The TripCity Owner's Guide to Success

The Ultimate Guide to Success for TripCity Owners

TripCity’s car-sharing marketplace provides vehicle owners with an exciting opportunity to turn idle cars into a steady source of income. Whether you have a single vehicle or a full fleet, you have complete control over your rental business.

Please read this comprehensive guide we've put together to help you get started and maximize your success. This covers key steps for account setup, best practices, and key policies. Follow these tips to streamline your operations and start earning right away!

1. Setting Up Your TripCity Account

Your journey starts with setting up your TripCity account. Follow these essential steps to ensure compliance and a smooth start:

Key Account Setup Steps:

• Complete Your Account: From the Account tab, you can update your business details, contact information, and upload a business logo.
• Set Up Payments: Set up your Stripe account from your dashboard and enter your bank account information. This is how TripCity will process your payouts when you start accepting bookings.

That’s it! Once your payout account is connected, you can start listing cars.

Inventory Setup:

• Add New Listing: Enter your VIN and our system will authenticate your vehicle information.

• Vehicle Details: Fill out all relevant vehicle information, including pickup location, description, availability, and documents. Make sure to set the Usage Type, since you can designate your vehicles to be rented for rideshare, personal use, or both.

• Vehicle Photos: Show off your car! Take several photos from different angles to show potential drivers both the exterior and interior of the vehicle. More images (and no stock photos) will help you get more bookings.

• Documents: When listing with TripCity, you will need to provide photos of the current vehicle registration and confirmation that you carry your own insurance, ensuring compliance with state minimums. Don’t worry – while the vehicle is rented it will be covered under the TripCity policy for the duration of the rental.

• Features and Pricing: Determine any vehicle features for your car, such as Bluetooth, Navigation, Leather, etc. Set your daily, weekly and monthly listing price. (If you are renting for both rideshare and personal, you can customize pricing for each!)

• Rental Minimums and Mileage Limits: TripCity enables you to determine the minimum initial rental period, which can be anywhere from 1 day and up. Daily mileage limits can be set anywhere from 100 miles per day to unlimited.

• Publish: Your car will now be available to book to all vetted drivers in your area! Share your listing with potential drivers and on social media to market your business.

2. Choosing the Right Vehicle & Pricing Strategy

Selecting the right vehicle and pricing it competitively is key to your success.

Vehicle Selection Tips:

• Fuel-efficient, comfortable cars tend to perform well.
• Reliable, well-maintained vehicles receive better reviews and more bookings.
• If you are listing for rideshare, make sure your vehicle meets Uber’s requirements.

Pricing Strategy:

• You control your pricing, but listings at or below the local median price tend to attract more renters.
• Understand the difference between rideshare and personal rentals, since you can price them differently. (Rideshare rentals tend to stay on the road longer!)
• Consider offering a weekly and monthly discount to incentivize renters to book for a longer duration up front.

3. Understanding TripCity’s Fees, Payouts, and Protection

TripCity offers an industry-best 5% fee for owners to utilize the platform. This is deducted from the list price of the vehicle when a rental is successfully booked. The driver will pay the daily or weekly insurance fee as part of their total rental cost.

Payouts are processed weekly on Mondays for the rental periods paid the week prior. These will be direct deposited into the bank account you have on file. View the Payout Report under “Accounts” > “Reports” for more information.

Coverage Details:

• TripCity’s protection applies when the vehicle is rented but NOT when the driver is actively working for a gig app. If an accident occurs while the driver is working for their gig app, their app’s insurance takes precedence.
• TripCity’s policy covers up to $1M in liability with a deductible of $2,500.
• With the current 5% platform fee, TripCity does not guarantee incidental reimbursement such as cleaning and gas, but we are here to help recover any funds. With proper documentation, these costs are passed along to the renter.

4. Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Rental

Before handing off your car, ensure it's in top condition:

• Accept the Booking: Under the Rentals tab, you can see any pending rental requests and accept. All driver applicants’ funds are verified with a pre-authorization hold at the time of the rental request.
• Update Required Documents: Insurance, registration, and inspection forms should be current.
• Clean & Maintain Your Vehicle: A well-maintained car leads to better reviews, longer bookings, and repeat renters.
• Coordinate Pick-Up: Communicate with the driver to confirm the pick-up location and time. Use the chat function or share your contact information to coordinate before the driver arrives on site.

• Take Pickup Photos: Make sure to take several pictures of all sides of the exterior, interior, gas, and odometer readings. This will be necessary for verifying any potential claims or incidentals.

• Activate the Rental: Complete the check-in process via the TripCity platform to start earning. The driver’s rental documents will be automatically posted to their account at time of confirming pickup.

5. Handling Accidents & Claims

In the unfortunate event of an accident, follow these steps:

• Ensure everyone's safety first.
• Gather detailed information: Photos, a police report (if issued), and driver details.
• Confirm whether the accident occurred while the driver was working for their gig app.
• Dial the insurance agency’s number as listed on the insurance card to file the claim.

Providing complete information helps expedite the claims process.

6. Best Practices for Communicating with Drivers

Good communication leads to successful rentals and repeat business.

Communication Tips:

• Initiate Contact Early: Message the driver after booking confirmation to coordinate pick-up. Consider sharing your business contact information at time of accepting the rental or use the chat in the dashboard.
• Provide Clear Instructions: Walk them through the check-in process and expectations. This may include pick up location, hours of operation, and to verify any driver information such as their license.
• Check-In Periodically: Follow up on maintenance needs like oil changes and tires to keep your cars on the road longer and avoid turnover.

7. Managing Tickets & Tolls

• Drivers are responsible for moving violations, tolls, and tickets during the rental period.
• Owners are responsible for compliance-related tickets (e.g., expired registration, tinted windows).
• For toll management, use electronic toll tracking like FleetIT to automate toll reporting and collection so these costs are passed along to the driver in real time.

8. Handling Late Payments & Overdue Rentals

If a driver falls behind on payments:

• Reach out immediately to discuss a solution.
• Work out a plan for repayment or return of the vehicle.
• Have a backup strategy for reclaiming the vehicle if necessary.
• Retrieve your vehicle immediately from impound or salvage to avoid additional costs.

Key Takeaways for TripCity Owners

To summarize, here are the top strategies for success: 

✅ Maintain clear communication with drivers from the start. 

✅ Optimize your vehicle listing and pricing for better earnings. 

✅ Keep your vehicle well-maintained and rental-ready. 

✅ Understand protection, incidentals, and claims processes. 

✅ Have a plan for managing tickets, tolls, and late rentals.

By following these best practices, you’ll set yourself up for success on TripCity’s platform. If you have any questions, our support team is here to help every step of the way.

Welcome to the TripCity community—happy renting!