- What is PhillyCarShare and how does it work at Penn?
PhillyCarShare is a nonprofit car sharing company founded by five Philadelphians,
four of whom are Penn alums. PhillyCarShare recently partnered with the University
of Pennsylvania to offer car sharing at discounted rates to all Penn faculty, staff
and students who need to use a vehicle for official Penn business.
- What is the advantage of using PhillyCarShare for Penn business?
- PhillyCarShare is offering special contract rates to the University.
- Penn faculty and staff who use PhillyCarShare for official Penn business are covered under Penn's insurance program.
- PhillyCarShare has cars parked at several convenient locations on or around campus so if you normally take public transportation, there is no need to pay for parking your own vehicle or to drive to campus when you need a vehicle for a specific business purpose. Or, if you drive, you can avoid wear and tear on your own vehicle by using PhillyCarShare when you need to drive for Penn.
- What is considered official Penn business?
A business rental is any rental for which Penn is paying directly (i.e.
purchasing card) or the driver is paying for the
rental and getting reimbursed.
- How do I sign up to use PhillyCarShare for Penn business?
Before you can sign up for a Penn business account with PhillyCarShare, your
Business Administrator (or other authorized representative) must already have opened
a business account for your department or organization. If you do not yet have a
department or organization account, please see your Business Administrator or other
authorized representative.
Once an account is established, you can sign up as a driver on an existing program
account by clicking here. You will be asked to submit your Penn I.D. Students ages
18-24 are eligible, but must take Penn's Safe Driver Education course to drive for
Penn business.
Once you are registered:
- Your Business Administrator (or other authorized representative) will get an email notifying him or her that you have signed up as a Penn PhillyCarShare driver, and
- You will be sent a membership handbook which provides details on how to use PhillyCarShare and a key fob which allows you access to PhillyCarShare vehicles.
- Can I also open a personal account?
Yes. Opening a personal account is similar to opening a business account. Go to
the PhillyCarShare web site
and click on the link that says "Open a Personal Account".
- Can anyone sign up as a Penn Business driver?
To participate in PhillyCarShare through Penn you must:
- Have a valid Penn I.D
- Be approved by your Business Administrator (or other authorized representative); and
- Meet PhillyCarShare requirements regarding licensing and driving records
- If I am a student (18 to 21 years of age), can I drive under the Penn Program?
Yes. But certain requirements apply:
- You must join an existing account and be authorized to drive by the contact person of a department or organization.
- You must have taken the Driver Education program that is offered by Risk Management. Their number is 215 898-4327.
- You are restricted to a local radius of 150 miles or less.
- You meet the student driver requirements under PCS.
If you are a student 22 to 24 you have no distance restrictions; however, you must
take the Penn Driver Education program.
- I am older than 25; do I need to take the Penn Safe Driving Course?
It is strongly recommended that all University of Pennsylvania drivers registered
as a member with PhillyCarShare complete the Penn Driver Education Program.
- How do I make a reservation?
Cars may be used only with a valid reservation. To reserve a car online, log on to
PhillyCarShare website;
click on "Reservations;"
enter your member ID and password;
and enter the reservations screen.
To reserve a car by phone, access PhillyCarShare 24-hour reservation line by calling
215-730-0988.
- How does PhillyCarShare know if I am driving for personal business or for Penn business?
When you sign up for PhillyCarShare, you are given an I.D. number. If you have both
a personal and a Penn account you will be given separate I.D. numbers for both
accounts. When you go to make a reservation you will use the appropriate I.D number.
For example, if you are traveling on Penn Business, reserve your vehicle using your
business account I.D. number. If you have both a personal and a business account,
you will only receive one key fob which you can use for both purposes.
- What if I need to change my reservation?
Log on to the PhillyCarShare website and click on "My Reservations"
and change either the pick-up or drop-off time. Or call the reservations line
(215-730-0988) and select the option for reservations.
- What if I am running late? Will I be charged extra?
If you are running late, call the reservation line and try to extend your reservation.
If you are unable to extend because someone else has a reservation immediately
following yours, call the PhillyCarShare emergency line (215-730-0988 ext. 1) and
let them know when you expect to be back. PhillyCarShare does charge a fee for
late returns. Penn's policy is that legitimate late fees are reimbursable
(for example, if you were attending a meeting that was delayed or ran long).
However, efforts should be taken to minimize or eliminate their occurrence. Late fees
that occur on an ongoing basis can result in your Penn membership being cancelled.
- What if the car isn't there as promised?
Call PhillyCarShare emergency number (215-730-0988 ext.1).
