Turo does not allow owners and travelers to pay for or receive payment for Turo-related services outside of Turo. Gray market transactions are defined in our Terms of Service as using Turo to find an owner or traveler, and then completing a vehicle rental or related transaction partially or wholly independent of Turo Services, in order to circumvent the obligation to pay any Turo Fees.
Turo has a strong policy against gray market transactions. *
Gray market transactions include, but are not limited to, paying for the following types of items outside of Turo (i.e. via PayPal, cash, check, credit card, Square, Bitcoin, Venmo, or any other method of payment)
- Trip costs
- Trip extensions
- Late fees
- Mileage overage charges
- Reimbursement for cleaning fees
- Damage fees
- Charges for additional products
- Tickets/Toll reimbursement
Gray market transactions put the owner and traveler at greater risk for fraud. Participating in gray market transactions will likely void any Turo-provided coverage (liability insurance and physical damage protection) for the trip in question, including protection for accidents, damage claims, roadside assistance, and any support we might provide in unusual circumstances. Without proof of payment through our marketplace, we cannot protect against double-charging for violations or other additional fees.
Any additional charges for a booked trip should be handled through our Reimbursement tool found in the Turo dashboard online or in the app after a trip has completed.
* The only exception to the Gray Market rule is when the owner is a car rental company who has declined a Turo protection package and has opted to directly provide commercial rental liability coverage to the renter. Only in this limited circumstance may an owner collect payment for insurance, protection packages, CDW, claims, mileage, gas, deposits, and young driver or late fees outside of the Turo platform. However, owners and their travelers must always complete basic trip costs and extension payments via the Turo platform even if they are utilizing owner-provided insurance.