How fresh the data is and how it's collected

Rate Pulse refreshes daily. A sweep runs each morning, New Zealand time, and the pages publish when it's done. The date at the top of each airport page says when the prices were checked. Each sweep replaces the last one, so there's no history yet.

1. Check the date

   The line under each airport's headline says "Prices checked" and the date, NZ time.

2. Check the window

   The same line gives the 14 pick-up days covered.

3. Check the sample

   It also says how many offers and brands were found.

4. Read the method

   "How we got these numbers" at the foot of each airport page, or the full method.

What's searched

• public search results on rentalcars.com, searched from New Zealand
• the city's main airport, picked up and dropped off there
• a 3-day hire, picked up at 10am on each of the next 14 days
• driver aged 30
• up to 500 offers per search, as the site returns them

How the numbers are worked out

Daily rate is the 3-day total divided by 3. A NZ$270 total is NZ$90 a day.

Typical is the median of every offer in that car category on that pick-up day. Cheapest is the lowest offer.

Ratings are the customer review scores rentalcars.com shows for each desk, weighted by review count.

Price vs market is a brand's median for a car type and day divided by the market median for the same type and day.

What it can't tell you

• Achieved rates. These are advertised prices, not what brands earned after discounts, extras and cancellations.
• Other channels. A brand's own site, other booking sites and walk-in rates can differ.
• Trends. One snapshot replaces the last. No history yet.
• Longer lead times. Only the next 14 pick-up days.
• Other hire lengths. Only 3-day hires.
• Alerts or downloads. There are none. No API either.

Small samples are flagged on the page. Spotted something that looks wrong? Email hello@dayrunner.co.nz with the city and date.