Zipcar takes Visa, Amex, Mastercard, and Discover, but honestly, don't use a debit card. They slap a pre-authorization hold on it for each trip, which locks up your actual bank balance for days. Just link a real credit card instead, especially one with secondary rental insurance to skip their crazy damage fees.

Zipcar rarely drops general sitewide codes. Don’t pay full price for membership, though. Always check for a university or company partner page; signing up with an .edu email usually knocks the annual fee down to $15 or $25 and bags some initial driving credit. Otherwise, grab a referral.

Just log in and grab your link under "Refer a Friend" on the dashboard. You both usually get $25 in driving credit once their background check clears. Heads up though: that credit only applies toward trip time, never membership fees or taxes, and takes a couple days to actually show in your wallet.

Honestly, their regular newsletter mostly just sends reminder spam. But if you're signing up fresh, joining the email list usually triggers a $15 or $25 driving credit code within 48 hours. Better yet, check your uni or employer portal first—those affiliate links drop the annual membership fee way more than basic promo emails.