Overview

With Whim, you can book and pay for Hertz rental cars fast and easy, with just a few clicks. Available car categories are Economy, Compact, Station wagon, SUV and Minivans. This article covers how one can book a Hertz rental car via the Whim App. The following topics are discussed;

• Renting a Car with Whim
• Question and Answers

Renting a Car with Whim

1. To book a rental car, tap “Rental Cars” in the Home View (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Choose Rental Cars from the Home View.

2. The Car Rental View will open up (Fig. 2). You can edit pick-up and drop-off dates and times by tapping the blue button at the top right corner of the screen. This will open up a view where you can edit your rental car search criteria  (Fig. 3). 

Fig. 2. Car Rental View                                 Fig. 3. Edit time and date of rental

3. Once your pick-up and drop-off times and dates have been set, Whim will show you all available cars by rental office location (Fig 2). Tap specific cars listed to view more details of the rental car.

4. Once you have chosen a car that suits you, proceed to “Reserve this car” (Fig. 4). Confirm the payment to reserve your rental car (Fig. 5).

Fig. 4. Reserve this car                             Fig. 5. Confirm payment and booking

5. Your booking has been made (Fig. 6)! You can view your upcoming bookings under the “Active Tickets” section in the Home View (Fig. 7). Tap a booking to open up a detailed view of the booking.

Fig. 6. Booking confirmed.

Fig. 7. Booked Car in Active Tickets section.

6. If you wish to cancel your booking, open up the detailed booking view by tapping the booking under the “Active Tickets” section in the Home View (Fig. 7). Scroll down to the bottom of the page and choose “Cancel booking” (Fig. 8). Once your booking has been cancelled, you will see a confirmation at the top of the app’s screen (Fig. 9) and the payment for the booking will be refunded to you within a couple of banking days.

Fig. 8. Cancel booking 

Fig. 9. Booking cancelled successfully.

Questions and Answers

• What is included in the Whim rental price?
• Is an additional driver included in the price of the car rental?
• How do I pick up the rental car?
• How do I return the rental car?
• How much is the excess when renting from Hertz?
• What are the extra services offered by Hertz?
• What is the personal Accident Insurance?
• Can I go abroad with a Hertz rental car?
• Can I return the car out of hours?
• What is the cancellation policy for car rentals?
• Can I get a refund of the lost time if the rental car is picked up later or returned earlier than the pre-booked time?

What is included in the Whim rental price?

The following are included in the car rental price: 

• Unlimited kilometres for rentals of 1-29 days. Monthly rentals (30 days) include 4000km. 
• Winterisation fee is automatically included in the rental price for Whim users (1 November to 15 April). 
• Traffic tax is included in the rental price for Whim users.
• Collision Damage Waiver 
• Theft protection
• Third-Party Liability Insurance 
• Highway fee: All Austrian Hertz vehicles are automatically equipped with a "Highway sticker" that confirms payment of the toll.

Is an additional driver included in the price of the car rental?

• Additional drivers are not allowed.

How do I pick up the rental car?

• When picking up the car, the driver must present and have a valid EU driving license which has been held for at least 1 year. 
• For all Non-European Union renters, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is highly recommended. For renters from the US and Canada, it is required. The IDP is on its own, without the national licence, not acceptable.

• When picking up the vehicle the same credit or debit card that was used for the prepaid booking must be presented. The person in whose name the vehicle is booked MUST be the person whose credit card is used. 
• For some car groups (Premium & Dream) you may be required to present one or two credit cards.  
• If you choose to pay with a credit card, Hertz will charge the deposit (= whole amount of the excess + 1 additional day + full gas tank) from you at pick up. This deposit is released to your credit card within 1 day upon return of the vehicle (minus any charges)  and depending on your bank, this might take longer.
• Hertz accepts most major credit cards and the Hertz Charge Card (HCC). Vouchers are also accepted. Cash payment is NOT accepted. 
• The car also needs to be returned with a full gas tank, unless otherwise agreed with the rental office.
• Domestic renters and EU nationals will need to present a valid national identity card or a passport at the rental counter.
• Non-EU nationals will need to present a passport in the Roman alphabet at the rental counter as proof of identity.
• Your rental is provided with a full tank of fuel. You can either return the vehicle full or pay for the rental office to refill the tank for an extra fee. You can also choose to pay for a whole tank of fuel in advance when picking up the car so you don’t need to fill the tank on return (although no refund will be given for any unused fuel).

