How much does a Thrifty Car Rental franchise cost?
Opening a Thrifty Car Rental franchise takes a total initial investment of $879,300 to $16,249,000, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
Thrifty Rent-A-Car System, LLC franchises Thrifty Businesses operated as vehicle rental businesses. Category: Automotive.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Thrifty Car Rental franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $879,300 to $16,249,000. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Passenger Cars ($750,000 to $15,000,000), Courtesy Vehicles ($55,000 to $350,000), and Computer System, Hardware and Software ($11,500 to $250,000). Together they make up about 96% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $25,000 to $500,000, about 2.8% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $25,000 | $500,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Training Expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $3,000 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Passenger Cars2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $750,000 | $15,000,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Courtesy Vehicles2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $55,000 | $350,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Equipment and Supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $5,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $5,000 | $45,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $3,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Computer System, Hardware and Software2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $11,500 | $250,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Optional Software2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $1,500 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Business License2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $100 | $500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Miscellaneous Installation Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $200 | $500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Additional Funds – 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $20,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 | $879,300 | $16,249,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1 |
Source Thrifty Car Rental, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 7 - 1, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Thrifty Car Rental franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
We do not make any representations about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. We also do not authorize our employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing. If you are purchasing an existing outlet, however, we may provide you with the actual records of that outlet. If you receive any other financial performance information or projections of your future income, you should report it to the franchisor’s management by contacting GJ Kistemaker, Senior Vice President, Global Franchise Operations, c/o The Hertz Corporation, 8501 Williams Road, Estero, Florida 33928, GJK@hertz.com, the Federal Trade Commission, and the appropriate state regulatory agencies.
Source Thrifty Car Rental, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 19 - 1, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Thrifty Car Rental outlets there are, and how many closed
Thrifty Car Rental ended 2025 with 81 franchised outlets and 221 company-owned outlets. In that year 9 franchised outlets opened and 1 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Thrifty Car Rental opened 24 franchised outlets and 10 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 14, from 67 to 81 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 4 were terminated and 6 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 4.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 21.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 73 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 81 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 20 - 5 |
| 2024 | 66 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 20 - 5 |
| 2023 | 67 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 66 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 20 - 5 |
Source Thrifty Car Rental, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 20 - 5, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Thrifty Car Rental compares with other Automotive franchises
Measured against the 35 Automotive franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Thrifty Car Rental's estimated range is $8,564,150. It costs more to open than 91% of Automotive franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 4.9% for Thrifty Car Rental. That is higher than 52% of the 28 Automotive franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Thrifty Car Rental's franchised system grew 21%. The typical Automotive franchise here grew 0.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 16 of the 35 Automotive franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Thrifty Car Rental is not one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Automotive franchise side by side.
Alert me when Thrifty Car Rental files a new FDD
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