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The 10 Best Road Trip Planner Apps for 2024

Save time, money, and energy with these apps so you can focus on the fun instead

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We love road trips! Planning them can be fun but, let's be honest, also stressful. The right road trip planner apps can take some of that stress away by helping you plan, organize, and manage travel before and during your trip. We've researched and tested these apps to help give you peace of mind so that you can spend more time enjoying your trip.

The Ultimate Map App for Planning Your Route: Roadtrippers

Access to free and convenient travel guides.

Share-ability so friends can join in on the planning process and suggest places to visit.

The app can use up the battery life of your device quickly. Take a car USB charger with you.

Built for travelers, Roadtrippers helps you create your route while allowing you to discover great places as you plan it out. Add a new place to your itinerary to work it into your trip.

The app features an easy-to-use interface. In addition to covering the U.S., it also covers Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Download For:

Automate Your Trip Planning and Organization: Google Travel

Automatic trip organization via Gmail integration. 

Offline access so you can see your trip information even when you don't have an internet connection.

Limitations with customizing some day trips exactly the way you want.

You can count on Google to make your trip planning a breeze. Pre-constructed day plans are available for hundreds of the world's most popular destinations, which you can customize to your liking.

It's one of the most versatile travel planner apps out there, giving you one convenient place to see your hotel, rental car, and restaurant bookings.

Find and Book a Last-Minute Place to Stay: Hotels.com

A fast, easy-to-use booking feature.

For every 10 nights you book through Hotels.com, you get one night free, provided it's the average daily rate of those 10 nights.

No option to easily cancel if you change your mind.

Whether your road trip itinerary changed, or you haven't decided on a place to stay yet, Hotels.com can help you find a place and book it when you're on the go, even when it's super last-minute. You can sort and filter hotels, see the amenities they have to offer, compare prices, and catch a glimpse of how many rooms are available.

This is the app you'll want to have handy if you want to see in-depth hotel details at a glance and need to find a place to crash ASAP without breaking the bank.

Find Local Restaurants, Read Reviews, and Make Reservations: OpenTable

Lots of great filter options and suggestions.

Access to gorgeous, high-quality images of menu items and informative reviews from other users.

Reported problems and inconveniences with their built-in reward system.

Searching for specific restaurants is more difficult than simply looking at what's around in the area.

Deciding on a place to eat in a new area is quick and hassle-free with OpenTable. See what's nearby, filter restaurants by cuisine, see photos of what's on the menu, make reservations, and get personalized recommendations based on your preferences.

OpenTable is known to be one of the top  location-based food apps  available, so you know you can trust its information when you're dying for something to eat.

Navigate Like a Local: Waze

Hands-free navigation with voice commands.

Alerts-only mode for road hazards and police.

Share up-to-date ETA with friends.

Spotify and Apple Music widgets get in the way.

Cluttered maps can be confusing.

Higher battery usage than Google Maps.

Waze  is a community-driven travel app that shows you the shortest possible route to your destination. Like Google Maps, Waze makes real-time adjustments for traffic jams and other obstacles—but Waze is often more accurate since it caters specifically to drivers.

The app syncs with your Google Calendar and can tell you when you should leave for appointments based on traffic. There's also a cool option to record your own voice and use it for directions .

Know Exactly When and Where to Make a Pit Stop: iExit Interstate Exit Guide

Access to detailed summaries of what's at the next exit (including gas prices at nearby gas stations).

Search for the next 100 exits from your location.

The app can only be used on major U.S. exit-based highways.

No offline access, so you'll use your data plan while you're on the road.

Making a pit stop for food, gas, or a bathroom break is easy when you have the iExit app. Using your device's GPS, the app offers helpful suggestions for when and where to stop based on your location along the highway.

Whether you're looking for well-known franchises like Starbucks and Walmart to convenient amenities like free Wi-Fi and truck or trailer parking, this app has you covered.

Find the Cheapest Fuel Nearby: GasBuddy

An in-app gas payment feature.

Opportunity to save 10 cents per gallon on your first fill-up and five cents per gallon on every fill-up after.

The app can take up a lot of data and battery life as it runs in the background.

GasBuddy is an app specifically designed to find nearby gas stations and save money on gas. Use it to find the cheapest gas in your area and filter gas stations by amenities like car washes, restaurants, and bathrooms.

It's the app you want to have if you're serious about finding the cheapest gas around. Information comes from users like you, so you have the most up-to-date prices.

Download For :

Never Forget an Item: PackPoint Premium Packing List

Access to a built-in library of items to pack with the ability to add or remove items as needed. 

An elegant, intuitive app interface.

Can't input multiple destinations for a single trip.

Not a free app.

PackPoint helps you make sure you have everything you need based on where you're going and what you're doing. In addition, the app takes into consideration the length of your trip and the expected weather conditions. Perhaps best of all, this app turns a mundane chore into something that's actually quite fun.

Find Out Where to Park and How Much It Will Cost: Inrix ParkMe

ParkMe is the only app that also includes street parking and parking meter rates where available, in addition to parking lots.

Real-time updates on available parking spots.

Rates and hours may be inaccurate in some areas.

ParkMe claims to be the world's largest and most accurate parking database. It allows you to purchase your parking spot through the app and compare prices across parking providers to help you save more money.

If you're road tripping around major cities in the U.S., Canada, or Europe, this app can be a huge help. You can even compare parking options and prices so that you always get the best deal.

Automate Your Itinerary: TripIt

Automatically creates itineraries from your inbox.

Widget displays trip details on your home screen.

Annoying amount of alerts by default.

If you're planning a trip, you'll likely have a lot of confirmation emails for hotels, appointments, restaurants, and attractions. TripIt syncs with your inbox and uses that information to compile an itinerary so that you don't have to scramble for it.

The free version is fine for road trips, but if you ever fly, the premium version gives you the option to upgrade seats and track reward miles.

In addition to your phone, laptop, and tablet, other travel tech essentials include chargers, headphones, travel adapters, cameras, luggage trackers, and off-grid communications

Yes. You can use Google Maps as a trip planner through the “Places” and “My Maps” features. Both the Google Maps website and app let you save locations to lists and get directions.

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The Best Road Trip Apps That Help You Find Cheap Gas, Avoid Traffic, and More

Download these before you hit the highway.

Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure , covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer.

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Technology has revolutionized the way we travel in countless ways. Paper maps and GPS navigation systems have been replaced by Google and Apple Maps, old-school CDs by music streaming services, and guidebooks by apps that can notify road-trippers of roadside attractions in real time. One thing is certain: the smartphone has made road trips infinitely easier and, arguably, cheaper.

Whether you need a digital road trip planner to map out your next journey or something to help you avoid traffic jams, here are 11 of the best road trip apps to download ahead of your next adventure.

Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is one of the most practical and popular road trip planning apps out there. Maybe you want to see national parks or the quirkiest roadside attractions. Perhaps you want to stop for the night at an iconic or underrated hotel. You can plan your stops right in the app, adding up to three waypoints for free or 150 with a Roadtrippers Premium account. There are also Basic and Pro memberships that allot you 20 and 50 waypoints per trip, respectively. The higher-tier memberships allow you to collaborate with friends and family and use navigation. The app features lodging, sights, outdoorsy destinations, restaurants, activities, shopping, fuel, and more all around the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The app is free, but you have to upgrade to a membership plan to enjoy all the bells and whistles. The Basic plan costs $40 a year, the Pro plan $50 a year, and the Premium $60 a year. It's available on iOS and Android .

