How does it work?
Why do people like it so much?
I love the low cost, but why is there an hourly and a mileage fee?
What does it cost to take a trip in a City CarShare car?
What plans do you offer?
Is the ShareLocal plan for me?
Is the SharePlus plan for me?
Is the Share-a-Little plan for me?
Can I create a household account?
Did you say I can reserve cars in 15-minute increments?
What if I want to take a long-distance trip?
Can I switch plans?
What about insurance?
Do you have premium cars?
Can my pets smoke in the car?
Are there other fees I should be aware of?

Why is City CarShare a nonprofit?


How does it work?   BACK TO TOP
Car sharing gives you access to a network of locally placed vehicles at unstaffed locations, for hourly use. The fees you pay include gas, maintenance, and premium insurance. We have hundreds of cars in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and El Cerrito.

When you join you get an electronic key called a fob that provides secure access to all our cars, which you share with other members. Just make a reservation, access the car with your fob, and drive away. It's that simple.


Why do people like it so much?   BACK TO TOP
City CarShare, a Bay Area non profit, reduces your driving costs and gives you access to a car without the hassles of car ownership. In addition, City CarShare members make a positive impact on our environment and help improve quality of life in the Bay Area.

Most studies say that owning a car costs over $500 or more each month. But the average City CarShare member spends under $50/month. With City CarShare, you save money while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and congestion in our neighborhoods.

Plus, the convenience and reliability of City CarShare are unparalleled. Gas, premium insurance, maintenance, cleaning, and even reserved parking are all included — plus you get access to different kinds of cars like hybrids, MINI Coopers, trucks and compacts. All of this and you're helping to save the environment, reduce congestion, and improve the quality of life in the Bay Area.


I love the low cost, but why is there an hourly and a mileage fee?   BACK TO TOP
Our fee structure saves you money. If we charged a flat rate per hour, people who drive locally would be subsidizing people who drive longer distances. Yet we know from our records that most City CarShare trips are local: averaging 3¼ hours and 12-18 miles. So we've chosen to stick with a pricing strategy that benefits the majority of our members. Plus our reservations are booked in 15-minute increments, so you never have to pay for a full hour you don't need. Our strategy also promotes more efficient driving, freeing up cars for sharing and benefiting our environment by lowering emissions, using less gas, and reducing congestion.


What does it cost to take a trip in a City CarShare vehicle?   BACK TO TOP
The cost of a trip depends on your needs. We keep our hourly fee low because we know that 90% of car sharing trips are local (i.e. low mileage) but may require a few hours to complete. On average, our members pay about $6.75 for each hour they drive—this includes hours and miles.

In addition, if you drive during Night Owl hours (midnight to 8 a.m.), your hourly cost drops dramatically—to $1.50/hour or even zero, depending on which plan you have.

And at just starting at just $48/day + 10¢/mile, our Extended Freedom Trips give you the flexibility to travel longer distances without breaking the bank.


What plans do you offer?   BACK TO TOP
We keep it simple. In general, you drive for $5.50/hour and 35¢/mile ($6.00/hour on weekends (5:00 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Monday (Night Owl Savings apply))), then select from a list of extras designed to meet your specific needs. Choose from our suite of Share plans: ShareLocal, SharePlus, or Share-a-Little. We also have plans for businesses, colleges, hospitals, and other institutions. Click here to see these special plans.


Is the ShareLocal plan for me?   BACK TO TOP
If you drive a few times per month or less, and most of your driving is local, this is the plan for you. Membership is only $10/month and there is no annual fee or commitment. You only pay $1.50/hour from midnight to 8 a.m., and you get 4 Extended Freedom Trips per year for longer distance driving to use at your discretion.


Is the SharePlus plan for me?   BACK TO TOP
This is a great plan if convenience, flexibility, and a low price for longer distance trips are important. If you drive a few times per month or more and know you'll take more than a few longer distance trips, sign up for SharePlus. Membership is $20/month and you pay no annual fee. You also get lots of added convenience — including 12 Extended Freedom Trips plus the option to buy more for $12 each, free Night Owl hours, and no surcharges for premium or capacity vehicles. Local driving averages just $6.75/hour. There's a $25 fee if you downgrade to another Share plan in the same year that you join.


Is the Share-a-Little plan for me?   BACK TO TOP
If you only need a car every couple of months and the majority of your driving is local, this is the plan for you. Membership is only $45/year. You also get 2 Extended Freedom Trips per year for those trips when you need a car the whole day. Night Owl Savings are not available on this plan.


Can I create a household account?   BACK TO TOP
Yes! You can easily add up to four people on your account. You'll get one bill for your household account — plus your household shares the monthly or annual fee.


