New Reservation System

Yes! It’s called CarShare Vermont and you can download it for iOS or Android in the Apple App store or Google Play store.

The reservation system can be accessed at https://carsharevt.zemtu.com or through the CarShare Vermont app (see details above). Prior to logging in for the first time, you’ll need to update your password (for security reasons, your protected passwords were not transferred to the new system). Please note that your username is your email address.

Once you’re logged in (see above), reserve a specific vehicle for a specific span of time, just as you always have. Please note that the minimum reservation increment is now 30 minutes, not 15.

To cancel a reservation in the desktop version of the site (i.e., the fleetwide reservation board view), click on your upcoming reservation, which will appear in blue. Then click the red “Delete” button. To cancel a reservation using the mobile app or mobile version of the website, click on the reservation, and scroll down to click the “DELETE” button outlined in red. Please note that reservations can only be cancelled before they have begun. Once a reservation has started you can edit and save the changes to shorten it. 

Confirmation emails are not currently a feature in the new system, so you shouldn’t anticipate receiving an email after making a reservation. This feature is in development and is expected to be in place in the first months of 2023.

Unlock the car using the new CarShare Vermont app or an RFID access card (available by request only). As always, retrieve the car key from the key holder in the glove box to start the car. Use the vehicle’s key to lock/unlock the key during your reservation, and use the app or your access card to properly secure the vehicle and end your trip.

Not currently. We hope to work with our developers to institute a short grace period before late fees automatically kick in, but right now, they begin immediately. If you are less than 3 minutes late, please be in touch, and we will refund your late fee.

No, your key fob will not work under the new system. You’ll need the CarShare Vermont app or an access card (available by request) to access reservations. To request an access card, please fill out this form.

No, it will not. The new system requires that you use the mobile app or a newly issued CarShare Vermont access card (available upon request).

The majority of members will not see any changes to what they pay for membership or driving, however, certain rate plans were simplified or otherwise changed with this switch:

• Campus members: Separate rate plans for students vs. employees have been consolidated into a universal Campus rate plan with a membership fee of $65/year and driving rates equal to our Share-a-Lot plan ($7.50/hr or $75.00/day). For all current campus users, this will result in lower-cost driving rates.
  
• MobilityShare members: Due to differences in our new software’s billing model, we will not be able to provide the first 10 miles of a trip at no cost to MobilityShare members. As a temporary solution, we will be issuing a one-time credit to members in early December as we investigate how best to provide this subsidy on driving rates going forward.
• Business members: Business rate plans will no longer be tiered on the basis of the size of the business going forward. A single rate plan with both monthly ($30) and annual ($300) fee options will be available. Driving rates will remain the same.
  

Most members will not need to re-enter their card, as your payment information has been retained in this migration; however, there are a couple of exceptions:

• If you joined CarShare Vermont recently (after November 16th), you will need to put your card on file again in order to make a reservation.
• If you are part of a shared household account, each driver will need to have a card on file in order to reserve a vehicle. Feel free to use the same card for multiple drivers – the membership fee and usage will all be invoiced to the primary user.

To add a card on file login into the CarShare Vermont app or mobile version of the website. Click on the blue person icon in the bottom right corner and scroll down to “Billing.” Select “EDIT PAYMENT METHOD” to add your new card information.

Initially, the new system will lack a billing summary view that lists all invoices; this feature is currently in development. Detailed invoices and payment receipts will, however, be emailed to you directly at the time they are created.

Yes, the monthly billing cycle date will be the 15th of the month (for monthly/annual invoices if applicable). If the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, invoices will be finalized and sent on the next business day.

Please note that, earlier in this transition, we expected to change to a somewhat different billing pattern (invoices sent on the 5th) and communicated this to our members. We did not end up making this change.

Like our former system, members are charged in real-time for any reservations; however, an enhanced billing feature in our new system will confirm the availability of $10.00 on your credit card 24 hours before the start of any reservation you make (this is called pre-authorization). This amount will be authorized, but not collected, until your trip is completed and an invoice is generated.

Yes, some basic policies will shift to reflect how things work in the new system, including the following: 

• The minimum reservation increment is now 30 minutes instead of 15 minutes. 
• Late fees are no longer $1 per minute; they are now applied at a rate of $10 per half hour.

The primary user receives invoices and payment receipts to their email, and it is the credit or debit card saved to their profile which is charged. The primary user was selected based on whichever driver on the account joined CSVT first. Contact us if you would like to change which user is the primary user on your account.

At the end of 2021, CarShare Vermont’s longtime tech provider informed us that they would be discontinuing their software product at the end of this year (while continuing to support the hardware system that we also utilize). We set out to identify a new software partner that would provide a robust and flexible system that pairs well with our existing hardware and offers an improved member experience. After an extensive search, we teamed up with an awesome software team (that started as a carsharing operator) with a long history of supporting shared mobility services across Europe and the UK.

You can always email us at info@carsharevt.org, call (802) 861-2340, or stop by our office at 131 Saint Paul Street, Monday-Friday, 9-5, with additional questions that arise.