Business phone system for passenger car rental agencies in Illinois

How many passenger car rental agencies operate in Illinois

Illinois had 318 passenger car rental agencies in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 532111, Passenger Car Rental). That is the 7th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Passenger car rental agencies make up 0.10% of the 322,415 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Illinois has 2.5 passenger car rental agencies, 10.9% below the national rate of 2.8.

Passenger car rental agencies by metro area in Illinois

Census published car rental agency counts for 12 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Illinois. The largest is Chicago, IL-IN, with 251 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 13% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at passenger car rental agencies in Illinois

50.3% of Illinois's passenger car rental agencies with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 46.7% nationally. 81.6% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

What passenger car rental agencies in Illinois use the phone for

Rental agencies take reservation, extension and return calls. Independent and franchise locations rely on the phone for local customers.

Calls a car rental agency in Illinois might handle in a typical week include:

• A customer calls about a damage question.
• A traveler calls about availability.
• A body shop calls to arrange a replacement vehicle.

Business texting for passenger car rental agencies

Agencies text pickup instructions and return reminders.

Texting from a local number in Illinois requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

What a phone system costs a car rental agency in Illinois

The comparison uses a 2-person team, the rounded U.S. average for passenger car rental agencies. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 2 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $60.00 a month and 2 on Ooma Office Pro cost $49.90. Callata costs $99.00 a month ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), so at this team size both per-seat plans are cheaper; Callata drops below them from 4 users.

At this team size the per-seat plans cost less than Callata's $99 base price, which already covers 5 users; Callata becomes the lower price from 4 users.

Area codes in Illinois

Illinois has 17 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a car rental agency can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for passenger car rental agencies in Illinois

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in Illinois is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.