Did you say I can reserve cars in 15-minute increments?   BACK TO TOP
You bet. Want to pick up some fresh veggies at the Noe Valley farmer's market? Need to go to the Berkeley Bowl to pick up some forgotten ingredients for a recipe? Reserve for less than hour. Or if you're going across the Golden Gate Bridge and are worried about delays, add an extra 15 minutes onto your reservation and lower your stress. It all adds up to convenience and savings for you.


What if I want to take a long-distance trip?   BACK TO TOP
You have several options with City CarShare. Our Extended Freedom Trips (EFTs) give you the opportunity to take that trip to Santa Cruz without emptying your savings account. Drive up to 24 hours and 200 miles for $48 +10¢/mile (35¢/mile after 200 miles) during the week and for $52 + 10¢/mile (35¢/mile after 200 miles) on the weekends (5:00 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Monday). You can even link up to 3 EFTs together for a weekend away. To apply an EFT coupon, simply mark how many credits you would like to use when making your reservation. [All plans add $12/ EFT for Premium and Capacity vehicles. Share-a Little plan members pay $54 + 10¢/mile (40¢/mile after 200 miles) during the week and for $58 + 10¢/mile (40¢/mile after 200 miles) on the weekends (5:00 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Monday).]

Another option is to use City CarShare's special discount pricing to rent a car from City Rent-A-Car. For long-term, long-distance trips, car rental is a smart choice and we encourage you to check which option works best for your particular trip. For more information, email us or call 415-995-8588 and press 0 to speak with a member services representative.


Can I switch plans?   BACK TO TOP
Yes! We understand that your driving needs may change over time. There is no fee to upgrade your membership from Share-a Little to ShareLocal or ShareLocal to SharePlus. There is also no fee to switch from our ShareLocal to Share-a Little because we encourage you to drive less. If you decide to downgrade from SharePlus to ShareLocal or Share-a Little there's a $25 administrative fee if you switch within your first year.


What about insurance?   BACK TO TOP
Glad you asked. City CarShare has one of the best insurance plans in the industry. You're covered up to $1,000,000 per incident. Chances are you can't get better coverage than that! All you're responsible for is a $500 deductible if you have an accident. If you want to lower that deductible to $50, choose Buck to Deduct each time you reserve a car. It's just $1/hour, with a maximum of $6 per trip.


Do you have premium and capacity vehicles?   BACK TO TOP
City CarShare offers many types of vehicles are at or near the top of their class for fuel efficiency and lower emissions. There is an additional $2/hour charge for our premium cars such as the MINI Cooper, Honda Element, and Subaru Outback and our capacity vehicles such as the Doge Grand Caravan, Toyota Sienna and Toyota Tacoma. SharePlus members pay no additional fee.

We'll continue to add MINI Coopers, Elements and other cars based on your needs, but we pledge to keep our premium cars to a minimum so that you're not forced to pay more for a car just because a standard-priced vehicle is not available.


Can my pets smoke in the car?   BACK TO TOP
Your pets are welcome to ride in our cars in a locked carrier but neither you, nor any of your passengers (including pets), can smoke. Due to some members' allergies and sanitary conditions, pets are only allowed in our cars as long as they are in pet carriers. Getting into a stinky car or one that's filled with pet hair isn't fun for anyone so we have fines to encourage considerate behavior. Please note: this rule applies to pets, not service animals. Service animals are allowed in our cars without carriers, as long as they don't smoke.

Are there other fees I should be aware of?   BACK TO TOP
Car sharing means sharing, and we're all relying on each other to take care of the cars, drive responsibly, and be respectful of each other's time and needs. Toward that end, all car sharing organizations have fees associated with the occasional glitch. For example, you should never smoke in our cars. Ever. We'll assign a charge (and maybe a cleaning fee) if you do. Or, if you're returning a car but running late, we might have to assign an "inconvenience fee" (although we'll bend over backwards to help you avoid it). To see a full list of fees and credits, click here.


Why is City CarShare a non profit?   BACK TO TOP
Launched in 2001 as a mission-based, socially responsible organization, City CarShare is dedicated to reducing individual car ownership and driving. Through car sharing, City CarShare and you — our members — reduce congestion, greenhouse emissions, and dependence on foreign oil while contributing to the greening of our cities. Together, we enable more responsible land use and encourage greater use of alternative transportation. And we do it all while lowering the cost of mobility and providing a convenient, reliable service to our members.

We have a unique and important role as a non profit. We encourage the growth of socially responsible car sharing — even among our competitors. We lead efforts to integrate car sharing into the transportation network and incorporate car sharing in new real estate developments and neighborhoods. As a non profit, we never have to make a decision to earn an extra dollar for investors. In fact, we strive to keep our fees low so our service is accessible to as many people as possible. And as a local non-profit, we put every dollar earned right back into the community.