ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Payless Car Rental System Inc. has added six new franchise locations, resulting in 2,000 more vehicles in the system's fleet. New franchises are in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Fort Myers, Fla.; Philadelphia, Pa.; San Antonio, Texas; and Sacramento, Calif.

"These new locations bring Payless Car Rental closer to fulfilling the company's aggressive growth strategy to provide service to the top 50 car rental airport markets by attracting experienced independents to a national franchise," said Charles Pratt, the company's vice president of business development. "Together, the new franchisees bring an unprecedented 40 years of car rental operations experience to the team."

More franchise agreements are being finalized for New Orleans, La.; New Haven, Conn.; and Aberdeen, S.D.

"What makes Payless attractive to independents is the unique opportunity for diversification of business within the Payless brand," said James Easley, a Payless franchisee in Philadelphia.