Google Maps

Every road-tripper needs a trusty navigation app in their arsenal, and Google Maps is consistently one of the most — if not the most — downloaded in the U.S. every year. Its dominance can be attributed to how comprehensive its data is, which allows it to generate the very best directions based on distance, road conditions, and traffic patterns.

Google Maps gives you route options and provides accurate estimates of how long it takes to get from A to B. Plus, you can plot several waypoints along your route — be it a mid-morning coffee stop or a hotel for overnighting (you can see reviews right in the app).

Google Maps is free and available on iOS and Android .

Waze is another one of the top navigation apps. With real-time updates that help you avoid traffic jams, construction, and more, it will have you navigating new cities and unfamiliar streets like a seasoned local. It's perhaps a little more proactive than Google Maps in changing up a route when problems arise, and that means Waze users should prepare for their drive to be a little unpredictable.

No one wants to spend hours sitting in traffic instead of exploring, so the fact that Waze collects data from other drivers to streamline the driving experience is a huge help. The app is free and available on iOS and Android .

Paying for fuel can eat up a good chunk of your road trip budget, but GasBuddy can save you a few bucks. The app crowdsources up-to-date fuel prices for more than 150,000 gas stations around the U.S. and Canada. The app also tells you how recent the submission is so you know whether it's outdated.

GasBuddy is not just helpful for finding cheap gas but also for finding gas stations in general (and parking), which can be difficult in foreign territory. The app is free and can be downloaded on iOS and Android . While using it, be a good road-tripper and submit gas prices you see as you travel.

Roadside America

Barry Winiker/Getty Images

The offbeat and kitschy roadside attractions you can find throughout the U.S. are often some of the most delightful parts of a road trip. The Roadside America app helps you find the most unique attractions worth stopping for, like the large sculpture of a cartoon mouse holding a cheese platter in Plain, Wisconsin — where else? — or the decidedly odd larger-than-life-sized three-way electrical plug that rests on a lawn in Philadelphia. The app features museums, murals, tours, quirky restaurants, and photo ops.

Roadside America costs $3 to download, which gets you access to one region in the app. You can purchase more regions for $2 or get access to all of the U.S. and Canada for an extra $7. The app is available only on iOS .

iExit Interstate Exit Guide

Knowing where to stop for road trip snacks, a drive-through latte, or a public restroom can be challenging with all the exit signs whizzing by at 70 mph, but iExit Interstate Exit Guide takes the guesswork out of it. The app will list which exits are coming up on your route, what's there, and what they offer — including food, lodging, fuel, and even hospitals. It pulls fuel prices from OPIS (the Oil Price Information Service) and displays Yelp reviews for businesses.

The app is free to download. Find it on both iOS and Android .

HotelTonight

Even if you've planned out all your stops ahead of time, you might find that you need to pull over for a night unexpectedly. Driving is tiring, and unplanned naps can be life-saving. HotelTonight can help you find accommodations in a pinch. The app offers day-of deals on unsold rooms, and the user-friendly interface means you can book a discounted room in minutes. There are well over 1,000 properties to choose from in cities all over the world, from Mexico City to Jakarta (in case you happen to take your road-tripping global).

It's free to download and available on iOS and Android .

If staying in a tucked-away A-frame cabin, a yurt, or a private guest house in someone's garden is more your travel style than bouncing between hotels, then Airbnb is the ticket. On the Airbnb app, you can search properties (millions in the U.S. alone) on a map and read reviews before you book, which you can do in advance or at the last minute.

The app features not just vacation homes but also activities, so if you're keen to experience a city like a local you can do so via a pottery class or a guided walking tour, for example.

The Airbnb app is free. You can download it on iOS or Android .

Patchareeporn Sakoolchai/Getty Images

Travelers who dream of camping out under the stars should download The Dyrt , a free app that helps you find tent, RV, and cabin sites across the U.S. One of the top camping apps on iOS and Android , it has more than a million registered users who submit reviews, pictures, and tips. On The Dyrt, you get real intel on campsites and a built-in community that makes camping on a road trip especially fun and safe. You can even book some of the campsites right on app.

The app is free, but there's a premium version for $36 a year that allows you to plan trips and search campsites while offline — convenient for remote regions.

What is a road trip without a perfect playlist? Whether you're keen to create a soundtrack of nostalgic singalongs, modern pop songs, or music inspired by your destination, you'll find even the most obscure tunes on Spotify , a catalog of more than 100 million tracks. When you tire of Taylor Swift, you can turn to podcasts or an audiobook to keep you company. Road trips are a great opportunity to delve into a docuseries like "Serial," an all-time favorite.

Spotify is free to download and listen to, but the ad breaks are annoying and streaming can chew through your phone data. A better option is to purchase a premium membership for $11 a month. It's ad-free and you can download music to listen to offline. The Spotify app is available on iOS and Android .

Electric vehicles are increasingly commonplace and great for more environmentally friendly road-tripping. The problem is often finding charging stations, as most EVs can go 100 to 300 miles before they need to be plugged in. PlugShare lists 700,000 charging stations across North America, Europe, and beyond. Users share their reviews of the stations, helping to guide EV drivers to the best, fastest, and most reliable charging spots.

PlugShare is free and available to download on iOS and Android .

Best road trip planner apps: 5 apps to map out your adventure

How to plan your roadtrip with apps in the driver's seat

Regardless of your destination, planning your trip is an integral part of the adventure. Otherwise, you’ll spend way more than you need to and, chances are, you won’t get to see everything on your wishlist. 

We live in a golden age of technology that we often take for granted. But, in all the time we spend playing our ‘Spin Addicts’ and our ‘Cat Quests’, very rarely do we think about the utility that our smart devices can provide on the open road. 

As such, we’ve gone out of our way to do the thinking for you.

That’s right, to help you out with your next big outing we’ve assimilated five of the best road trip planner apps for your lengthy expedition below. Above all else, we imagine you’ll be enticed by the fact that they’re all free to download, even if you may or may not be tempted later on to shell out some cash for a monthly subscription fee. (You’ll know what we mean when you see it.)

1. Roadtrippers 

As its name and slogan suggests, this is the only map built for travelers. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of hyperbole, but this app will help you find virtually everything you could ever need along the way. 

Open Roadtrippers and you’ll find millions of locations, including local diners and roadside attractions that, admittedly, Google Maps is prone to miss. Then, once you’ve outlined your road trip plan, you can share it with your travel buddies so that they can make suggestions. 

Download it now on iOS | Download it now on Android

2. Waze 

Like Roadtrippers, Waze hones in on social interaction, but it does so by letting the community decide which routes are the best to take. Users can report nearby collisions, police radar and traffic jams so that you can safely avoid those routes in favor of arriving on time. What’s more, you’ll find the cheapest gas prices around, as gathered by the community. Regardless of whether you set out to save time or money, Waze is the best way to do both.

3. GasBuddy 

Unlike our previous mentions which can potentially save time or money, GasBuddy promises a specific amount of money you’ll save by using it.

Similar to Waze, GasBuddy is a community-driven platform that helps you locate the most affordable gas prices around so that you never have to pay full price for fossil fuels again. The difference is that, with this app, you can subscribe to GasBuddy Pay for additional savings of 15 cents per gallon on your first fill-up and 5 cents per gallon on every fill-up after that. 

Download it now on iOS | Download it now on Android  

4. Hotel Tonight 

We’ve all been in that position. The one where we get too tired to continue driving and we need to find a hotel quickly and cheaply, else suffer the wrath of sleepy driving with the windows rolled down and the music turned all the way up. (Pro tip: don't do that, ever. It's super dangerous.) 

