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Compare car hireThis summary is for illustrative purposes only and may not apply to all reservations. We try our best to keep it up to date and relevant, but we can't guarantee that it is accurate or error-free. If you have questions regarding a specific rental, please contact our customer care team.
Apex accepts AMEX, China Union Pay, Mastercard, Union Pay International, and Visa credit cards or a bank-issued Mastercard or Visa debit card to secure the hire car Rental Agreement.
While you may be able to pay the cost of your Apex rental car with cash, an eftpos debit card, or a non-bank issued Mastercard or Visa debit card, a valid credit or debit card is also required to secure your Rental Agreement.
Apex reserves the right to refuse any card.
Apex may levy an additional charge for any of the following (though not limited to) cases:
After-hours arrangements, and airport parking charges may apply.
The cost of cleaning the rental vehicle (if required).
Late returns of $20/hour and $80/day in addition to the daily rate.
Apex does not levy additional charges for:
Additional drivers.
Airport fees and/or port fees.
Booking fees.
Vehicle registration recovery fees.
Apex does not charge for additional drivers. When you pick up the car, the primary driver can add drivers to the rental agreement without charge. Note that any additional nominated driver, as with the primary driver, must have a full drivers licence and be present when the vehicle is collected at the beginning of the rental period.
The minimum age for renting a hire car with Apex is 21 years old. There is no Young Driver Surcharge.
Apex allows the carriage of guide dogs for customers who are visually or hearing impaired and for assistance dogs required for emotional or other forms of support. Any other pets or animals are not permitted in Apex vehicles.
As with all rentals, additional cleaning fees may be charged in the event the interior of the vehicle requires unusual or unexpected vacuuming, sanitation or shampooing.
You can book forward-facing child safety seats suitable for children weighing 8-18kg (or approximately 2 to 4 years old) when booking online with Apex, however Apex does not supply rear-facing child safety seats. Apex will not authorise the modification or installation of a child safety seat as a rear facing seat, and under no circumstances should customers attempt to reconfigure Apex forward facing child safety seats.
It is the responsibility of the renter to check and ensure any child safety seats are fitted correctly prior to commencing the rental. You may install your own child safety seat or capsule of any type in our vehicles at your own risk. Apex staff will not assist with the installation of non-Apex seats or capsules.
Some makes and models have built-in GPS navigation systems, however Apex cannot guarantee availability.
Apex does not charge card transaction fees.
In the unfortunate event of an accident, please do the following:
Notify Apex as soon as possible using the following phone number 0800 500 660.
Contact the local Apex branch using the numbers listed on your Rental Agreement.
Notify the police if the accident involves injury.
If possible, prepare a written statement of the facts signed by all parties. If agreement cannot be reached, obtain a copy of the police report.
Do not make any admission of liability, as this may prejudice your insurance coverage. Record full details of all parties and vehicles involved in the accident
Unless you have purchased Excess Reduction Cover (ERC) and/or Windscreen and Tyre Protection, you will be required to pay all vehicle damage up to a maximum of the insurance excess. The exact amount of your excess liability depends on the vehicle rented. Please review the excess amounts prior to booking. If you have a camera, please take photographs of all damaged vehicles and the accident site to verify the damage and circumstances to assist us with our claim.
Under no case should you have your rental vehicle repaired without the explicit permission of Apex.
Digital Drivers Licences (DDLs) issued by a Verification Authority in an Eligible Country may be accepted by Apex. Note all DDLs are checked live at the time of rental, and the DDL presented must be appropriate for the rental vehicle. A digital licence does not replace a physical licence and you should still carry your physical card.
DDLs issued by a Verification Authority in the following countries/states are accepted by Apex:
(i) Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria);
(ii) Brazil
(iii) China
(iv) Estonia
(v) India
(vi) Singapore
(vii) United States of America (Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and Utah).
Apex may reject or accept any DDL at its sole discretion.
Driving in snow is permitted on the condition that appropriate equipment (such as snow chains) are used, or, it is otherwise safe and responsible to do so.
To rent a hire car from Apex, you must have had a current and valid full driver licence for at least 12 months. Australian issued P1 (Red P) and P2 (Green P) class licences are not accepted by Apex when renting in New Zealand.
Apex accepts the new plastic photo ID Driving Licence from the United Kingdom, as well as the older paper licences, however Apex does not accept a Counterpart Driving Licence by itself.
Please see the International Driving Permit section below for information regarding these permits.
Apex has a responsibility to evaluate drivers skill levels, and at times, a driving assessment may be necessary to ensure our customers understand the road rules, are prepared to handle our road conditions and have the confidence to drive in New Zealand. If Apex determines that the driver is not fit to hire a vehicle, they will terminate the rental agreement and make a full refund (less any excess liability if the driver has an accident or causes damage to the vehicle).
Apex vehicles must not be operated off-road, on any beach (including Ninety Mile Beach and Te Paki streambed), or driven on farm paddocks, or in snow (without snow chains). All vehicles (including 4WD vehicles) are prohibited from driving on all 4WD tracks.
Apex vehicles are not permitted to travel on the following roads:
Skippers Canyon Road
The road to Macetown
Matukituki Road beyond the Treble Cone access road turn off
Glenorchy-Paradise Road beyond Priory Road turn off
Smoking is not permitted in an Apex vehicle. If the vehicle is returned smelling of cigarette/cigar smoke you will be liable for the full cost of cleaning.
Apex does not offer electric vehicles in New Zealand.
If you are unsure what fuel to use, please ask the station attendant or contact the Apex rental location for advice. Never put AdBlue into the fuel tank.
