Row of Rental Cars

Frequently Asked Questions


Frequently asked questions and answers about Montana State University's Rental Program.

Who is Eligible to Rent:

Q. Who is eligible to rent?
A. Employees, registered Club members, University Volunteers, and Student Volunteers age 18 years and older are allowed to rent under this agreement for University business purposes.
Q. Can I use the corporate discount for personal rentals?
A. Staff and students age 21 years and older can rent for personal use by using account #63MSU01. The rates associated with the corporate program can be used on personal rentals. Please note that insurance coverage is not included for personal use rentals.

Vehicle Rental:

Q. How do I rent?
A. A couple of options. MSU has a WSCA contract with Enterprise/National and Hertz;:

Enterprise/National: WSCA 9950, CDP# XZ63MSU
There are several ways to reserve a vehicle through Enterprise®: Hertz: WSCA 9949, CDP# 1985856
Q. Why is the MSU contract number so important?
A. If you do not use the account number or name; then the terms and conditions will not apply - you will not get the contractually provided pricing discounts and will not get the $1 Million CSL Liability is included in the rates for business travel. This illustrates the importance of booking your reservations through the approved channels or making sure that you reference the MSU account numbers as shown above.
Q. How can I pay for a rental?
A.
  1. Purchasing Card. The preferred method is a University P-Card in your name to be input as a payment option. If you do not have a P-Card or wish to make a reservation for another person, please use (2a.) listed below to complete the resveration.
    1. These cards offer an extra layer of insurance beyond the contractual insurance.
  2. Alternate methods include:
    1. Paying with a personal credit card and completing a Travel Reimbursement form; or
    2. Work with University Business Services (UBS) to set up a billing account so that departments with frequent travelers can have rental car charges paid via a departmental purchasing card. Please note: travelers will still be required to provide a valid rental receipt to their departmental contact. Contact Katie Matzinger, Director of Accounting, University Business Services (UBS) 994-7508 or kathryn.matzinger@montana.edu.
    3. Contact the vendor with your Index Number and setup an account directly with the vendor.
  3. If travelers cannot use one of the above methods (e.g. student groups without credit cards), they should talk with their departmental accountant. It may be possible to give the vendor a Banner Index number, which UBS will use to appropriately direct the expense. For more information departmental accountants can call Katie Matzinger in UBS at 994-7508.
Q. What if I want my departmental administrative staff to make my reservations for me with his/her Purchasing Card?
A. Instead of using their purchasing card, the administrative staff should contact Katie Matzinger (as listed above) and request a Billing Number. Use of a purchasing card that is not in the name of the renter will not work if you intend to pick up the vehicle. You have to present the card used. The renter will need to take a Photo ID with them to pick up the vehicle.
Q. Do I accept insurance?
A. No. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and $1 Million Combined Single Limit (CSL) Liability is included in the rates for business travel.
Q. What is required when obtaining the car?
A. A valid driver's license and purchasing credit card is required. Billing is available for travelers without purchasing cards. In this case, a credit card is not required for business use rentals. A credit card in the renter's name is required for all personal rentals. Please contact the local branch should you have questions regarding debit cards or cash rentals.
Q. Are one-way rentals allowed?
A. Please contact the specific vendor for the answer.

Vehicle Delivery:

Q. How do I schedule a delivery or pick up service?
A. Enterprise® is the only vendor at this time that offers a delivery service to the MSU Motor Pool Lot.

Delivery to the MSU Motor Pool lot is available with 24 hours advance notice. Please provide 48 hours notice for all specialty vehicles. You can request this when you call your local branch, or you can click the “Select for Delivery” button during the on-line reservation process (see link for instructions in the "Vehicle Rental" section above.)

Enrollment into Enterprise Plus is mandatory for vehicle delivery. (See the section in the Enterprise® FAQ, about Joining Enterprise Plus.)

