Glossary: What & Why

What it is

Car Rental Glossary and Terminology is an online glossary compiled and continually updated by Car Rental Gateway. It has been live for over five years. What began with zero users now reaches more than 1,000 users per week. The glossary includes over 400 car-rental-specific terms and concepts related to the latest mobility trends. Definitions cover traditional rental vocabulary such as Additional Driver, Cross-border rentals, and Theft Protection, as well as mobility and technology terms like Ride-hailing platform, bCall, and Phone-as-a-Key (PaaK).

How it started

“At first, it took off as an internal glossary in 2019 with an initial idea to help new employees during their onboarding,” says Indrek Uibo, CEO of Car Rental Gateway. “We saw how it helped our employees understand the products we are developing and the industry we work in. This made us realise that we should share it rather than keep it to ourselves.” Many rental operators explain core terminology on their websites, but there is no other site that brings together newer terms, reflects current trends, and considers the viewpoints of all stakeholders.

Why it matters now

The mobility industry is evolving quickly. Borders between markets are blurring, and not all operators can clearly define which market they operate in. New services and the terms that describe them are emerging. Services also change shape over time, and new concepts appear. When new concepts are paired with old terms, it can create confusion for customers and service providers. To deliver high-quality services, teams need a deep understanding of the industry, customer needs, and the systems behind the scenes.

Our mission

At Car Rental Gateway, we are dedicated to making car rental as simple as buying a carton of milk. By growing the Car Rental Glossary and sharing knowledge, we move toward that goal. The glossary expands every week as we add plain-English definitions to keep it accessible to everyone. Bringing together information on the car rental industry, the wider mobility space, and new technologies gives customers the knowledge they need to navigate a fast-changing landscape. It also helps operators, technology providers, IoT and cloud services, platforms, and comparison sites speak the same language so we can deliver services that match customer needs and expectations.

Get involved

We aim for shared understanding and transparency, and we invite you to join the discussion. We welcome feedback on existing definitions and suggestions for new terms. Visit the glossary and use the feedback option on each term’s page, or email us at info@carrentalgateway.com.

About Car Rental Gateway

Car Rental Gateway builds technology that powers smooth car rental and mobility for leading global car rental and travel brands. Since 2001, our team has delivered e-commerce solutions for car rental distribution. We connect mobility providers with travel distributors, including online travel agents, comparison sites, airlines, and car rental brokers.

We see a future where vehicle access is convenient, reliable, and tailored to individual needs. Our technology helps make personal mobility more accessible and sustainable.

Today, customers can access more than 4 million vehicles from over 200 mobility suppliers through our technology. With our help, millions of people book the car they need.

Learn more: carrentalgateway.com