If you are someone considering starting work as a self-employed delivery driver, you may well have wondered if you can use a car club car to make those deliveries? With the rise of courier jobs, takeaway apps and parcel driving, it’s a fair question. Can you legally use a car club car for that purpose?
The short answer is no. Sorry. Car clubs do not allow hire-and-reward driving, which covers deliveries, taxi work, and any job where you’re paid to transport goods or passengers. While you’re welcome to use a car club car for ordinary business trips like meetings or site visits, delivery driving isn’t covered by the insurance.
Why Deliveries Aren’t Allowed
Car clubs include insurance as part of your membership and bookings. That insurance is designed for social, domestic, and business use — but only where the car itself is incidental to the job. For example, you can drive to a client meeting or travel between offices.
Hire-and-reward use is different. If you’re being paid to transport food, parcels or passengers, the risk is higher, and it requires a specialist commercial insurance policy. Because car club cars are insured for shared use, operators exclude this type of work across the board.
Even Peer-to-Peer Car Clubs Don’t Allow It
All of the major UK car clubs exclude delivery driving from their insurance. That’s true for the big fleet-based operators like Zipcar, Enterprise and Co-Wheels, and it also applies to peer-to-peer services such as Hiyacar.
It’s a common misconception that renting from an individual owner might give you more freedom, but the platform insurance still applies — and that specifically rules out hire-and-reward work like food or parcel deliveries. In other words, no matter which car club you choose, using it for delivery jobs isn’t permitted.
What Happens If You Try It Anyway?
If you use a car club vehicle for deliveries despite the rules, you take on significant risks:
- No insurance cover – if you’re in an accident, you could be personally liable for the full cost of repairs, injury claims or third-party damages.
- Breach of contract – the car club can suspend or cancel your membership if they discover the misuse.
- Financial penalties – cleaning fees, fines or even recovery costs could be passed to you.
- Legal consequences – driving without the correct insurance can lead to prosecution, penalty points, and fines.
Put simply, the risks far outweigh any short-term gain from trying to use a car club for delivery jobs.
Alternatives for Delivery Drivers
If you want to take on courier or food delivery work, you’ll need a vehicle insured for hire-and-reward. Options include:
- Renting from specialist providers – some rental companies offer packages designed for delivery drivers, with the right insurance built in.
- Using your own car – if you already own a vehicle, you can contact your insurer to add hire-and-reward cover. This usually costs extra.
- Scooter or bike hire – for food delivery, many platforms partner with scooter or e-bike hire companies that include the right insurance.
These routes may cost more than a standard car club booking, but they keep you legal and properly covered.
Why Car Clubs Still Work for Work Travel
While you can’t use a car club car for deliveries, they remain a strong option for ordinary business trips. Freelancers, small businesses and employees can all benefit from the flexibility of hiring a car by the hour or day for meetings, site visits or travel between offices.
As long as the car isn’t being used as part of the core business activity, the insurance applies.
The Bottom Line on Deliveries
So, can you use a car club car to make deliveries? No — it’s against the terms of every major provider, and it isn’t covered by insurance. Trying to do so puts you at risk of losing your membership, paying out for damage, and even facing legal trouble.
If you’re looking to earn money as a courier or driver, you’ll need a vehicle with proper hire-and-reward cover. Car clubs are excellent for personal trips and ordinary business use, but they’re not a back door into delivery work.