Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Budget Costa Rica Uses Chatbot to Improve Digital Experience

With the help of EDNA, a technology startup focused on artificial intelligence, Budget Costa Rica has incorporated a Chatbot, which uses artificial intelligence to answer questions and take reservations in real time.

by Staff
October 12, 2017
2 min to read


Budget Car Rental Costa Rica, with the help of EDNA, has developed an artificial intelligence startup. The Chatbot will improve the digital experience by providing customers with a series of services related to frequent questions, reservations, and quotes in real time, according to the company.

Named Franco, the Chatbot will be available both on the webpage of Budge Costa Rica as well as in its Facebook Messenger. Initially, Franco will allow clients to make any frequent questions related to car rentals, and in a second phase, it will also permit car rental reservations through this chat platform.

Ad Loading...

Starting this month, Franco is available in English and Spanish.

“In Budget, our main objective is to use artificial intelligence technology to solve the needs of clients in real time, at any hour, and any day of the year by means of an automated knowledge that will allow them to find the answers to their needs in an interactive manner,” said Paulo Vargas, general manager of Budget Costa Rica.

Franco can answer several types of questions on rentals, recommend and show the available car fleet, and provide information on locations and coverages.

“With Budget we executed a special job, as there was no other Chatbot in the Costa Rican car rental industry,” said Kenneth Calderon, CEO of EDNA. “This allowed us to innovate and provide a solution that we know will improve the experience of the client. By creating a Chatbot for Facebook Messenger and its webpage, Budget will have instant access to its clients by means of a widely used and familiar platform. We built Franco using the latest artificial intelligence technology.”

With its amicable tone, instant answers, and the capacity to answer frequently asked questions, Franco sounds like a real person that is available 24/7.

Ad Loading...

“For Budget, the project aligns with the innovation initiatives portfolio that we have been working on that seeks to improve the experience of our clients with immediate answers to their questions and requests, and we are the first car rental to offer this type of solutions,” said Vargas.

More Rental Operations

A counter agent chats with a customer over a rental counter
Rental OperationsJuly 21, 2026

The Desk Upsell Is Costing Operators More Than it Earns

Counter upsells generate revenue, but they can also slow transactions, erode trust, and cost repeat business. Fully inclusive pricing may offer operators a better path to long-term value.

Read More →
U-Save Mauritius team

U-Save Expands Indian Ocean Presence with New Master Franchise for Mauritius

The franchise has been acquired by Mauritian travel entrepreneur Umarfarooq Omarjee, an established figure in the island's tourism and mobility sector.

Read More →
Back view of a remote driver in front of a screen delivering a car to a location.

Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030

A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
green and blue bar graphs compare fleet sales June 2025 versus June 2026
Fleet Acquisitionby Martin RomjueJuly 8, 2026

Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength

June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.

Read More →
Close up of a row of white CUVs in the Surprice Mobility fleet at the Milan airport.

Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport

The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.

Read More →
Julian Gritsch with an MBA class in a classroom.

Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry

Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Green Motion team with banner bearing Japanese flag.

Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement

Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.

Read More →
ACRA Chairman Sharky Laguana on stage at the ICRS event in Grapevine, Texas.
Legal & Legislativeby Martin RomjueJune 24, 2026

ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future

The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.

Read More →
Light blue horizontal bar graphs on a chart showing World Cup-related rental car booking trends.
Rental OperationsJune 23, 2026

World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways

A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Side view of ICRS speaker Sanchit Garg at podium in front of a floor lit red curtain
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 22, 2026

A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker

Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.

Read More →
Ad Loading...