But if that sounds like a horror story that you’ve experienced before, Hotel Tonight is the app for you. Specializing in last-minute hotel deals, Hotel Tonight makes it possible to book a room in three easy taps and one seamless swipe. 

5. Spotify  

Close your eyes. Now imagine you can listen to any song you want, including but not limited to “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers. Now open them. 

Though it seems jokingly obvious now, Spotify would have been a dream come true in the days when top 40 radio hits triumphed over all else. Finally, you don’t have to listen to the same handful of songs on repeat. 

Instead, you can hand-pick your own playlists, choosing between over 30 million songs in the Spotify catalog. Of course, if Spotify isn't your music scene, both Apple Music and Google's own Play Music streaming service are also good travel companions.

  TechRadar’s The Road to the Show 2018 sees our intrepid writers braving a cross-country trip across the US, using the best gadgets to bring you their daily travel blog and offering the best tips for a tech-based roadtrip. The journey is brought to you in association with ZTE and the ZTE Axon M, with car transportation provided by Genesis.  

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The best trip planner apps to make your travels easier

Booking a trip can be an exciting yet daunting task. As if booking airfare, hotel, and transportation weren't enough, you also need to consider food, sights, and attractions. As a travel lover myself, I often dread planning and preparing for a trip. Not only do I never have the time, but I often get oversaturated by the vast amount of information found online and the fear of getting scammed. 

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Over the years, I've found the best websites and apps to help smooth out the planning process. These apps help me keep track of all my reservations, send me booking reminders, and guarantee I always find the best prices -- because there is nothing worse than falling for tourist traps or overpriced offerings. 

Whether you are a spontaneous or a nitty-gritty planner traveler, ZDNET has tested and reviewed the best trip planner apps on the market. Our top pick for the best trip planner site and app is Booking.com due to its easy-to-use user interface, extensive booking capabilities, and pricing. However, since not every trip or traveler is the same, we've included several options to help you plan and stay organized during your travels. 

Keep reading to learn more about ZDNET's expert-tested and reviewed trip planner apps. 

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The best trip planner apps of 2023

Booking.com, best overall trip planner.

• Multiple bookings
• Great deals
• Can earn points from bookings and reservations
• Easy to use
• No group planning
• Can't organize bookings per trip

Booking.com features:   Platform: App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

When planning my trips, I always make a stop at the Booking.com app, especially when reserving hotels. I find their user interface visually appealing and easy to use, and that it provides just the right amount of information I need when scrolling through hotel suggestions. Personally, I enjoy that I can add my top picks to my favorites with a quick tap of a heart, glance through reviews, look at cancellation policies, and even find out how far away hotels are from key spots. Through Booking.com, you can also book flights, car rentals, taxis, and city attractions, making it a great all-in-one place to plan and book upcoming weekend getaways or longer vacations. While I have personally never used the car rentals, taxis, or city attractions components of the app, I enjoy knowing that if I ever needed to, I can quickly hop on my phone and glance at the latest offerings. 

My favorite feature when using Booking.com to plan trips is the offers and promotions it displays for users. In the app, when you click your profile, you can see your "Genius" loyalty program status as well as discover the best deals around the world for your specific chosen dates. My only critique of Booking.com is that it does not enable group trip planning or let you organize your bookings per trip. This means if you are planning a trip with a friend, only one person can book and have access to reservations. 

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Best trip planner for organization

• Synced with e-mail inbox
• Organizes reservations no matter where you book
• Works offline
• Can't make any bookings
• Need to pay for advanced features
• UI could use an upgrade

TripIt features:   Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility: iOS and Android | Pricing: Free or $49 per year | Booking: No | Group planning: Yes

In terms of planning a trip, creating an itinerary, and keeping all your information in one place, TripIt is one of the best travel apps to keep yourself organized. When you first create an account, TripIt will sync with your inbox and automatically add all of your upcoming flights and reservations to your account. You can then modify each trip to include as little or as much information as you'd like. As someone who likes to be spontaneous when traveling, I usually only add the essentials: flight information, hotel reservations, and important documents. However, if you like to plan your trips down by the hour, you can also include activities, restaurant reservations, transportation, and more in your trip plan to share with fellow travelers.

As your trip approaches, TripIt will also send you packing reminders, give you COVID-19 travel guidance, and show transportation options. While you can get most of the essential features within the free version of the app (this is the one I use), you can also pay $49 a year to get advanced features such as check-in reminders, real-time flight alerts, point tracking, and even notifications for drops in airfare prices. 

Keep in mind that while TripIt gives you transportation options and finds places near your hotel, you cannot book or make any reservations directly from the app. The app is solely used to organize and keep track of all of your travel plans in one place, no matter where you book them. 

Best AI trip planner

• Personalized travel itinerary
• Hotel booking
• Can modify recommendations
• Group planning enabled
• Only available as a website
• No flight or restaurant booking

Guide features:   Platform: Website  Compatibility: all major browsers |  Pricing:  Free | Booking: Yes, but hotels only | Group Planning: Yes  Generative AI is everyone's favorite buzzword this year, and slowly but surely, it has been making its way across all industries -- including the travel industry. Guide is an innovative AI travel planning tool that creates personalized travel itineraries based on your preferences. (Full disclosure, it's also owned by ZDNET's sister company. It's currently in private beta, but you can join a wait list.) All you need to do is select your destination, the dates, whether you are traveling alone or in a group, your budget, and the types of activities you are looking for, and Guide will do the planning. 

After generating a trip itinerary for you based on your prompt, Guide then lets you modify and customize the itinerary to your liking. I recently used Guide to plan a six-day trip to Austin, Texas, and this was the feature I enjoyed the most, since I had specific restaurants and activities I wanted to incorporate into my trip, but I also needed some additional recommendations. While you can't book flights or restaurant reservations through Guide, you can book and find great hotel deals powered by Expedia on the platform. 

Guide will also give you an overall budget for your trip, a packing list, and a comprehensive list of things to know about your destination -- which may be helpful for some more than others. While my trip to Austin was a solo trip, Guide has a feature where you can invite other fellow travelers to collaborate in planning your trip through Guide's chatbot, GuideBot. This chatbot also works sort of like ChatGPT, where you can ask GuideBot questions about your trip, your destination, or recommendations. Keep in mind you can not ask GuideBot to directly modify your trip for you, and instead need to manually do it yourself -- believe me, I tried. 

Tripadvisor

Best trip planner app for reviews.

• Countless reviews
• Used by travelers worldwide
• Variety of information
• Booking capabilities
• Great for local spots
• Booking is not its strongest feature and you may not always find the best deals
• Doesn't vet reviews

Tripadvisor  features: Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

Reading customer reviews is one of the most important steps when planning a trip. While you shouldn't base all of your decisions on reviews, you should consider past customer experiences to get a feel for the brand and company you are about to trust, or the experience you are going to pay for.  When it comes to travel reviews, Tripadvisor is the best trip planner app to rely on. Since the platform has so many reviews for restaurants, activities, accommodations, and locations all over the world, it is always easy and convenient to log onto the app or website to help you make an educated decision. (However, remember that not all Tripadvisor reviews are legit, since the platform does not independently verify customer postings.) Beyond reviews, TripAdvisor also lets you book hotels, restaurants, things to do, and more while also providing detailed insights into their offerings -- including cancellation policies, ratings, and features. 

