You are responsible for legal infractions. If we receive a notice and process a violation, you will be charged a £30 processing fee in addition to the original cost of the ticket.
What happens if I received a ticket during my reservation?
Report it, let us know that you've received a ticket. Whether you've paid it or decided to appeal it, we want a record of what's happening. We want to know the date and time the violation was issued, the license plate of the vehicle, the type of violation (speeding, parking, etc), the ticket number, how much it is for and which council gave it to you. This way if something goes wrong in the payment process, or you encounter glitches, we'll know you've got it covered and we won't just assume you threw it in the gutter. Note that certain violations may impact insurance coverage, so it's very important to report any violation to Zipcar.
What happens if I don't pay for it?
If you don't pay for your ticket, we will be notified and charge you a £30 processing fee. Additionally, you are responsible for the cost of the ticket. If we can, we will redirect the violation to you. If we can't redirect it, we will pay the fine, along with any late fees and bill the total to your account. Other fines or membership suspension can also result, so please pay as soon as the ticket has been received.
Can I dispute it?
If you wish to contest a violation and the issuing authority allows it, be sure to do so promptly. If we receive a notice in the post, and you are yet to dispute the ticket with the issuing authority, we will automatically bill your account for the violation, plus the processing fee.
What happens if I receive a ticket after my reservation has ended?
If the ticket was issued as a result of your reservation, you are responsible for it. Once we are notified about the ticket, we will charge you a £30 processing fee. If we can, we will redirect the violation to you. If we can't redirect it, we will pay the fine, along with any late fees and bill the total to your account, provided that there are no grounds to appeal. You will be able to appeal the fine provided the issuing authority allows you to and that you have valid grounds to do so. You will be informed of the process via email.
How much do I have to pay?
When a ticket is originally issued, there’s a 14-day window when a reduced rate is applicable. However, if we do not receive the ticket at the reduced rate then the 'Notice to Owner' will be sent to us. By this stage, the reduced rate is no longer applicable. You are still responsible for the cost of the fine regardless if it is at the reduced rate or not.
Where can I see the evidence of my violation?
You can usually view any available evidence — like photos or video footage — by visiting the official website of the authority that issued your ticket. To access it, you’ll typically need either the ticket reference number or your vehicle’s registration number. Once you're logged in, the system will show you the details of the violation along with any supporting evidence, if it's still available. You can use this page to find the specific link you’ll need.
However, it’s important to know that once a ticket has been paid, many systems — especially those handling traffic or parking violations — will automatically remove or archive the evidence. This is because the case is considered resolved, and the information is no longer publicly accessible in most cases.
What does liability transfer mean?
A liability transfer refers to the process of transferring responsibility for a traffic violation to you, the driver, as the person liable for the fine.
Why was the violation transferred to me?
We transferred the violation to you because we determined that you were the liable driver at the time of the incident. As such, we passed the responsibility for the fine to you.
What happens if the liability transfer is not successful?
If the request to transfer liability to you is not accepted by the relevant authority, we may pay the violation on your behalf in accordance with our member contract and charge you the associated costs.
What happens if I pay the fine and then the liability transfer is confirmed as successful?
If you have already paid the fine, nothing further will need to be done. The case will be closed, and you can confirm the status by checking the violation details on the issuing authority’s website.
How long will it take for the issuing authority to contact me?
Once the liability transfer is successful, the issuing authority may take up to 56 days to contact you. However, this process can sometimes be faster. If the transfer is unsuccessful or we do not receive a response, we will settle the fine on your behalf.
Can I appeal the violation?
If the liability transfer is successful, you can appeal the violation directly with the issuing authority. However, if the liability transfer is unsuccessful, we reserve the right to pay the fine on your behalf.
Will all violations be transferred to my name?
Not all violations will be transferred to your name. To keep charges as low as possible, we may choose to settle the violation ourselves and pass the cost on to you, depending on the issuing authority and the type of violation. If we believe the transfer has a high chance of success, we will attempt to transfer the liability.
Why can’t I talk on the phone to someone about my violation/PCN?
We have a small, dedicated and highly trained team of experts who review all violations/PCNs, so to ensure we’re responding to each member fairly, we ask to correspond via email. We do appreciate that fines are upsetting and frustrating, and want to help in any way we can. However, because these charges are issued by third parties and frequently involve investigation, it is unlikely even a senior member of the team will be able to provide a resolution over the phone.
We also ask for emails to ensure we keep a clear, written record of the issue at hand, which means we can connect any information shared easily and quickly.
Do Zipcar profit from violation charges?
Not at all. It takes a considerable amount of time and team resources to review all the violations passed to us. We issue £30 administration fees simply to minimise the losses we face through this process. As such, the fee is non-refundable.