Lotte Rental partners with Hertz to offer Korean-language car rental service in 63 cities across 8 countries

Lotte Rental is extending its reservation and customer support services overseas. Under a partnership with global car rental company Hertz, the company will use Hertz's local vehicles and branch network while providing Korean-language support for everything from bookings to accident and breakdown assistance. The move follows last month's direct entry into Okinawa, Japan, and signals a rapid expansion of the company's overseas business into the United States, Europe and Australia.

Lotte Rental announced Monday that it has signed a strategic partnership with Hertz to expand its overseas car rental reservation service — available through the Lotte Rental app — to 91 branches across 63 cities in eight countries.

The service covers the United States, Japan, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, including popular destinations among Korean travelers such as Hawaii, Los Angeles, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Barcelona.

Vehicles and local branches operate through Hertz's global network, but customers can search for and book cars entirely in Korean through the Lotte Rental app. Korean-language guidance will also be provided on branch locations and directions, country-specific driving cautions and vehicle coverage details.

Where Lotte Rental sets itself apart from other overseas car rental booking platforms is in post-rental support.

Most overseas rental booking platforms act as intermediaries for reservations, leaving users to deal directly with local rental companies if an accident or breakdown occurs. For travelers unfamiliar with the local language, even explaining the circumstances of an accident or describing a vehicle's condition can be a significant burden.

To address this, Lotte Rental will operate a 24-hour Korean-language customer center. A separate chat support service will also be available for situations where making a phone call overseas is difficult.

In the event of an accident, customers can submit photos of the accident location and vehicle damage via a link sent through KakaoTalk or text message, after which Lotte Rental will help communicate with the local operator. The company will not handle accidents directly; rather, it will relay the necessary information to the local provider and guide customers through the initial response process.

Country-specific traffic and safety regulations will also be explained. In France, Spain, Italy and other European countries, for example, Lotte Rental plans to inform customers through its service center about local requirements that may be unfamiliar to Korean drivers — such as the obligation to wear a fluorescent safety vest after an accident.

There is also a pricing advantage at some locations. At select branches in Toronto, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Paris, rates booked through the Lotte Rental app are set at about 10 percent below those on Hertz's official website for the same vehicle and rental terms.

This service differs in structure from Lotte Rental's Okinawa operation, which launched last month. In Okinawa, the company established a Japanese subsidiary and partnered with local rental firm Orix Auto, with Lotte Rental staff dispatched from Korea stationed on-site to handle vehicle pickup and return directly.

Under the Hertz partnership, by contrast, no Lotte Rental staff will be based at overseas locations. Hertz manages the vehicles and branches, while Lotte Rental handles reservations and consultations through its app and 24-hour customer center. The company plans to add more countries and cities to the service going forward.

"As overseas travel grows, so does the number of customers renting cars abroad," a Lotte Rental official said. "Through our partnership with Hertz, we aim to secure a stable global infrastructure while making it just as convenient for customers to rent a car overseas as it is at home."