Tripadvisor's "Travelers' Choice" best-of list is also a popular part of its platform, allowing visitors to see top-rated destinations, hotels, restaurants, and things to do around the world. With Tripadvisor, you can plan a trip yourself from scratch, hire a trip designer, or get a custom itinerary built by AI. 

Best trip planner app for transportation

• Great multi-mode travel comparison
• convenient and seamless transportation booking
• Multiple currency and language availability
• Flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest
• Limited offers depending on the country or city of travel
• Not the most reliable customer service

Omio features:  Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes, transportation only |  Group planning:  No

I first discovered Omio when a friend recommended it to me while I was studying abroad in Spain, and ever since I downloaded it, it has become my go-to app for booking the best deals and fares on transportation within Europe. The concept behind Omio is simple: You plug in your departure and arrival location, including the number of people you are traveling with, and add whether you are looking for a one-way or round-trip journey. Omio will then show you the best deals by train, bus, or plane to and from your desired destination, including how much time each option will take you and the number of stops. 

The German-based travel booking site is great at aggregating travel information from multiple sites, allowing you to view all of your transportation options in one place. This is incredibly beneficial when planning trips within Europe since there are several ways you can cross each border and often various languages and regulations to keep in mind. Omio is set in English but has multiple additional languages available, as well as currency options. During my time abroad, I solely used Omio to book all of my transportation, including planning a 17-day trip across seven different European countries. Overall, using Omio was not only convenient and seamless but also helped me save hundreds of dollars by helping me maximize my travel time by switching between flights, trains, and buses. 

However, since returning from Europe, I have not used Omio as much as I thought I would -- maybe because I have a car and take most of my trips by plane. And Omio's flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest compared to Booking.com or Skyscanner's, which heavily focus on flight deals. I have also found they have some limitations depending on the country or city you are traveling in. Be mindful of the deals and tickets you buy through Omio since some tickets are non-refundable, and some customers complain their customer service is not the best -- although I have yet to have any issues with them. 

What is the best trip planner app?

Booking.com gets our vote for the best trip planner app due to its wide selection of accommodations, its points and promotions offerings, and its easy-to-use user interface. Not only does Booking.com help you find the best deals throughout your trip, but it will also help you stay organized throughout your trip by keeping all of your reservations in one place. To determine which trip planner app or combination of trip planners is best for you, check out this comparison chart below. 

Which is the right trip planner app for you?

The best trip planner app ultimately depends on your travel and planning style. If you like booking and planning everything in one place while also earning points and getting great deals, then Booking.com is your top app. However, if you are looking for a place to keep all of your accommodations, reservations, and activity details organized, then TripIt is a better app for you. Check out the following chart to help you find the best trip planner app or a combination of apps for you to plan your next adventure. 

How did we choose these trip planner apps?

To find the best trip planner apps, we drew upon real-life experiences and tested their performance and capabilities during our latest trips. Ultimately, we weighted the following factors when choosing which trip planners to include on our list: 

• Features: Each app can vary significantly with the features it offers, whether it is solely to book flights and hotels, help you plan your next trip using AI, or help you find the best deals and booking information, each app on this list can help you address several common inconveniences that present themselves while planning that next adventure.  
• Compatibility: An app is of little use if it does not work with your devices, so we look to see what compatibility each trip-planning app offers and which platforms you can access it from. Personally, I enjoy apps that combine an app and website component since this quickly helps me switch between my wide computer screen and my tiny yet portable iPhone screen. 
• Customer reviews: We study real customer reviews and ratings to evaluate customer satisfaction and service. This is incredibly important since most times when you travel, you visit an unknown city or country, and you should be mindful of past experiences others have had. 
• Cost : Most trip planner apps are free, but you may have to upgrade to receive special access to exclusive features or deals. If your app is already free, it means you only have to pay a small amount (often unnoticeable) when you book your accommodations. 

What is a trip planner app?

A trip planner app is an app that provides organizational features for your upcoming trip. It is often free and incorporates trip planning tools, whether you are traveling by ground, water or air.   

How does a trip planner app work?

A trip planner app can incorporate special features, like an itinerary, calendar, reservation and booking hub, and map assistance. Depending on the app you choose, there is even trip-sharing with friends and family to simplify the entire trip planning process.  

How much does a trip planner app cost?

Most trip planner apps are free, but some may offer in-app purchases to upgrade or enhance your experience. Within this list, only Tripit costs money, but only for their advanced features version, which costs $49 a year. However, you can get access to most if not all, trip-planning features, through their free version. 

Are there alternative trip planner apps worth considering?

As I mentioned earlier, trip planning heavily depends on your personal style of travel and preferences. However, whether you like to plan your trips down by the minute or prefer to just have the basics, there are several apps that can optimize your planning. Here are a few apps worth considering that almost made it onto our list: 

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22 best road trip apps that are essential downloads

Travel Travel Inspiration Road Trips Best Road Trip Apps

Road trips are the best. Driving down never ending roads without having to follow any deadlines or set path is incredibly liberating. Multiple unplanned stops, literally taking the road unknown, and just generally being free are just some of the delights you can expect on a road trip. But all this freedom and joy come with a certain amount of uncertainty as well.

When you’re on a road trip, there are unforeseen issues you might face on the road like being lost, not having anything to do, absence of gas stations, and more. Equipping yourself with the best road trip planner apps is a great way to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with being on the road. To help make the process easier for you, we have curated a list of the best road trip planner apps for 2021.

1 Roadtrippers

Paid version.

Plan the perfect road trip or find an undiscovered gem nearby with Roadtrippers. The app lists countless places including local eateries and offbeat roadside attractions, must-visit tourist spots in the area, national parks, and even hotels. Need inspiration for your road trip? Choose from fantastic premade trip guides of once-in-a-lifetime routes. Roadtrippers is a free of cost route planner you can use to find the best places to visit and make your road trip truly memorable. You can also upgrade to the paid version, Roadtrippers Plus, which gives you up to 150 waypoints per trip along with a host of other features including exclusive deals, offline maps, collaborating with friends, and custom map styles.

2 Google Maps

Arguably the most popular navigation app in the world, Google Maps makes traveling to new places much, much easier. Both web-based and app service, Google Map provides comprehensive information pertaining to geographical regions and sites across the globe. Along with traditional road maps, the app also provides aerial and satellite views of countless places. With Google Maps, drivers, bikers, walkers, and users of public transportation can find the most optimal route between one specific location to another, with the option of adding more stops. You can also search for the closest restaurants, hotels, parking, and other road trip essentials using Google Maps.

Heading to a place with spotty internet connectivity? Maps.Me is what you need. The app offers quick, in-depth, and completely offline maps with turn-by-turn navigation. Maps.Me is used by over 140 million travelers around the world and helps you save precious travel time with exceptional navigation. You can also make your travels more interesting by utilizing the app’s fantastic readymade travel guides. These guides have been curated with assistance from some of the best travel content creators in the world for countless global destinations. Some of the features that make Maps.Me great include offline search, GPS navigation, and optimized maps that effectively save memory space.

Last-minute travel can be hard to pull off, especially if you’re venturing into the unknown. With Headout, an on-demand mobile marketplace, you can find and book the most amazing tours, activities, events and local experiences in town available for the next 24 hours at great prices. With a single tap, you can explore a host of activities that have been designed to meet the needs of not only last-minute travellers but locals as well. Some of the experiences you can book using Headout include Helicopter tours, Broadway tickets, Hot air balloon rides, Dream World Cruise tickets, Skip the line tickets to the Eiffel, Universal Studio tickets, and countless other remarkable experiences that’ll make your trip memorable.

