650 | Costs more than 97% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 226 | More than 87% of franchises |
How much a Thrifty Car Rental franchise costs
Opening a Thrifty car rental business, excluding real estate costs an estimated $564,300 to $12,539,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are passenger cars ($435,000 to $11,700,000) and courtesy vehicles ($55,000 to $350,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | $100,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $3,000 | ||
| Passenger Cars | $435,000 | $11,700,000 | |
| Courtesy Vehicles | $55,000 | $350,000 | |
| Equipment and Supplies | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Insurance | $5,000 | $40,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $3,000 | $10,000 | |
| Computer System, Hardware and Software | $11,500 | $250,000 | |
| Optional Software | $1,500 | $15,000 | |
| Business License | $100 | $500 | |
| Miscellaneous Installation Fees | $200 | $500 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $20,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $564,300 | $12,539,000 | |
Source: Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC, 2022 filing, page 51
Thrifty Car Rental franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the market, for a starting fleet of 30 to 300 cars. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC, 2022 filing, page 42
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% to 8% of gross receipts, paid monthly, subject to an annual minimum set for the market. |
|---|---|
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 to $10,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC, 2022 filing, page 43
Other fees as filed, from page 45. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Thrifty Car Rental does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC, 2022 filing, page 93
SBA loans to Thrifty Car Rental franchisees
Lenders approved 29 SBA-backed loans for Thrifty Car Rental franchisees from 1992 to 2010, $12.1M in all: 26 7(a) loans and 3 504 loans. All 29 have ended: 23 were paid in full and 6 were charged off (20.7%).
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2021 / 2019–2021. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Thrifty Car Rental | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +7.9% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 1.6% / 12% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 2.9% | 0% / 0% |
How Thrifty Car Rental compares
Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Figure | Thrifty Car Rental | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $564K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $12.5M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $40K |
| US locations | 226 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 63 (−5) | 139 | +3 | −8 |
| 2020 | 63 (0) | 129 | +1 | −1 |
| 2021 | 68 (+5) | 158 | +6 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC, 2022 filing, page 94
Where Thrifty Car Rental locations are
At the end of 2021, Thrifty Car Rental had locations in 47 states and territories. The most are in California, Florida and Texas.
- California36
- Florida33
- Texas13
- Massachusetts8
- Georgia7
- Hawaii7
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 4 | 32 | 36 |
| Florida | 1 | 32 | 33 |
| Texas | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Georgia | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Hawaii | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| South Carolina | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Nebraska | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Ohio | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 3 | 6 |
All 47 states
| Washington | 6 |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 5 |
| Alaska | 5 |
| New York | 5 |
| North Carolina | 5 |
| Puerto Rico | 5 |
| Colorado | 4 |
| Idaho | 4 |
| Illinois | 4 |
| Louisiana | 4 |
| Michigan | 4 |
| Montana | 4 |
| Arizona | 3 |
| District of Columbia | 3 |
| Missouri | 3 |
| Nevada | 3 |
| Oklahoma | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 |
| Arkansas | 2 |
| Connecticut | 2 |
| Maryland | 2 |
| New Jersey | 2 |
| Oregon | 2 |
| Wyoming | 2 |
| Delaware | 1 |
| Guam | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Kansas | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 1 |
| New Mexico | 1 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1 |
| South Dakota | 1 |
| US Virgin Islands | 1 |
| Utah | 1 |
Source: Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC, 2022 filing, page 95
Who owns Thrifty Car Rental?
Thrifty Car Rental franchises are sold by Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC. It is a subsidiary of Thrifty, LLC.
From Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 8.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 22–40. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | The franchisor, its parent The Hertz Corporation and other Hertz affiliates filed for Chapter 11 in May 2020. Franchised Thrifty locations were not part of the case. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 22–40, bankruptcy on page 41
Thrifty Car Rental filings
The figures on this page come from Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued March 30, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | March 30, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