Keys will be available at the Key Manager Kiosk at the Motor Pool location. Your enrollment in Enterprise Plus will give the vendor the contact information required to contact you regarding your box number and combination code. The contact information you give will be used for both Business and Personal use. Personal Contact information is required as they may contact you after business hours with your box and combination information.

Where Can I Park My Personal Car During Rental:

Q. Where can I park my car while I rent?
A.
  1. If you rent from Enterprise and pick your rental vehicle up at the Motor Pool lot, you may leave your personal vehicle at the Motor Pool lot. You may also leave your car on campus using your parking hang tag, or can get your car to your house - the same options you've always had.
  2. If you rent from Enterprise, Hertz or National at the Airport, you have options of getting your personal car to campus and parking with your hang tag, getting your car to your house, or paying to park in long-term parking at the Airport.

Cancellations:

Q. Is there a cancellation fee?
A. Possibly - see below for details.
  1. Vehicles not yet delivered to motor pool location or delivery not requested:
    Cars - less than 24 hour notice, $20 per rig.
    Vehicles other than cars - less than 36 hour notice, $35 per rig. (these vehicles are more expensive and they may have had to bring the vehicle in from another location)
  2. Vehicles already delivered to motor pool location:
    Full day charge unless roads are listed as emergency travel only.
  3. For Monday early AM departures:
    Vehicles are delivered Friday afternoon, so all cancellations for early Monday will have to be done before Friday at 2pm.

Returning a Rental Vehicle:

Q. Where can I turn in a rental vehicle?
A.
  1. You can return a rental vehicle to the location from which you rented it - either the airport or downtown.
  2. With Enterprise downtown, if you had the vehicle delivered to the Motor Pool lot, you can return the vehicle in at the Motor Pool lot and leave the keys in the Enterprise key return box.
Q. Do I need to return the vehicle full of fuel?
A. Typically, no. There is a nominal surcharge (7 - 10 cents per gallon with Enterprise, for example) to fuel the car if it is returned without being refueled. Departments with frequent gas purchases should consider getting a Wright Express gas fleet card.

How Do I Resolve Rental Issues:

Q. Who do I call if I have trouble with my reservations?
A. You contact the vendor from which you are renting and request to speak with a manager.

All vendors have multiple employees. Any questions we've had thus far have all related to unfamiliarity with the Western States Contract Alliance (WSCA) contracts we use to rent from Enterprise, National and Hertz. To date all questions have been resolved quickly and to customer satisfaction.
Note: If you have difficulty getting the issue resolved with the vendor, please alert the Purchasing & Materials Manager at motorpool@montana.edu so that we can look into it.
Q. What is the claim process if an employee has an accident with a rental car?
A. Please contact the local office where you rented the vehicle as soon as possible and they will fill out an accident report. Additionally, you will need to complete the Report of Incident Form (within 5 days).

Long-Term Rentals:

Q. My department has the need for monthly rentals, how should these be handled?
A. Additional discounts are available for long term rentals through Enterprise®. Please contact Erin Kramarich at 406-896-0752 or via email at erin.kramarich@ehi.com to book.

Other vendors, please contact the vendor directly by phone to make long term rentals through the WSCA contract.

Use Restrictions:

Q. Can I take a rental car on a gravel road?
A. Vehicles are permitted on maintained gravel roads, including forest service roads. Maintained roads also include the ability for 2 cars to safely pass each other.

Benefits of Private Vendor Rentals:

Q. Why rent a car instead of getting reimbursed to drive my own vehicle?
A. You will avoid costly wear and tear on your personal vehicle, have peace of mind with 24-hour roadside assistance, experience safety and comfort, and perhaps have the opportunity to drive a newer car.

MSU will save money on travel (often more than 20%), reduce insurance and liability risk, gain cost-effective alternative to expensive airfare, ensure accurate accounting and invoicing, and enhance employee satisfaction with newer vehicles and more vehicle choices.