Hertz’s (HTZ) decision to let buyers complete the entire car purchasing process online comes at a moment when the auto market is shifting fast toward simple, digital buying habits. Over the past year, the company has added key partnerships, including a collaboration with Amazon (AMZN) Autos that pushed its e-commerce push into the headlines and put its inventory in front of a much larger audience.
Industry forecasts suggest 15 percent of car purchases in the U.S. could be fully online by 2026, which makes this move less optional and more necessary as shoppers increasingly expect an end-to-end online experience. For Hertz, which manages a fleet of roughly 560,000 vehicles, the goal is clear: improve resale outcomes by making it easier to find, finance, and finalize a purchase without friction.