With over 60 million downloads, GasBuddy is officially the largest community-based fuel app in the world. The app helps drivers save on fuel cost using information provided by a large base of users. With GasBuddy, you can locate the cheapest fuel amongst different types, find petrol stations based on distance and price, and help others find cheap fuel by reporting fuel prices based on your experience. Every time you report fuel prices, you'll earn points and achievements. You can also receive automatic notifications when a new recall is issued by adding your vehicle to GasBuddy. Make your road trips hassle-free by never having to worry about fuel with GasBuddy.

Ultimate Bucketlist Road Trips In The World

Drivvo can be best described as a finance manager for your vehicles including car, motorcycle, bus or truck for both personal or professional use. The app helps you manage fuel, refuelling, expenses and revenues, and maintenance. You can also use the app to manage registration, financing, and fines. With Drivvo, you can easily manage multiple vehicles and calculate gas consumption. The app also offers in-depth fuel efficiency reports sorted by fuel and gas stations, helping you identify which option is best for your vehicle.

7 PackPoint

Packing right is often a requisite for a relaxed road trip. With PackPoint, a free travel packing list organizer and packing planner, you can do just that. Designed for travelers who like to travel smart, the app helps them organize what they need to pack based on length of travel, expected weather at the destination, and activities planned for the trip. After your packing list is built, the app will save it for you and you can share it with family and friends to help them pack better. Details you need to input for the best results include destination city, departure date, and the number of nights you'll be staying there.

8 Flush - Toilet Finder

Finding a working toilet is often a challenge during road trips. With Flush, it doesn't have to be. This fast and simple toilet finder features a classy interface with charming animations and user interface designed for ease of use. Flush boasts a database of thousands of public toilets that is stored on your phone for easy, offline access. Just search for a location on the map and the app will display the closest public toilets to you. To find directions, simply tap on the map to get directions provided by Google Maps. If you need to find a toilet urgently, just tap the directions button and you'll receive directions to the nearest toilet.

9 Hotel Tonight

Find fantastic deals on hotels for the night or the next one using HotelTonight! The app lists hotels that offer discounts on their empty rooms and you get all the benefits. Finding the best rate hotel is no longer a seemingly endless task. A couple of taps and swipes and you’re done! Hotel Tonight offers a truly diverse collection of hotels including the top-rated luxury hotel to charming and unique boutiques. Book a hotel using Hotel Tonight and you’re assured of the best rates and an even better selection of hotels to choose from.

$35.99/year

Ever wondered what an app that helps you camp better looks like? Introducing Dyrt, officially the number 1 camping app of 2021! The app boasts a rich database of over 1 million campsites, tips and reviews submitted by campers like you. Use Dyrt to find the perfect RV, van, cabin and tent spot in the US. The app offers campers free access to all campsite listings in the US including national parks, state parks, county parks, and more. You can also sign up for the Pro version which makes camping easier with trip planner, free camping maps, offline access, and many discounts.

Road trips and highways kinda go together and navigating the latter can be challenging if you’re not familiar with the route. iExit makes driving on highways easier by informing users what's at upcoming exits when you're on the highway. The app uses your device’s exact location to identify your spot in the highway and then displays all upcoming exits in real time. You can also make use of the powerful iExit search which shows the next 100 exits for businesses including KOA Campgrounds, Starbucks, and Cracker Barrel, amenities such as Truck Parking, WiFi, and Playground, hotel deals, and much more.

12 ParkMe Parking

ParkMe is an award-winning app that lets you find and book the closest and cheapest parking around. Use ParkMe to save money and time and guarantee a parking spot. The app even displays the estimated parking cost you’ll have to pay before you park on a particular spot. Since there are multiple parking spots to choose from, you can compare the different options and find the cheapest one. In many cities, ParkMe also displays real-time parking availability and lets you reserve a parking spot at certain lots and garages. Use the app to avoid spending hours finding the right parking spot and make your road trip experience even more pleasant.

13 Gaia GPS

$39.99/year.

Gaia can be best described as GPS for the woods. Make your treks and backpacking trip safes with Gaia GPS. Use the app to join thousands of backpackers, offroaders, hunters, mountain bikers, firefighters, guides, and other outdoor adventurers who use Gaia GPS for work and play. Gaia allows you to hike, hunt, and off-road with optimized topo maps and outdoor navigation tools. The app offers modern maps that are beautiful and easy-to-read along with a host of classic and historic print maps. Use the app to find the best hiking trails, parks, natural places, and addresses, and make your hiking and backpacking trip more memorable.

14 TollGuru

TollGuru has been designed to help you save money by calculating the cheapest routes all across West Malaysia. All you need to do is enter your destination and we’ll find the total toll fares on your route. Some features that make TollGuru a must-have if you’re planning a road trip in Malaysia include display of multiple routes, toll locations on map, breakdown of toll rates by different vehicle classes. Other features of the app include estimated petrol cost for the route, quick and easy search with address auto complete suggestion, and open communication with the app development team by sending them a report of incorrect toll information.

15 Highway Weather App

Being aware of the general weather when planning a road trip is always recommended. Highway Weather App offers weather forecasts for your entire road trip starting from the time of your arrival. The app also features weather alerts, radar, traffic cameras, and plans for rests. The app has been designed to ensure your safety whether you’re on a family vacation or heading to a motorcycle rally. Instead of searching for weather forecasts for each city you’re travelling to, get all the information you need all at the same time, in an easy to understand fashion using Highway Weather App.

A recurring worry when embarking on a road trip is leaving your home unprotected. With Blink’s affordable smart home security cameras and systems, you can monitor your home directly using your smartphone. The app offers multi-system support and a simple setup process, ensuring you can control multiple Blink cameras with a simple app. The Blink Home Monitor app allows you to check in on what’s happening at home at any time from anywhere. The app helps you see your home in HD on your smartphone, ensuring you can see and protect your space even when you’re thousands of miles away.

Staying connected is often a challenge when you’re on a road trip to a location with a spotty internet connection. Use Skyroam to connect around the world with the portable global WiFi hotspot and power bank. Enjoy secure, unlimited connectivity when you’re out and about without having to swap your SIM or pay exorbitant roaming charges. SkyRoam’s Solis app allows you to manage your hotspot account, check data usage, and the status of your connection. You can also enjoy access to advanced features including smart troubleshooting, detailed product information, and the ability to get online faster.

18 Sygic Travel Maps Offline

Discover things to do no matter where you go, plan comprehensive trip itineraries, and make your trip more memorable with in-depth travel guides, all using Sygic Travel Maps Offline. This definitive all-in-one app is built for every kind of traveler and allows users to create a day-to-day itinerary for their trip with a hassle-free trip planner. Use the app for approximate travel times and walking distances to plan your trip better. You can even invite your friends to collaborate on your trips. Get Sygic Travel Premium to use the app even when you’re not connected to the internet, including unlimited offline maps download.

Featuring over 100 million reviews on businesses worldwide, Yelp is amongst the most popular crowd-sourced business reviews apps. Whether you are looking for a coffee shop near you or a salon that’s open at the moment, Yelp is your local guide to finding just the best place to eat, drink, shop, and everything in between. Use the app to search for the closest and best-rated restaurants, shops, and services. You can refine the search by filtering results by rating, neighborhood, price, distance, and what’s open now. Make use of the millions of reviews written by expert locals to find the best recommendation for your needs.

