Digital Handover & Damage Inspection Protocol
What a digital handover protocol is: timestamped photos record a rental car's condition at pickup and return, together with mileage and fuel level. How the walk-around works in an app.
A digital handover protocol (damage inspection report) is a condition record kept in an app. It captures a rental car's condition with photos at pickup and at return, often together with the odometer reading and fuel or charge level.
Why Digital Protocols Matter
In traditional car rental, condition checks often rely on paper diagrams or a quick walk-around in a dark car park:
- Disputed claims: Without evidence, it is hard to settle later whether a scratch was already there before the rental.
- Unclear accountability: Without photos showing when they were taken, operators struggle to tell which driver caused a scratch.
The App-Based Flow
Digital rental platforms build the protocol into pickup and return. Typical steps are:
- Guided walk-around: The app guides the driver around the car and asks for photos of every side.
- Time of capture: Each photo is stored with the time it was taken.
- Known damage: Damage that is already documented is stored on the car's record, so new damage stands out.
- Return: At return the driver repeats the walk-around, so the condition before and after can be compared.
At DRAIV you photograph the car from all four sides in the app at pickup and at return. Known pre-existing damage is stored on the car's record.
Related Terms
Photos at pickup and return
In the DRAIV app you photograph the car from all four sides when you pick it up and when you bring it back.
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