Hertz working with Clear to speed up car rentals
The check-out process will take just 30 seconds.
Renting a car will be just a little bit simpler.
Next time you rent a car, you might be able to drive out of the lot simply by looking at a camera. Hertz is working with biometric security provider Clear to try out a program that would allow renters to use their physical identifiers -- either a face scan or fingerprints -- to pick up their rental car. Hertz says it could cut check-out time by 75 percent, from two minutes to about 30 seconds.
The functionality will be offered for Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members, who will be able to sign up for Clear for free -- though those members must pay extra to upgrade Clear to also work at airports. Drivers will be able to exit the rental-car lot through a special lane and simply look at a camera to verify their identity.
Clear is already in place at 40 airports and sports venues nationwide, allowing registered users to use biometrics rather than a physical ID card. Registered users can use their biometrics - iris or facial scans, or fingerprints - to board planes or enter sporting events. It's available at the Hertz rental location at Atlanta International Airport now and will expand to 40 more airports in 2019, Hertz says, including Los Angeles, John F. Kennedy and San Francisco international airports.
The Hertz and Clear tie-up shows that the use of biometric data to authenticate identity is becoming more widespread. Already most smartphones offer fingerprint recognition, and some even go further with facial recognition, similar to what's used by Clear's kiosks.