- Where are PhillyCarShare cars located near Penn?
Check the PhillyCarShare pod search
to see the nearest locations (pods) to campus.
- Do I get my choice of cars?
PhillyCarShare has a number of models available. When using a vehicle for official
Penn business the size of the vehicle should be the least expensive model consistent
with the number of travelers and the business purpose of the trip.
- How do I get access to the car?
Use your key fob to unlock the car door. It also unlocks the ignition and records
your usage of the car. To use your key fob, hold it steady up to the fob reader;
located on the driver's side windshield (the reader has a little flashing red light).
Hold your fob there for a few seconds and the driver's side door will unlock.
The key fob must be used to lock the car every time you leave the car. This is a
security measure that will prevent theft of the car (be sure to use the key fob of
the driver who has reserved the vehicle consistently during the trip). Ignition
keys are kept inside the cars.
- What if the key fob doesn't work or I get locked out?
Call PhillyCarShare emergency number (215-730-0988 ext.1).
- Do I have to pay for gas?
No. There will be a gas card in the car.
- What if I see damage on the car?
Before you begin and end each trip, be sure to check for dents, scrapes, and other
damages inside and out. Note information about damage on the Defects List in the
glove box. Contact PhillyCarShare before leaving the parking spot on the emergency
line about new damage. Contact PhillyCarShare at your convenience about cleanliness,
odors, gas levels, and missing glove box items. If you fail to report damage by
another member, you may be held responsible and fined. If you do not inform
PhillyCarShare of damage before you start driving, you may be held liable for the
full cost of repairing this damage.
- What happens if I have an accident or damage the vehicle?
Any accident or damage in connection with the car you are using must be immediately
reported to PhillyCarShare by phone on their emergency line (215-730-0988) or
in person, and to the police. You are obliged to secure evidence from any available
witnesses, and to provide PhillyCarShare with a written description of the accident
and the damage incurred. After an accident you may continue your trip only with
the explicit permission of PhillyCarShare staff. Upon returning to Penn, immediate
notice of any accident, damage to or theft of PhillyCarShare vehicle should also
be reported to the
Office of
Risk Management at (215) 898-4327.
- How are insurance claims handled?
For students, faculty or staff who use a PhillyCarShare vehicle for approved Penn
business purposes, Penn has accepted responsibility for any damage to, loss, or
theft of vehicle, regardless of fault or negligence. Damages for which Penn is
responsible include but are not limited to:
- Loss of use; and
- Towing, storage or impound fees; and
- Other costs incurred to recover the vehicle and to establish damages.
Penn has accepted PhillyCarShare liability coverage with a combined single
liability limit of $1,000,000 for third-party losses including bodily injury.
Please check
Policy 2607:
Claim Settlement for University Owned, Leased, or Rented Vehicles in the
Financial Policy Manual for details or call the
Office of
Risk Management at (215) 898-4327.
- What happens if a non-PhillyCarShare vehicle is parked in the PhillyCarShare parking spot when I try to return the car?
Call PhillyCarShare emergency number (215-730-0988 ext.1).
- Are there restrictions? For instance, can I smoke in the car?
There are a number of restrictions that must be followed when using a PhillyCarShare
vehicle. Smoking is not allowed in PhillyCarShare vehicles and violators will be
subject to fines. Penn will not reimburse you for fines incurred due to not adhering
to PhillyCarShare guidelines. A complete list of rules and regulations, as well as
the corresponding fees for noncompliance, is provided in the Membership Handbook.
Fees of a medium or very serious nature are non-reimbursable by Penn and will be
considered a personal expense.
- How will my department or organization be billed?
The billing cycle ends the last day of each month and the Penn contact person on
each account will receive an itemized statement around the 10th of the following
month listing any reservations made during that period and the credit card on file
will be charged. If there are any questions about the statement, the account
contact should email PhillyCarShare at
accounts@phillycarshare.org within
one week of receiving the statement. If the credit card on file is declined for
any reason, your department or organization will be charged a $25 processing fee.
- What if I no longer want to use PhillyCarShare for Penn business?
If you no longer are an employee of Penn, or if you want to end your business
account, you will need to contact PhillyCarShare. If you are keeping your personal
account you can still keep your key fob, if not you must and return your key fob
or risk being fined. Additionally, Penn reserves the right to cancel a Penn business
membership for the following reasons:
- You are no longer affiliated with Penn or the organization under which their membership was created
- You have failed to abide by the rules and regulations of PhillyCarShare as outlined in the Penn Membership Handbook.