A trip planner that enables users to craft a master travel itinerary and provide them with online and mobile access, TripIt is another addition to the list of the best trip planner apps for 2021. When you book a flight, hotel, car or other reservation, just forward it to [email protected] and the app will instantly add it to your master itinerary. Sync travel plans to your calendar or share them with anyone you choose using TripIt. You can also stay aware of the evolving travel landscape with guidelines, restrictions and requirements that can be viewed via the trip itinerary screen in the app.

21 Route4Me Route Planner

Use the Route4Me route planner to plan unlimited routes and add unlimited addresses per route. One of the most downloaded, multi stop route planner apps in the world, Route4Me offers a host of benefits designed for your convenience. The app is used by countless businesses including those in different industries such as service and delivery planning, grocery delivery, package delivery and more. Route4Me is used both by travellers and professionals for the wide range of features and customizations it offers.

Use Komoot to transform your next ride, hike, or trek into an adventure. Use the community recommendations and knowledge to get inspired for your trip and bring your plans to fruition with the easy-to-use route planner. The app offers the perfect route depending on your chosen sport. For instance, you’ll get only smooth asphalt tracks for road bikes, peaceful cycling paths for natural trails, and singletracks for your mountain bikes. Plan your trip down to the last detail thanks to easy availability of useful information like surface, difficulty, distance and elevation profile.

Lakshmi Menon

Born to parents bit by the wander bug, Lakshmi calls her love for travel "hereditary and habitual". Perpetually ensconced with a book in her hand and a mug of coffee in the other, she has been to over 15 countries in her 23 years of existence and is currently saving miles and money for her solo trip to Iceland. Always hustling towards the least trodden path, she has encountered some wonderful people during her escapades and if you ever meet her, she won't stop gushing about them.

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TripTracker

The automatic mileage logbook with, gps tracking, geocoding and obdii connection.

Incredibly intuitive mileage logbook

Simple and clear overview

Find entries even faster

See what trip type is used most often

Export your data to a signed document

Keep an overview

Data directly from your car

Realtime diagnostic

TripTracker for your home screen

GPS Tracking

See where you have been traveling

Saving taxes has become incredibly easy!

TripTracker from SZ-Software helps ten thousand users per day to save taxes. The satisfaction is reflected in the reviews!

OBDII: Data directly from your car

TripTracker is able to connect directly to your car so that it can read the odometer and calculate the distance traveled. In addition various parameters and the troublecodes can be displayed. To use this feature you don’t need to modify your car! You just require a Bluetooth adapter which is plugged in to the cars OBDII interface. Installation is very easy since in most modern cars the OBDII interface is directly beneath the steering wheel. More information can be found here... Please note: Most cheap OBDII-Adapters on the market don't perform good over a longer period. Thats the reason why an optimized version especially for TripTracker was developed.

Reliable and comprehensive

TripTracker provides complete and correct data collection. The integrity of your mileage logbook is ensured by various hash and encryption algorithm. Each entry has its own checksum to guarantee that it isn't changed afterwards or outside of TripTracker. Also the generated PDF can be signed by one of our servers to ensure that it can't be modified.

Accepted by public authorities, if your data is plausible

With TripTracker you have better chances that your data will be accepted as with the handwritten mileage logbook since in case of any doubts you could provide the tracked GPS-Coordinates or, if you use the OBDII-Plugin, even the data out of your car’s engine control unit to prove your trips. However, it depends on you and how you use TripTracker.

TripTracker won over the c't magazine

TripTracker was the only logbook app to have a clear recommendation. A look at the comparison table also confirms the largest range of functions!

Click here for the review

TripTracker also stood out the study of felix1

TripTracker was rated positively in every respect, provided many unique selling points and was clearly described as compliant with the tax office!

Nomination for the Constantinus Award

TripTracker achieved a very good placement in the cross-industry Constantinus Award

Here you find the award

Privacy: Your data is owned by you!

In contrary to most other systems all the collected data of you mileage logbook is owned by you. It is not stored somewhere abroad on a Server or a Cloud. The data is on your phone in a local high performance SQL database. The only exception to this are the optional Online Services since this feature won't work without a central server. TripTracker does not sell or analyze your data (like all social media companies do)!! TripTracker is a quite funcional App. Therefore it needs some permissions. More details about that can be found here Information about our cookies can be found here

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5 best car tracking apps for Android

Published on January 1, 2021

Almost everyone who drives has forgotten where they parked. Places like stadiums, malls, festivals, and other such places have parking lots that are miles long from end to end. Wouldn’t it be nice to just know where your car is? As it turns out, there are apps for that. Unfortunately, there aren’t any apps that’ll track a stolen car. You’ll need to buy hardware for that. However, we can help you find where you parked your car! Here are the best car tracking apps for Android.

The best car tracking apps for Android

Google maps, car manufacturer apps.

• Car tracking hardware and apps

Price: Free / $5.99 per month / $79.99 per year

Hurdlr is one of a few car tracking apps for self-employed people. It tracks your daily activities as a function of your job. You can easily track how far you drive, how much money you spend on gas, and other stats like that. You can then use those numbers at tax time to get your proper deductible. It has integration with Square, Uber, PayPal, and tons of other companies. It also has a few additional tools for self-employed people. It’s not something you’d traditionally think of in this space. However, it actually is really useful for people in this line of work and it should easily save you more on taxes than it costs per year. You can check out the app just below or the official site here .

See also:  The best office apps for Android to get work done

Price: Free

Google Maps can do a lot of things. That’s what makes it one of the better car tracking apps. An update in 2017 gave you the ability to save where your car was on the map. You then use Maps to find your way back to your car. It has a lot of other features as well. You know most of them. It’ll give you step-by-step directions, show various transit information, and you can even re-route your commute to avoid obstacles like traffic or construction. It’s a one-of-a-kind app. Those who use this app already should just keep using it for keeping track of where your car is.

See also:  How to use Google Maps offline

SpotAngels is probably the best of the car tracking apps. It quickly and easily lets you save where you parked for easy recall later. Additionally, the app can show you no parking zones so you can avoid parking tickets. The parking spot saver is available everywhere. However, the parking tickets part is only available in a few cities. It has expanded a lot over the last year, but the selection is still fairly limited. Luckily, people can report spots where they’re likely to get tickets. That info will be available to other people who use the app. This is a hidden gem for people who live in big cities.

See also:  The best parking apps to find a spot and your car

Manufacturers are making a bigger push into the mobile space. Many car companies now have apps that connect to their cars. Ford, Chevy, Lexus, and many others are doing it. The apps aren’t all that good. However, every now and then they can actually be helpful. We would recommend you try your luck with one of these apps if your car is new enough to support it. Worst case, there are other apps on the list that will get the job done for sure. These apps will likely improve over time to do better.

See also:  The best car apps for Android for the best car experience

Dedicated car tracking hardware

Price: Free apps / Hardware costs vary

The most secure and stable option for car tracking is dedicated car tracking hardware. The most popular example is LoJack. You install the module on your car and then use the app to see where your car is, track it if it gets stolen, and even get alerts when your alarm goes off. There are other options as well. This gets you a lot further than something like Google Maps. The downside is the price. LoJack SureDrive costs about $700 to install in your car according to its FAQ. It’s kind of like fitness trackers, though. Hardware still does it better than just software and you get extra security features as well.

If we missed any great car tracking apps, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists!

• The best car shopping apps for Android
• The best car insurance apps for Android

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App support, similar apps.

Best Logbook Apps for Aussies

Using your car for business travel and looking for a fair, detailed review of the best ATO approved logbook apps for Aussie drivers?