How do I return the rental car?

• You can select a different return location when booking the car via the app. If you wish to change the location after booking has been made, you need to contact the call centre (changes cannot be made online). Extra charges may apply

How much is the excess when renting from Hertz?

• There is a Non-waivable excess of €625.00 or more depending on the vehicle, payable upfront at the pick-up location. 

What are the extra services offered by Hertz?

• Young driver surcharge: Drivers under 25 years must pay a surcharge of € 7.27 per day (including tax). This price is subject to change.
• The person named on the reservation must be the main driver, present at the time of rental and payer of any rental charges.
• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): Excess applies
• Theft Protection (TP): Included in the rental price.
• Airport fee: 17% service charge, min. €13,08
• Child booster seat: €36.36 (no fee for equipment for one-way rentals within and outside Austria)
• The navigation system is built-in in many of their cars. If not, Hertz offers a portable navigation system for € 18.18 (including tax) per day, € 90.90 (including tax) per week or € 181.80 (including tax) per month.
• Super Cover (Excess waiver) to waive your already limited liability in case of damage to, or theft of, the Hertz vehicle. 
• One way rentals: Availability is subject to location restrictions and vehicle type. A fee may apply for this service and will be advised at the time of reservation.
• Out of hours return: park the vehicle in the Hertz designated area, note the return time on the rental agreement and leave the keys and the rental agreement in the drop box available at the rental counter. 
• Fuel Purchase Option (FPO): For convenience, you may purchase a tank of fuel from Hertz at the time of rental at a price that is competitive with local fuel stations. Hertz is, however, unable to give a refund for unused fuel.
• Ski Equipment
• Traffic fines: An administration fee of € 25.45 (including tax) per parking fine will apply.

What is the personal Accident Insurance?

Hertz Personal Insurance (PI) includes as follows:

• For a fee of € 6.60 (incl. TAX) per day, customers can take advantage of an optional personal insurance (including all occupants).
• A luggage insurance is included, too.
• The insured sums are as follows:
• In case of death € 25.000,- per person.
• In case of permanent disability up to € 50.000,- per person
• € 15,- per day for hospitalization
• Processing in case of break-in to a vehicle: Objects of personal and occupational use (except money, valuables, securities, mobile phones, in particular smartphones, digital cameras, laptops, tablets and any kind of electronic devices) through burglary up to € 2,000.-
• In the case of neglecting the obligation to wear seat belts, all damage sums are reduced by 20%.

Can I go abroad with a Hertz rental car?

• Hertz vehicles can only be driven into EU countries (except Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania) and Switzerland. For driving into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, an extra fee of 9,70€ per day applies.
• Please note that Hertz vehicles cannot be taken on any ferries.

Can I return the car out of hours?

• In the case, you return the car outside the official opening hours, park the vehicle in the Hertz designated area, note the return time on the rental agreement and leave the keys in the key drop box outside the rental location

What is the cancellation policy for car rentals?

• You may cancel your car reservation any time before the pick-up time with and there will be no extra charges.
• Hertz applies Cancellation and No Show/Lost Rental charges of €65.00 on all prepaid rates booked in Austria if you fail to pick up the vehicle within 1 hour or 2 hours from pick up time 
• Changes at time of pick up: If at the time of vehicle collection you wish to rent a larger car or rent for a longer period, you may do so, subject to availability, on payment of additional charges. 

Can I get a refund of the lost time if the rental car is picked up later or returned earlier than the pre-booked time?

• Returning the car early will not lead to a refund.
• If the vehicle is picked up later or returned earlier than the pre-booked time, kindly note that extra fees will apply.