A new car-sharing program has come to Iowa State through Zipcar.

Zipcar is a service that allows customers to rent a car for an hour or as long as seven days. The service is available to all faculty and staff 24 hours a day.

To use the service, you have to sign-up via Zipcar’s Iowa State website. There, you can sign up for $15 and after your application is approved Zipcar will send a membership card through the mail.

Reservations for vehicles are made via Zipcar’s mobile app or online. The membership card locks and unlocks the vehicles, and the keys and a gas card are kept inside each vehicle. Customers don’t pay for gas, you merely need to use the gas card provided by Zipcar. That cost is factored into the rental fees.

The cost to use the Zipcars at Iowa State are either $69 per day or $7.50 per hour. 180 miles are included in the reserved time and there is a fee per mile once you exceed 180 miles.

Currently at Iowa State there are three vehicles available for rent, but this number could increase based on demand. Two are located in Lot 119 which is off of Stange Road and the other is in Lot 1 next to Martin Hall. The reserved stalls are identified with green signs.

Zipcar’s contract lasts through June 2021. The company services over 600 college campuses across the United States.

There are six rules Zipcar asks customers to follow:

• No smoking in the car
• Pets must be in travel carriers
• Report any damage to Zipcar’s toll-free number and inspect the car before you begin driving
• When you return a vehicle, clean out any trash and personal items
• Return the vehicle on time, there are late fees
• If the gas tank gets the a quarter tank or lower, fill it up before returning