Zipcar Launches "Reserve a Zipcar" Facebook App

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP), the world's leading car sharing network, today announced a further expansion of the company's collection of social and mobile applications and services with the launch of its new "Reserve a Zipcar" Facebook application as a public beta test.  The new application is now live on Zipcar's Facebook page, and members can use it to reserve a car, check car availability, view upcoming reservations and extend or cancel existing reservations without leaving Facebook.  

The launch enables Zipcar members to test the new "Reserve a Zipcar" app on Facebook, and provide feedback directly to Zipcar.  "Reserve a Zipcar" is available to anyone with a Facebook account. Facebook users who do not yet have a Zipcar account can still use the application to find car locations or join Zipcar.

"Zipcar member surveys have shown that more than 88 percent of our members are Facebook users and the typical user spends over 15 hours on Facebook per month.  We know that our members are tech-savvy and actively engaged in social media, so providing members with the ability to reserve a Zipcar directly through Facebook is a natural next step," said Zipcar Chairman and CEO Scott Griffith.  "Zipsters manage their lives on both the information highway and the paved ones.  With today's launch of the 'Reserve a Zipcar' Facebook application we're enabling new levels of fun and convenience to members who no longer need to leave the Facebook environment to make a vehicle reservation."

Members can use the application to view available Zipcars on a map or list-view, get directions to the vehicle location and extend or cancel a reservation.  The application also allows members to share the details of their reservation with their Facebook friends as a status post on their wall.  Mr. Griffith continued, "This new application further demonstrates Zipcar's commitment to delivering the best member experience possible by leveraging the growing array of media and technologies adopted by our membership base."

With the introduction of the "Reserve a Zipcar" Facebook application, Zipcar is adding to its collection of both social and mobile applications and services, and providing members with yet another avenue through which they can reserve a Zipcar.  In addition to this Facebook application, members can also reserve a vehicle by downloading either Zipcar's new Android™ application or Zipcar's iPhone® application – recognized by Time Magazine as one of the "50 Best iPhone Apps in 2011" – as well as by using Zipcar's mobile website, which can be used on Blackberry® devices and smartphones to make, extend or change reservations.  

In addition, members can visit www.zipcar.com or call 866.4.ZIPCAR to make reservations.  When a member is in a current reservation, they have access to Zipcar's interactive voice response call center, which automatically recognizes members and their reservation status and dynamically changes the options based on where members are in their reservation experience.  Zipcar also offers two-way SMS texting, allowing Zipcar to proactively reach out to members during their reservation via their mobile device to manage their reservation, including instant reservation extension.

For more information on Zipcar, visit www.zipcar.com.

About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car sharing network with more than 605,000 members and over 9,000 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.

Photos and b-roll footage are available for media purposes at www.zipcar.mediaroom.com.

Zipcar and the Zipcar logo are trademarks of Zipcar, Inc.  Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions.  The trademark Blackberry is owned by Research In Motion Limited and is registered in the United States and may be pending or registered in other countries. Zipcar is not endorsed, sponsored, affiliated with or otherwise authorized by Research In Motion Limited.  iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.  All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

ZIP-G

SOURCE Zipcar, Inc.