Billing

Trips are billed on the next business day, apart from some exceptions.

Members receive a monthly account statement with details on all transactions. The statement is issued to the primary account holder (the “responsible member” as defined in the Membership Contract).

See also:

How does billing work with a family membership?

Your monthly account statement includes a list of the trips that you have made during the indicated period. Statements for family memberships display trips for all co-members, while statements for workplace accounts show the trips for all authorized drivers.

The cost for each trip shows the amount before tax, making it easier to understand if you wish to calculate it yourself or use our online trip calculator.

Other transactions (e.g. membership fees, credits, payments) are displayed in separate subsections of the statement.

Any payments or new transactions made after the period indicated on the statement will not appear on it.

To see your most recent transactions, please check “Balance & Transactions” in the Billing section of your account online or in the Communauto app.

See also:

Billing

Why is there a difference between the balance on my monthly statement and the balance in the more up-to-date information available online?

Your monthly account statement provides a summary of transactions made within the indicated period. If payments or new transactions were made afterward, they will not appear on this statement but on the next one.

This explains why the balance shown on your account statement often differs from the more up-to-date balance you will find in the information displayed online or in the Communauto app.

For the same reason, the “amount due” displayed online or in the app does not necessarily correspond to the balance shown on your last monthly statement. The two amounts will only be the same if you have not made any new transactions (including new trips) or new payments after the end of the period indicated on the statement.

Since “pending charges” (charges incurred that have not been billed yet) are not taken into account in determining the “amount due,” the amount due displayed online or in the Communauto app shows zero (0) as long as you are up to date with your payments.

You will find a detailed definition of these terms by clicking on the help button associated with each in the information displayed online or in the app.

See also:

Billing

Which amounts are taken into account for the balance of available credit?

In general, payments are automatically charged to the credit card on your account (carte bleue in France).

For amounts that are billed monthly, the balance shown on your monthly account statement is charged a few days after the statement is issued.

Trips are billed on the next business day, apart from some exceptions.

If a payment fails or is late, your access to the service will be temporarily suspended. It is therefore important to ensure that your payment information is up to date and to regularly check that funds are sufficient to cover the amounts due.

Members who registered with Communauto before the introduction of credit card payments can continue with their current payment method. However, payment by credit card is the only way to quickly unblock your account if you have reached your credit limit or a payment has failed. Therefore, we strongly recommend switching to this payment method if you have not already done so.

See also:

Billing

How do I change my payment method?

How do I make a one-time payment?

Typically, your account is charged automatically using the payment card on file. If your account is blocked because the balance is overdue or exceeds your credit limit, it is also possible for you to initiate a payment yourself.

To do so:

1. Log into your account in the app or on the Communauto website.

2. Select “Make a payment” from the “Billing” section of the menu.

Please note: this feature is currently available only for members with a payment card on file. You can add a card to your account at any time. If you need assistance making a payment on your account, please contact us.

See also:

Billing

Your credit limit is the maximum amount you can reach before you are required to make a full or partial payment to make new reservations or access a FLEX vehicle.

This limit takes into account both the completed trips that haven’t been paid (even if they haven’t been billed yet), the estimated “time” cost of future reservations, as well as any other charges due on your account.

If your usage of the service, including your trips and those of your co-members (if applicable) remains below your credit limit, you will not need to make a payment between two billing periods or scheduled withdrawals.

However, if you approach or exceed your limit, you will receive a notification in the app indicating that you need to make a payment.

To find out your credit limit, select “Balance & Transactions” in the “Billing” section of your account online or in the Communauto app.

See also :

Billing

How do I make a one-time payment?

This calculation is based on your current balance (see “Balance”), any pending charges, and the estimated cost of ongoing trips and future reservations.

You can check your account online or in the Communauto app (see “Balance & Transactions” in the Billing section), to determine if you have enough room within your credit limit, or if you need to make a payment before making a new reservation or using a FLEX vehicle.

Here are some helpful definitions:

Balance: The balance includes the amount due on the last statement and any charges billed subsequently, if applicable, minus any payments. A negative balance indicates that the total of your payments exceeds the total of the billed amounts.

Pending charges: These are charges incurred but not yet billed, including the cost of trips completed since the last monthly billing statement.

Ongoing trips: The estimated cost depends on the type of vehicle:

• FLEX: based on the time elapsed in the current trip, plus 24 hours (the estimate will appear once you block the vehicle)
• Reservation: calculated using the length of time reserved (once your trip starts, the estimate will move from “Future reservations” to “Ongoing trips”)

Note: Distance is not included in the estimate. However, the estimate does include tax and damage protection fees, if applicable.

Future reservations: Estimated cost of future bookings (time price).

Amount due: Amount to be paid to cover any charges already billed to your account. A displayed amount of $0 may not be sufficient to make new reservations if the total of your transactions would exceed your credit limit. In this case, see “Available credit” to know the amount of available credit.

These definitions will always be accessible by clicking on the help button displayed next to each item.

