Kyte: How The Rental Car Delivery Service Works

The rental automobile business has seen no scarcity of disruption. Rental automobile options like Getaround and Turo function like Airbnb for vehicles, providing vehicles in additional areas than the airports or tourist-heavy neighborhoods by which conventional rental automobile firms usually function.

However Kyte is disrupting the business in a totally completely different means: by offering supply and pickup for all of its personal rental automobiles.

Once you hire via Kyte, a Kyte worker delivers your automobile to you and picks it up whenever you’re completed. That’s particularly handy for individuals who don’t desire the effort of going to a rental automobile workplace and ready in line.

Not like Getaround or Turo, you’re not renting one other particular person’s automobile. Kyte affords SUVs, sedans and all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles. For the reason that firm retains vehicles for 18 to 24 months, leases are comparatively new — a distinction to peer-to-peer leases that may usually arrive worse for put on.

For now, Kyte availability is fairly restricted. It operates in simply over a dozen cities across the U.S., together with Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. And even inside these cities, there are restricted service areas, so that you won’t be capable to get a automobile delivered to each handle.

However if you happen to’re in a location the place Kyte operates, you’ll be capable to hire an almost-new automobile — whereas skipping lengthy strains on the rental automobile counter. Right here’s what it’s like renting via Kyte:

You first must create an account on the Kyte web site or cell app. From there, you possibly can search based mostly on supply location and time.

One-way leases are additionally potential, assuming Kyte operates in each your beginning location and vacation spot (although Kyte annoyingly costs a one-way price that varies by location however can simply run many a whole lot of {dollars} — and that’s on high of the rental price).

The corporate additionally requires an account verification course of, which generally takes a number of hours to course of (so don’t count on to ebook a last-minute rental if it’s your first time utilizing Kyte). To confirm your account, Kyte seems to be at your driver’s license (you have to be at the very least 21 years previous in most states) and your driving report (no main violations, resembling DUIs, prior to now seven years). You should even have a sound debit or bank card, and no bankruptcies filed throughout the final three years.

The Kyte pickup course of is hardly a pickup in any respect. As a substitute, a Kyte driver — known as a “surfer” — delivers the automobile to your designated location inside a 30-minute window of your particular supply time.

The app’s dwell map characteristic means that you can monitor the automobile’s supply in real-time — very similar to you’d examine the arrival of an Uber driver.

Kyte additionally sends SMS updates in regards to the driver’s progress (in addition to the make, mannequin, coloration, and license plate of the automobile), so what to search for.

As soon as the motive force arrives, you’ll present them your driver’s license and proof of insurance coverage, after which signal a rental settlement (Kyte’s system additionally acknowledges worldwide driver’s licenses, so vacationers from most international locations exterior the U.S. can hire too).

After exchanging data, the motive force arms off the keys and departs.

In some cities, Kyte provides you the choice to skip what’s in the end the corporate’s key differentiator, supply. If you choose self-pickup, you’ll go to a chosen storage or lot to satisfy a Kyte worker and undergo the identical key change course of.

Self-pickup has a number of advantages, together with a extra versatile, two-hour pickup and drop-off window. Plus, you get a small low cost on the general rental value.

For instance, on this pattern rental automobile booked in San Francisco, Kyte’s self-pickup choice at its downtown lot can prevent $20.

Very like different rental automobile firms, Kyte has mileage limits (300 miles per day), upon which you’ll be charged $0.45 per mile further if you happen to exceed that quantity — although Kyte does give the choice to buy limitless mileage upfront for a further $15 per day.

You’re additionally allowed to trip with pets. Nevertheless, the corporate costs a $100 cleansing price if you happen to return the automobile with what the corporate calls “extreme shedding or odors.”

Simply as you have to be prepared to choose up the automobile at a selected time, the return course of is comparable. A Kyte worker picks up the automobile on the time you acknowledged upon reserving inside a 15-minute buffer window on every finish. When the Kyte worker arrives, they’ll examine the automobile situation and also you’ll hand over the keys.

Not like many rental automobile options, Kyte doesn’t require that you simply return the automobile with a full tank of gasoline — which is handy if you happen to don’t need to spend time refueling. As with most conventional automobile rental firms, Kyte will refuel it for you (and invoice you for the costs).

Kyte’s pricing is predicated on the kind of automobile, size of rental and site. Costs differ, however the fee for a 12-hour rental tends to run about $100 — which is basically consistent with Turo and Getaround costs.

As a result of Kyte staff carry the automobile to you, it’s extremely really helpful that you simply tip them.

Kyte leases require a short lived deposit of $300 on a bank card (or $500 for debit playing cards) each time you hire, which shall be launched as soon as your journey has ended.

Kyte renters have to be at the very least 21 years previous in most states (the exception is New York, the place you have to be at the very least 18 years previous).

All drivers beneath the age of 25 incur a “young-renter price,” which varies based mostly on the rental and can solely be displayed when you navigate to the value particulars part after choosing “I’m beneath 25 years previous” on the reservations web page.

Kyte affords a number of insurance coverage choices at checkout, together with legal responsibility insurance coverage or injury safety. There’s additionally the choice to make use of your individual insurance coverage.

You are answerable for any injury to the automobile throughout your rental. Kyte’s injury safety plans embody legal responsibility insurance coverage, which is required if you happen to don’t have already got it. For even better protection, you may go for Kyte’s commonplace safety, which covers injury completed to the automobile previous a $500 deductible.

