Application Joining Guide

To join Zipcar, you need to meet the following criteria:

• Age: You must be 25 years or older.
• Driving Experience: You should have held a full driving license for at least 1 year.
• Age Limits: There are no upper age limits for joining.

For more details on the different membership plans available, click here.

For our basic rate plan, there is a £10 application fee to cover administration costs incurred by us as a company. Once the application is submitted and the fee is paid, regardless of the outcome of the application, it is non-refundable due to costs being incurred during the application checking stage before account approval.

Good news! Once your application is approved, we’ll credit the £10 fee back to your account, which you can use towards your first trip with Zipcar.

For those seeking more benefits, we offer the Smart and Plus plans, available on a monthly subscription basis at £6 and £15, respectively. These plans provide lower hourly rates compared to the Basic Plan and do not require an administration fee. There’s no long-term commitment—these plans can be cancelled at any time and you’ll also benefit from a 14-day cooling-off period, during which you can cancel your membership and receive a full refund for the Smart or Plus membership fee's provided you haven't benefitted from the lower rental costs.

We also offer Business Rate Plans, designed for companies that want to use Zipcar for business purposes. These plans allow you to add multiple members from your organisation to your account. Additionally, members can benefit from reduced hourly rates through property affiliates, and receive driving credit to use on their trips. Our business plans also offer partnerships with local councils and sports affiliations. For more details, please visit the Business section of our website.

We take your privacy seriously and handle sensitive information in line with our Privacy Notice. This includes details about how we collect, use, and protect your personal data. You can review the full Privacy Notice here to learn more about how we ensure your information is managed securely.

To sign up for a Zipcar account, follow the steps below to submit your application:

1. Choose a Plan: Visit our membership plan page to select the plan that suits you. 
2. Create Your Account: Enter your name, email address, and password to set up your account.
3. Verify Your Identity: Upload your driver's license and take a selfie for identity verification. Detailed information on required documentation is provided below.
4. Provide Billing Information: Enter your billing details, making sure that the payment card is in your name (make sure it is your full name on the billing)
5. Submit your application: Complete and submit your application. 

During the application review process, we may require additional documentation to verify your identity and complete your membership approval. This could include anything from a clearer copy of your driving licence to a valid Passport.

Driving Licence

To ensure the security and integrity of our verification process, we cannot accept screenshots, scanned copies, or black-and-white images of driving licences. If these types of images are submitted, we will require additional documentation, such as a clear photograph of you holding your driving licence, along with a clear image of both the front and back of the licence. Additionally, if the image is of poor quality—such as being blurred, obscured by flash, or otherwise unclear—you will be asked to submit a better version.

These types of images will not pass our vetting checks, and failure to provide a clear and accurate image will delay your application. To expedite approval, please ensure your submitted images are:

• Clear and high-resolution
• Well-lit, without any glare or shadows
• In full colour, showing the entire licence

Licence Length

One of our eligibility requirements is that members must have at least 1 year of driving experience. We verify this by checking your driving licence, where the date of issue or driving start date should be visible. If your current licence does not confirm this, we advise you to upload a previous driving licence during the sign-up process to confirm your driving experience exceeds one year.

Once we receive a previous licence that can confirm a member has been driving for more than a year, we can then proceed with the approval of their account. To speed up the process, the previous driving licence can be uploaded with the UK driving licence during the sign-up process. 

Zipcar does not Accept the Following:

Please note that Zipcar cannot accept the following as proof of driving eligibility:

❌International Driving Permit

❌Digital Driving Licence

❌Provisional Driving Licence

❌ID Card

Additional Documentation

In some cases, due to security measures, we may require additional documentation during the vetting process, such as a passport or a proof of address. 

If you hold an old UK paper licence or a Hong Kong licence that does not feature your photo, we will require a copy of your Passport for identity verification. You can upload your Passport at the same time as your driving licence during the sign-up process or send it directly to newmembers@zipcar.co.uk.

When providing a utility bill or bank statement as proof of address, ensure that the document clearly shows your name, billing address, and the date, which must be within the last 3 months.

DVLA

While it's not a document, we do require a DVLA check code. You can easily generate this code on the DVLA website using your Driving Licence number, National Insurance number, and Postcode. Once the code is generated, simply send it to us, and we’ll use it to verify your driving history.

You can generate the code here. 

Before you apply for membership, review the below eligibility requirements to become a member of our car sharing community:

* With no convictions or accidents

** No convictions or accidents in the past 5 years

Yes, we accept Non-UK Driving Licences. However please see the following list of different type of licences we do not accept. 

❌International Driving Permit

❌Provisional Driving Licence

❌Learner Driving Licence

❌Driver Card

❌Driver Qualification Card

❌Digital Driving Licence

Applications are typically reviewed and approved within 48 hours. However, delays may occur if we require additional documentation or updates to your account.

If further information is needed, you will have 14 days to provide the necessary documents or make the required updates. Please note that if the requested information is not submitted within this timeframe, your application will be rejected. In such cases, the £10 application fee is non-refundable.

To avoid delays, ensure that all your details and documents are accurate and complete when you first submit your application.

If your application has taken longer than 48 hours and you haven’t received any updates, feel free to reach out to us by emailing newmembers@zipcar.co.uk to inquire about your status.

You can also check your application status through the Zipcar app. If it still shows as "under review," it means your application has not yet been approved. Once your application is approved, you’ll receive a confirmation via a "Welcome" email.