You can claim from $3,000 to $10,000 and more every year with a digital logbook app . All of the apps listed are ATO -compliant, tax-deductible, and vary in cost between free and $468 per year.

What is the Best ATO Logbook App?

• Rank #1: GOFAR Logbook App – cheapest with most features
• Runner-up #2: ATO myDeductions App – free from ATO, but unreliable
• 3rd Place: MileIQ – quality product, but not Aussie made
• 4th Place: Driver Direct – ATO compliant, but can sometimes lose data
• 5th Place: Driversnote – quality app, but GPS mode only
• Best price, full-featured, ATO-compliant app
• Logbook app with tax return and superannuation tools
• Affordable, American-made quality app with basic functions
• Robust fleet management app
• Simple, easy app but with highest cost

Logbook App Features Comparison

Next, I’ll share my explorations of each app and the detailed specifications and features for each one. My goal is to help you choose an app that ultimately helps you accurately and easily track your ATO work-related expenses .

#1: You need the best-priced, full-featured, ATO-compliant logbook app

App name: gofar (#1 logbook apps winner).

Created by : Australians Cost : $8/month, no hidden extras Download : Google Play , Apple Store Extras : Check your car compatibility

You can receive between $3,000 and $10,000 back at tax time simply by recording your trips correctly, and GOFAR makes it easier than the other apps in this comparison.

Plus, it’s fully tax-deductible!

Let’s break it down to the main features that Australian drivers need when considering the best logbook apps:

ATO cents per km or logbook method? GOFAR includes both methods.

When using the ATO cents per km method you can record your work mileage with just one swipe .

This is a major advantage for people, like me, who are short on time and patience with this type of business administration.

The GOFAR car logbook app will do the rest for you in terms of collating the data into a report compliant with your end-of-financial year July tax return .

GOFAR collates the driving data (locations and kilometres driven) into an easy-export CSV file.

Simply email the file to your accountant before tax time in July each year: all ATO compliant data is included. The file can be emailed directly out of the app to your accountant or your own email address. Your choice.

I need automated trip data collection, do you?

A feature that sets GOFAR apart from other logbook apps is that it automatically starts and stops tracking your trips, as you drive .

A small, matte black OBD2-compatible adapter is inserted into the port underneath your car dashboard (usually on the right hand side, under the steering column). ( Check if your car is compatible here .)

The adapter is about the size of a match-box and glides in easily. Take note that there is a ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ so you get a good fit with the diagnostics port.

The OBD2 adapter is a leave-in device .

This means that it can record and save data for up to a week of trips without being connected to your smartphone app.

This is in contrast to other logbook apps which are contained within your smartphone. Forget your phone and your trip will not be recorded. Or forget to record your trip, and you won’t be able to claim it as a work expense.

Being a leave-in device means you don’t have to manually update your app with trip data. GOFAR is essentially a set-and-forget logbook app. Super convenient!

GOFAR has automated claim rates, specifically for Australian drivers

And GOFAR automatically updates your business claim dollars so you can see exactly how much money you’re claiming each week.

This is my favourite featured because I’m currently recording data for my ATO 12 week timeframe . It takes a few seconds each week to record my trip data correctly. And I won’t have to worry for another 5 years. Woohoo!

In the screenshot you can see the settings in the GOFAR app. I’ve chosen to automatically tag business trips and to use the ATO Standard Rate as a preset. The ATO myDeductions app is also set up at the ATO Standard Rate. MileIQ and Driversnote need to be configured as they are not Australian-made.

The claim rate is currently set to 78 cents per kilometre for the 2022-2023 financial year , and will increase to 85 cents per kilometre next year, 2023-2024. That’s a 7 cent difference between the cents per km rate of 2022 and 2024.

I can record all work-related vehicle expenses, not just kilometres

GOFAR also records your fuel expenses.

Every time you fill up at the bowser you can input your fuel costs. This, in turn, enables GOFAR to give you a fuel efficiency report. (In recent tests, GOFAR recorded fuel savings of between 9.8% and 30% per driver ).

When I fill up my 4WD diesel it costs around $140 per tank. In my area of NSW, the cost for diesel is currently sitting at $2.11 per litre. So that’s a saving of $88 per tank, especially if I drive in eco mode. The Ray helps me control my speed and driving behaviour, which ultimately helps me save money at the pump.

You can toggle between monthly and yearly data in the fuel efficiency report.

GOFAR comes with the “bad traffic” tag pre-loaded . It’s interesting to see how my business trips are usually bad traffic! Aaaargh.

If you’re tagging business vs personal trips it will give you a comparison for those as well.

If you only want to record mileage for tax expense claims then you don’t necessarily need the Ray. But, if you’d like to save on fuel then simply get the Ray too . The Ray is optional. You’ll be able to record logbook expenses without it.

Ultimately, this means that with a GOFAR you’ll be around 10 cents in the pocket better off for every litre you buy at the petrol bowser.

Why I bought the GOFAR logbook app?

GOFAR won a prestigious Good Design Award . Everyone loves it, including me!

And in comparison with other mobile apps, it has an ATO tax calculator that can calculate ATO business percentage for you, help you learn how many litres of fuel you used, and accurately predict the cost of each trip.

Plus you can keep track of your CO2 emissions to contribute towards a healthier planet.

GOFAR will get you a lifetime of savings on your ongoing car costs . Start saving $1000s and hours on paperwork while receiving free lifelong updates !

GOFAR also works in any petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicle since 2007 (and many older).  Check your car’s compatibility here .

#2: You need a free logbook app, with tax return and superannuation features

App name: mydeductions (runner-up).

Created by : Australian Taxation Office Cost : Free, no ongoing charges Download : Google Play , Apple Store

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) offers a free myDeductions app that allows you to record and manage expenses and trips, relating to your work as an employee, your business as a sole trader and other general expenses.

It is a general purpose app, with a function included for logbook tracking and that’s why it’s in our list of the best logbook apps. This means that the developers haven’t focused solely on the logbook aspect, and so it’s a little rough around the edges.

I need to record business travel trips

Relating specifically to mileage tracking, in the app you can use a GPS point-to-point method to record your trips. Select the point of departure from a map, and then select the arrival location. myDeductions will calculate the shortest distance travelled, and record the trip.

Alternatively, you can manually record your odometer numbers . Add the number of kilometres displayed on your car dashboard at your starting point, and then when you arrive, record the final odometer number.

Both methods — GPS point-to-point and manual odometer count — require you to manually enter your kilometres into the myDeductions app.

The ATO does not offer an adapter that connects with your car’s onboard computer, to accurately and automatically log this data on your behalf, which is a major drawback.

So, whilst the ATO app is free, free comes at a price! Your time. This issue is the number one reason why Australians are not claiming all their eligible reimbursements from the tax office.

How popular is the ATO app compared to the other best logbook apps?

It’s a pretty basic free app but has more than 1,000,000 installs as of September 2023 and now allows you to upload your myDeductions records to the ATO for pre-fill into your tax return.

The app is popular, but also has 1,000s of negative reviews. This was my favourite quote from Tim Osmond, with 207 upvotes. I hope you have a chuckle too:

It’s a government app so basically it’s like a new Australian Prime Minister, seems like a great idea but then fails to deliver and becomes a huge disappointment when you need it the most.

What other useful features did I find in the ATO app?

The ATO app includes access to other non-driving related tools and resources. For example:

• myDeductions allows you to record all work expenses as an employee or sole traders.
• Tax withheld calculator helps you to work out the amount of tax that has been withheld from your salary and wage payments.
• ABN Lookup enables you to search for an Australian business number. (This seems to be an odd inclusion in a tax management app. How many times do we need to do this in our lifetimes?)
• Business performance check is a tool to compare your business with other similar businesses, and benchmark your own performance.

