Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Dollar Launches Thumbprinting Pilot Program

TULSA, Okla. -- In an effort to prevent credit card fraud and vehicle theft, Dollar Rent a Car in late October launched a pilot program that requires customers to leave their thumbprint on the r...

by Staff
December 17, 2001
2 min to read


TULSA, Okla. -- In an effort to prevent credit card fraud and vehicle theft, Dollar Rent a Car in late October launched a pilot program that requires customers to leave their thumbprint on the rental agreement. The thumbprint, taken from an inkless pad, is kept on file for seven years, the standard period for all Dollar rental agreements. The test period was scheduled to end Nov. 30, 2001, but has been extended to gather additional data. A decision on whether to fully implement the program is expected at the end of January or the beginning of February.

Jim Senese, vice president of quality assurance at Dollar Rent a Car, said the program was being tested to help reduce vehicle theft and increase the chances of recovering stolen vehicles.

Ad Loading...

"Police departments might be more willing to take missing vehicle reports, and might be more successful, if we were able to offer something that would be able to give positive identification," Senese said.

A total of 14 locations have participated in the pilot program, including Reagan National, Baltimore-Washington International and Atlanta Hartsfield International. The thumbprinting program, already in development before the events of Sept. 11, was nonetheless affected by the tragedy.

"The car rental companies started suffering immediately following [Sept. 11] to the point that in order to try to salvage our margins, we needed to do everything we could to control costs," Senese said.

Overall, customer reaction has been favorable. But two customers requested their thumbprints back after returning the cars, and Dollar accommodated the request. During the test period, customers refusing to submit a thumbprint were referred to other rental companies.

The thumbprints and rental agreements are stored at the company’s Tulsa headquarters. "I think some of our customers originally felt that there’s a big database of thumbprints and these are electronically scanned," said Senese. "That’s not the case."

More Rental Operations

50 states map showing LOR rates for each state with different shades of light to dark green

U.S. Rental Length Declines Slightly in Q1 2026, Enterprise Reports

LOR overall continues to trend downward, but ongoing market and economic conditions could affect future results while the industry deals with staffing and productivity challenges.

Read More →
Illustration of a driverless futuristic front seat/dashboard view of other cars on a freeway with city skyline on horizon.

Hertz, Uber Deepen Roles In Self-Driving And Driver-Led Fleet Services

The business arrangement connects demand with scalable fleet management services and supports a range of mobility uses.

Read More →
A tech collage of electronic devices against a computer chip blueprint map.
Rental OperationsMay 1, 2026

Why Car Rental Can No Longer Run On Workarounds

The shift from branch-based software to connected operations is turning rental technology into strategic infrastructure.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A tech collage of electronic devices against a computer chip blueprint map.
Rental OperationsMay 1, 2026

Why Car Rental Can No Longer Run On Workarounds

The shift from branch-based software to connected operations is turning rental technology into strategic infrastructure.

Read More →
A black Audi SUV superimposed on a historic scene from downtown Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Carwiz Sets Up Rental Operations In Central Asia

The global franchise operation reaches a first in its rental fleet portfolio with new service in Uzbekistan.

Read More →
A raging brushfire in the countryside.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueApril 30, 2026

Where Rental Fleets Must Adjust To Shifting Catastrophe Risks

West Coast disasters pose unique challenges and liabilities for rental fleet operators, who are advised to take steps tailored to their specific situations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ARN Industry Newsmakers thumbnail page with ARN and ICRS logos and shots of Nick DiPrima and Martin Romjue
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueApril 27, 2026

Using AI To Find Rental Car Damage

Angry car renters are storming social media, the mainstream media, and online ratings platforms to complain about charges they claim are either unfounded or excessive.

Read More →
Photo of CEO Krešimir Dobrilović against a gray modernist crooked-tile mural display.

Carwiz Opens Car Rental Service In Panama

A Carwiz partner in Puerto Rico is taking on the Panama franchise with operations in the nation's largest airport.

Read More →
A world map with Flexways logo and new locations headline.

Flexways Opens 10 Locations Among Franchise, Affiliate Rental Networks

The integrated business model combines each operator’s local expertise with international standards to boost sales.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of a suitcase, passport, and smartphone.

Traveler Customer Satisfaction Up This Year Data Study Shows

The study looks at customer analytics to size up performance in car rentals, rideshare, airlines, lodging, and OTAs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...