See also:

Billing

How do I make a one-time payment?

The cost of a trip depends on:

• the duration and distance traveled
• whether you are using a Station-based or FLEX vehicle
• the vehicle category (an additional cost applies for family and utility vehicles)
• your membership plan

Check out the Rates page of your location to find out the details of our rates.

To learn more

Use our Trip Calculator on the Rates page of your branch’s website to compare the trip prices on a variety of membership plans.

See also:

How is the cost of my trip calculated when I use a station-based vehicle?

How is the cost of my trip calculated when I use a FLEX vehicle?

Trips with station-based vehicles are charged according to the distance and duration of the trip.

The exact cost of the trip depends on:

• your membership plan
• the vehicle category (family and utility vehicles have an additional cost)
• the pricing options available for the type of trip you make (such as the length of the trip and whether it is local or long distance)

You can find detailed pricing for your location on the Rates page of your branch’s website.

The minimum duration for a station-based reservation is 30 minutes. The trip is then billed in increments of 15 minutes.

Pricing options and best rate guarantee

Several membership plans give access to multiple pricing options. Your trip is automatically billed at the lowest rate available for your trip.

For example, if you are a Value Plan member and use a station-based vehicle, your trip may be calculated using:

• the standard rates of your plan
• Long Distance rates
• rates normally offered to Open Plus members (“Liberté” in Paris), which can be more advantageous for short trips that are high in distance

Members on the Value Extra plan may also benefit from having their trip billed at the Workday rate when applicable.

To learn more

Use our Trip Calculator on the Rates page of your branch’s website to compare the trip prices on a variety of membership plans.

See also:

How is the cost of my trip calculated when I use a FLEX vehicle?

Trips with FLEX vehicles are generally charged by the minute for short trips and by a combination of duration and distance for longer trips.

The exact cost of the trip also depends on:

• your membership plan
• the vehicle category (family and utility vehicles have an additional cost)
• the pricing options available for the type of trip you make (such as the length of the trip and whether it is local or long distance)

You can find detailed pricing for your location on the Rates page of your branch’s website.

Price difference between One-way and Return FLEX

For trips lasting less than 4 hours, it may be more advantageous to use a Return FLEX rather than a One-way FLEX. The difference may seem subtle, but it is related to the rule of the “minimum 4 billable hours.”

How pricing works with a One-way FLEX vehicle

When you use a One-way FLEX, your trip is automatically billed at the lower price of:

• the regular FLEX rate, or
• the rate for station-based vehicles on your membership plan

This comparison is made regardless of the length of your trip. However, if the station-based rate for your plan ends up being the cheaper option, a minimum of 4 hours will be charged. The 4-hour minimum charge applies even if your actual trip was shorter.

How pricing works with a Return FLEX vehicle

With Return FLEX, the 4-hour minimum charge does not apply.

Your trip is still automatically billed at the lower price of:

• the regular FLEX rate, or
• the rate for station-based vehicles on your membership plan

With a Return FLEX, you are charged only for the actual duration of your trip, even if the station-based vehicle rate is applied. Because of this, for trips under 4 hours, a Return FLEX can often be the lower cost option.

When does the difference disappear?

For trips of 4 hours or more, there is no pricing difference between a One-way FLEX and a Return FLEX vehicle. In these cases, the same pricing rules apply regardless of FLEX type.

To learn more

Use our Trip Calculator on the Rates page of your branch’s website to compare the trip prices on a variety of membership plans.

See also:

How is the cost of my trip calculated when I use a station-based vehicle?

In the app:

1. Select Account at the bottom of the screen.
2. Under the Profile section, select Payment Method.
3. Select Edit credit card to update your payment method.

On the website:

1. Click the Login button on the Communauto website of your branch.
2. Under the Profile section, select Payment Method.
3. Select Edit credit card to update your payment method.

Since your membership in Ontario or Quebec automatically gives you access to the other province, all charges will be billed to the credit card you have registered to your account.

(Please note, this is an exception. See: Can I use my Communauto membership in other provinces and countries?)

However, each branch operates independently for billing purposes. For this reason, if you are registered in Ontario, the daily charges for trips made in Quebec will not affect the balance of your Ontario account displayed in the Communauto app, and vice versa. You will need to wait for your monthly statement to see the details of these transactions. However, a confirmation email will be sent after each payment to notify you that a transaction has occurred.

Learn more about how billing works.

Since this service operates across two provinces, we have standardized our FLEX rates between Quebec and Ontario for consistency.

Also, because insurance costs are significantly higher in Ontario than in Quebec, regardless of whether the trip originates in Quebec or Ontario, the Damage Protection Plan rates in effect in Ontario will apply to any accident involving a FLEX vehicle.

One exception remains…

The only fees that have not been standardized between provinces are the per-trip fees for members who have chosen the default Damage Protection Plan. In this case, the applicable rates are those listed on the Rates page of the province where you are registered.

See also:

What is my financial responsibility in case of collision or damage to a vehicle?