When you rent a car with Apex in New Zealand there are two options for refuelling when you return the vehicle:
You can return the vehicle with a full tank of fuel, or
Apex can refuel the vehicle for you, with a refuelling service charge per litre applied.
Apex does not pay any infringement notices and it is the sole responsibility of the hirer to pay all fines in relation to infringement notices issued during the rental period.
In the event that Apex receives an infringement notice for a speeding, parking, or other traffic infringement relating to the period the vehicle was on hire, Apex will process a statutory declaration stating that the vehicle was on hire and provide name, address, and driver licence details of the hirer. Apex charges the hirer a $25 administration fee for this.
You cannot drive in New Zealand if you only have an International Driving Permit — you must carry a current and valid overseas licence as well as the IDP. If your IDP is not in English you must have it translated.
If you want to rent from an Apex location that is within 50km of your place of residence, then Apex may need to complete some additional identification checks, and you will also need to pay a bond to secure the rental. After-hours collections are not available to local hirers.
To rent from a local Apex branch you will need to provide the following:
A recent (30 days) utility bill from your place of residence.
The address on the utility bill must match the address on your driver licence.
Apex will call your mobile phone to verify the number is valid.
Apex allows for its rental cars to be taken across the Cook Strait using either the Interislander or Bluebridge ferry services. If you are planning to travel between the North Island and South Island, you can book your ferry tickets at the same time as you book your rental car.
Apex does not impose a surcharge for senior drivers.
To pick up an Apex rental car you need to satisfy both the licence and payment criteria:
You must present a valid and accepted credit card or bank issued Mastercard or Visa debit card (see Accepted Forms of Payment above).
You must meet the licence rules.
For security purposes, the owner of the credit card entered on the payment step when making a booking must be present to collect the vehicle and is required to sign the Rental Agreement.
Subject to prior arrangement and agreement, after-hours pickups may be available. Apex requires full payment of the rental in advance and at least 24 hours notice prior to pick-up. Apex charges an additional fee for after-hours arrangements and airport parking charges may apply. Instructions for after-hours pick-up and/or returns are included with your booking confirmation.
Some Apex locations do not accept after-hours pick-ups or returns, and after-hours collections are not available to local hirers. For more details, please contact Apex Reservations.
If you are going to be late to pick up your car, please contact Apex Reservations or the Apex rental location as soon as possible.
Apex rental vehicles are covered by standard motor vehicle insurance; however, an excess may be charged for any loss or damage incurred during the hire period, regardless of fault. Our standard excess liability varies depending on the age and size of the vehicle.
Apex rental vehicles are covered by standard motor vehicle insurance; however, an excess may be charged for any loss or damage incurred during the hire period, regardless of fault. This excess can be reduced through the purchase of Excess Reduction Cover (ERC). The cost of ERC depends on the length of rental and the liability level you accept, but generally, the longer you rent the cheaper it gets, though note that vehicle groups can have different excess levels and you may not always be able to reduce the excess to zero. Excess insurance is also available through third party providers such as Prosura.
Maximum Cover Excess Reduction: reduces excess liability to zero.
Limited Cover Excess Reduction: reduces excess liability to $500.
Contact the Apex rental location if you wish to extend your rental. Some Apex locations do not accept after-hours returns. Be sure to return your rental vehicle both clean and with a full tank of fuel to avoid additional fees and charges.
All Apex vehicles are covered by the Automobile Association (AA) 24 hour roadside assistance service for any vehicle related breakdowns. In the event that you need roadside assistance, please call the AA free phone number 0800 22 27 39, and if the AA are unable to assist, contact APEX.
For non-mechanical (driver error) call outs, you will need to pay the applicable fee to the AA prior to their attendance. Non-mechanical breakdowns include, but are not limited to:
Running out of fuel.
Refilling the vehicle with the incorrect fuel.
Damage to wheels and/or tyres.
Losing the keys or locking them inside the vehicle.
Having a flat battery due to the ignition or lights being left on.
A breakdown as a result of damage caused in an accident, including salvage.
Mechanical breakdowns covered by the AA Roadside Assistance service include the following:
Engine faults.
Electrical faults.
Cooling system.
Vehicle recovery.
Roadside Assistance Cover provides an additional safety net and covers the call out fee in the case of some non-mechanical situations.
The security deposit is a downpayment charged to your credit or debit card for an agreed amount. Apex will refund the bond amount upon return of the undamaged vehicle.
If you want to rent from an Apex location that is more than 50km from your residence, you are not required to pay a security deposit. If the Apex location is within 50km of your place of residence, then Apex need to complete some additional checks (see first time and nearby renters above), and you will also need to pay a bond to secure the rental.
Apex does not accept cash payments as security holds on rentals. If you are unable to supply an accepted credit or debit card, you will not be able to rent from Apex.
The refundable security deposit applies as follows:
Zero Excess Coverage: $500.
Basic Coverage: $1,000.
Apex does not pay any toll charges and it is the sole responsibility of the hirer to pay all toll charges incurred during the rental period.
In the event that Apex receives an unpaid toll notice relating to the period the vehicle was on hire, Apex will process a statutory declaration stating that the vehicle was on hire and provide name, address, and driver licence details of the hirer. Apex charges the hirer a $10 administration fee for this.
Unlike many companies, Apex does not impose a surcharge for drivers age 21 to 25 years of age. Provided you are 21 years of age or older the same rates apply to you as to all over eligible drivers.
Remember - this summary was prepared for illustrative purposes only - always refer to the rental provider's full Rental Agreement and Terms and Conditions for up-to-date and complete details.