ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-- Payless Car Rental System Inc. announced today an affiliate agreement with Network Car & Truck Rentals Australia, expanding the Payless brand to Australia and New Zealand.

Network Car & Truck Rentals operates 90 locations throughout Australia. Reciprocal reservation systems and Internet links between Payless Car Rental and Network Car & Truck Rentals offer the exclusive exchange of bookings so customers can secure auto rentals worldwide through http://www.paylesscarrental.com.

"With its financial strength, franchise structure and plans for expansion, Network was an ideal partner to provide greater efficiencies, more availability and the continued high level of world-class services that customers have come to expect," said Michael J. Harley, president and chief operating officer of Payless Car Rental System.

Network Car & Truck Rentals, owned by Denburr Pty Ltd., has more than 50 years of experience in the Australian car rental and franchising industry. Renting vehicles through a franchise network is the company's core business.

Through this new affiliation and the recent cooperative agreement with European Sixt Rent A Car, Payless Car Rental now has a presence in 60 countries, with over 1,400 locations and a fleet of 110,000 vehicles.

Payless is a wholly owned subsidiary of Avalon Global Group Inc., a Florida-based, privately held company.