Rate Pulse for car hire franchisees and licensees

Franchisees and licensees run a local station under a big brand. Head office often sets the rate structure, and the station lives with the reviews. Rate Pulse shows your brand's price and customer ratings at your airport against every local competitor, which is the evidence you need when you talk to head office.

What you're up against

• Rates set elsewhere. National or regional pricing doesn't always fit your airport. You can see it, but you need numbers to argue it.
• Reviews land on you. The brand's rating at your airport comes from your desk, your cars and your queue.
• A crowded terminal. You share the hall with three or four other big brands at similar prices, plus cheaper ones on the shuttle.

The views that help

Every brand, ranked by customers. Your rank, rating and review count, price vs market, and the sub-scores where you sit 0.3 or more above or below the airport average.

Benchmark your rates. Your brand's typical rate per car type against the market, the days you're above it, and who undercuts you.

Market rates by pick-up day for the local price pattern head office might not see.

A worked example from Madrid

Take Europcar's numbers at Madrid Barajas from the Rate Pulse sweep of 7 Nov 2026.

Picture yourself running that station. The price premium is small, 6%. But value for money is 0.7 under the airport average and efficiency 0.6 under. Customers are telling you the price feels high for what they get.

Now look at Budget, also in the terminal and priced in line with market. It rated 8.1, with pick-up speed and car condition both above average.

So the case to head office isn't "cut our rates". It's "our desk is slower than the terminal next door, and that's dragging value for money". Fix efficiency first, then revisit price. That argument comes with numbers attached.

A monthly routine

1. Open your airport and find your brand in the ranking.
2. Note any disadvantage. Compare with the brand nearest you in price.
3. Run the benchmark for your top two car types.
4. Take both to your next head office call.

Ratings are the booking site's, from its customer reviews. We don't check them. Read how we got the numbers.

Questions