Avis Budget Group has announced that MasterPass by MasterCard is now a payment option for customers.

Travelers can now pay for rentals in advance with a new digital payment option when they make reservations on Avis.com or Budget.com. Avis Car Rental and Budget Car Rental are the first car rental providers participating in the digital payment service, according to Avis Budget Group.

Avis and Budget customers who select the Pay Now option can get the lowest rates available online by paying in advance. These customers can also enjoy the convenience of using MasterPass by clicking the "Buy with MasterPass" button, signing into their MasterPass account, and paying for their car rental reservation with their stored method of payment.

"MasterCard processes billions of transactions each year, so we're thrilled to team up to offer MasterPass users a convenient way to prepay their Avis or Budget rental," said Scott Deaver, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Avis Budget Group. "This initiative will enhance the customer experience we offer and should also help improve our reservation conversion rates as we look to continue to accelerate growth."

U.S. consumers can sign up for a MasterPass account by visiting the MasterPass website or through a participating bank. Launched in 2013, MasterPass by MasterCard is free and accepted anywhere you see the "Buy with MasterPass" button. It is currently available in 32 countries and is accepted at 270,000 merchants globally.

"The digitization of commerce and the increased connectivity of consumers are driving digital transformation around the world," said Linda Kirkpatrick, executive vice president, MasterCard. "We are delighted to partner with Avis Budget Group on innovations like MasterPass, which supports Avis' focus on customer service excellence, by delivering a safe, seamless, and simple payment experience for consumers."