Kyte continues to be comparatively small, solely working in restricted areas in a handful of cities. Whereas it’s nice if you happen to want a clear, comfy four-seater, Kyte will fall quick if in case you have a selected want resembling a minivan or automobile seat.

But when it operates in your space — and also you want an ordinary rental automobile — then it may be extremely handy attributable to Kyte’s major differentiator — and that’s supply.

Kyte’s supply service means you possibly can skip doubtlessly lengthy strains on the rental automobile counter. It additionally means you possibly can keep away from treks to the rental facility and airport shuttle rides.

If time is cash, the supply part alone could make Kyte a transparent winner.

Relative to the “Airbnb for vehicles” kind providers, Kyte additionally stands out.

With opponents like Turo and Getaround, vehicles are owned by common folks, so the automobile’s situation generally is a combined bag. When renting via these firms, renters should depend on rankings and photographs to grasp the automobile’s situation. Getaround doesn’t allow you to learn critiques, although Turo does.

As a result of Kyte vehicles are comparatively new, you possibly can guess your automobile will arrive clear and in glorious situation.

One other key distinction is that you simply’ll meet face-to-face with a Kyte worker. That could be a blessing or a curse, relying in your perspective.

On the intense aspect, a human supply driver means renters can ask questions or simply dispute points. In the meantime, the technology-focused nature of providers like Getaround and Turo places you on the mercy of electronics. In case your cellphone dies, you received’t be capable to choose up your Turo or Getaround, and if there’s an issue with the automobile, you’ll need to name customer support. Kyte prospects with a lifeless cellphone battery merely want to attend on the supposed assembly spot or work with the supply particular person to unravel any potential issues.

It is value noting that Kyte mirrors a giant downside with conventional rental automobile firms — you’re nonetheless tied to regular working hours. You received’t be capable to choose up a Kyte earlier than 7 a.m., which generally is a snag if you happen to’re able to bolt earlier than dawn.

The largest downside with Kyte — which you received’t actually discover in some other rental service — is that there’s little or no flexibility with pickup and supply occasions. The motive force arrives between quarter-hour earlier than and quarter-hour after your chosen time to choose up and drop off your automobile. If you happen to’re not there, you’ll get hit with charges.

Kyte’s supply folks will wait solely 10 minutes so that you can present up on the time and place you mentioned you needed the automobile delivered earlier than they take into account you a no-show, which provides both a $10 late price or a $25 rescheduling price

It’s an identical hangup on the return finish. When you can shorten your journey (and the corporate will refund these hours), the request have to be made at the very least two hours earlier than the initially scheduled return.

For some renters, Kyte’s rigidity could be no downside. However touring might be unpredictable, and altering plans final minute with Kyte might be annoying or downright unimaginable.

For what it’s value, Kyte’s self-pickup and return choice solves the issues round precise pickup occasions. However, it’s not provided in each metropolis. Plus, that choice additionally eliminates Kyte’s key profit, which is having the automobile delivered to your location.

Kyte won’t be just right for you if:

You need to hire at odd hours: The good thing about providers like Getaround, the place you unlock the automobile through Bluetooth, is that you could typically hire vehicles at any hour. With Kyte, you’re restricted to plain working hours. Kyte received’t ship you a automobile earlier than 7 a.m., and the newest you possibly can have it picked up is 9:30 p.m. in most cities.

You’ve got young children: Kyte doesn’t presently supply automobile seats.

You want bigger or particular sorts of vehicles: At the moment, you received’t discover minivans, transport vans, or automobiles with assured seven seats in most markets.

You need to drive with snow chains: Kyte doesn’t provide snow chains, nor can they be used in your journey. That mentioned, all Kyte automobiles are geared up with all-season tires.

And for what it’s value, vacationers heading into the snow may be capable to ebook a automobile with AWD, relying on the situation. Kyte operations in a handful of cities together with Boston, Denver, Seattle and San Francisco supply AWD as a automobile class choice.

Kyte is nice if you happen to want a rental automobile however you’re not anyplace close to a brick-and-mortar rental automobile location. Because of the supply mannequin, you received’t have to face in line at a rental automobile counter.

You may use Kyte whenever you want a automobile for less than a portion of your trip. An worker may carry the automobile to your lodge, permitting you to pay just for the hours you’re truly utilizing it.

Assuming you’re superb selecting up and dropping off the automobile on the precise supposed time, Kyte is a seamless course of. After I rented with Kyte, the motive force arrived two minutes after the initially booked time. However since I may comply with his location through the app, I didn’t even have to face round exterior ready for him.

Returning the automobile was initially a bit annoying due to road parking. Moreover, I wasn’t positive precisely what time I might truly be ready to drop off the automobile, given the visitors. However I arrived after I supposed and the Kyte worker was ready to choose the automobile up.

The entire course of was fast and simple — and the automobile high quality was far fancier than the beat-up vehicles I are likely to obtain via peer-to-peer car-sharing web sites. I additionally appreciated that I didn’t need to spend valuable rental time filling the automobile with gasoline, as Kyte handles that half too.

For individuals who discover it inconvenient to go to a brick-and-mortar rental automobile pickup, however desire a higher-quality rental than what you’d discover via different nontraditional rental automobile providers, Kyte affords one of the best of each worlds.