You can also use it to set important notifications and alerts when it comes to your quarterly or annual tax obligations.

This app also allows you to enrol your voiceprint with the ATO so you can access their services via the app using voice identification to verify your identity.

What are the known issues that might be a problem for me and you?

According to reviews in the Google Play and Apple Store ,

• “no search function , which means it’s difficult for you to find trips” Garry Wu
• “no ability to reset records, so data ends up ‘bloated'” Garry Wu
• “access to expense logging function is not easy to find” Liss Punch
• “restore from backup option doesn’t work” Clivey in Space
• “Server too clogged during tax time, which will be a long term issue” John Ferarri
• “Extremely unnecessarily complicated and frustrating to use” Sharmaine Leeke
• “Got a new phone and find that the app doesn’t auto backup ?!? Total data loss.” Keith Canfield

Being a government app it means that there are some quality issues, and perhaps people have a tendency to point out the negatives more than the positives. The app is designed for general-purpose expense keeping and tax management, and has one section for trip logging.

Why do some people like the ATO app?

• “very easy to use, has a well thought out layout and I have been able to easily check my tax info” Andrea Simpson
• “App is good when it works , which is thankfully most of the time” John Ferarri

Author’s Note: To be honest, I’ve read through 100s of reviews for this app in the Google Play and Apple Store. It was nearly impossible to find positive reviews that had any detail and that I thought would be useful for you to read. It seems that the app doesn’t always work, it loses data and constantly has installation bugs. Yikes!

However, it’s free and being made by the ATO it will always be compliant with the Australian tax system, no matter what, and that’s why it’s my 2nd choice.

#3: You need an affordable, quality app with basic functions

App name: mileiq (3rd place).

Created by : Americans Cost : AU$9.30/month (US $5.99) Download : Google Play , Apple Store

MileIQ was founded in 2012 by an American entrepreneur, Chuck Dietrich, and has been customised for American drivers . However, the app can still be used by Australians to record mileage and produce reports for tax deductions.

As with the other apps, it’s simply a matter of installing the software either on your Android or Apple phone, setting up your personal profile, and hitting the record button. I found the installation process very easy and quick.

MileIQ, whilst it’s not specifically created for Australians and the ATO, you can set a custom mileage rate . For the year 2022-2023 the custom rate is AU$0.78. Keep in mind that MileIQ is recording in US dollars, so be careful with any currency conversions.

Of all the apps, MileIQ has the cleanest interface design . The app is well laid out, without clutter, and without too many buttons. If you want a simple app that is reliable, but don’t need the extra features offered by GOFAR, then MileIQ is an excellent choice.

Is MileIQ reliable? Sometimes.

MileIQ is far more reliable than ATO myDeductions. The MileIQ team briefly worked with Microsoft, and as such, have an experienced, talented development team who regularly release app updates and improvements. The same can’t be said for the ATO myDeductions app with the 1,000s of negative reviews.

Recently the MileIQ team have received negative reviews that relate to the app either forgetting to record, or recording ‘mystery’ trips that never happened. Being a stand-alone app, without an OBD2 adapter, means that MileIQ will record trips if you have your phone on you and are in a friend’s car.

Whereas with GOFAR and Driversnote, you need the OBD2 adapter. With an OBD2 adapter trip recording is far more accurate than MileIQ without the adapter. GOFAR offers the adapter for free, whereas Driversnote charges $60 plus shipping fee.

Overall MileIQ is slightly more costly than GOFAR, and cheaper than Driversnote, but keep in mind that buying the app is a tax-deductible expense.

What other useful features are included in the MileIQ app?

One feature that I particularly like in MileIQ is the ability to set your daily working hours . It’s a clever use of technology and shows that the MileIQ team are thinking about real people with their real problems.

For example, if you always work on Tuesdays between 9am and 5pm, you can set these times in your user profile. MileIQ knows to classify any driving during those hours as business/deductible trips.

However, if you make a personal trip during this time, you need to delete it via the web interface. Slightly time consuming, but a better outcome than missing tax deductible trips.

What are the known issues that might be a problem?

The Apple Store only has a few older reviews, some of them as complaints. The reviews are not worth reading because the MileIQ developers will have fixed the issues in the intervening years. However, the Google Play store has several interesting comments — all from recent months in 2023 — from other users:

• “ Cannot change the date of a manually added entry . Can’t even delete it from the app, you have to use the web interface.” AaronLPC
• “Instead of letting you just mark a trip as ‘business’ or ‘personal’ it now makes you [select] from a list of options. It is extremely annoying and makes for about a 3-4 second selection per drive, instead of [being able to choose] 3-4 selections per second.” Benjamin Lubenow
• “ every time that you stop at a red light, it starts a new drive . Drive 15 miles on city streets and you may have to combine 15 drives, which is pretty annoying.” Phillip Greenberg
• “It doesn’t work. Your phone will say “automatically logging your drives” but it is not. I’ve had it now for over 2 years, but since around April or Jun (2023), it hasn’t been working . I have uninstalled and installed it back 2 different times, and it will work for the first or second drive, and then it stops. ” Rafael Camargo
• “Good app but often makes multiple trips out of one . Easier to join trips on laptop than app, could be an easier join function, click multiple trips and join at one time. They have not made it so it doesn’t make multiple trips. Stop at a stop light, you get a new trip.” Farren Flynn

The biggest issue I see is that MileIQ have recently updated the app (perhaps around April or June of 2023) but haven’t communicated the new changes with users. Many of the users are complaining about the app not working, but it appears to be an issue with logging out and resetting the app, so there are no split drives and user accounts.

In my mind, it doesn’t make sense to log multiple trips every time you stop at a set of red lights. Hopefully the MileIQ developers will fix this issue before the next financial year.

Why I think that people are frustrated with missing drive data?

One of the most frustrating issues that I encountered when using MileIQ was that I have to disable power-saving mode in my phone while MileIQ is installed .

MileIQ says “ the MileIQ app won’t be activated when you move significantly, which could cause missed drives ” and “ low battery mode can reduce the accuracy of location signals, leading to incorrect routes and mileage calculations .”

Perhaps this is why so many other users are having difficulty with missed drives? If I’m driving a few hours each day to attend pet grooming appointments, then I need to preserve the battery life of my phone. That’s why I use the low power mode; because I’m on the move all the time.

Not being able to use low power mode is a considerable inconvenience.

The MileIQ support team are quick to respond to issues, but being a large development team they need more time to fix the bugs. GOFAR has a small, agile development team and are able to fix bugs very quickly. ATO myDeductions are also very slow with bug fixes as the app isn’t a high priority project.

Why do other people like the MileIQ App?

Overall, the sentiment is that people love that it automatically classifies drives, even after regular business hours. The classification system is limited, but simple. GOFAR and Driversnote offer the same classification system, with GOFAR being easier to customise than other apps.

• “I love how the app automatically tracks mileage.” A Simple Homestead
• “Auto-detecting drives is brilliant, it’s tracked me already over $2000 in mileage write-offs , in just 2 months.” Alex
• “I’m a petsitter and use it to track mileage from job to job. For the most part it’s easy to use and works well. I like that I can add customised purposes.” Bonnie Keyes

Every one of the apps reviewed, except ATO myDeductions, will auto-detect and auto-track drives, and can literally give you 1,000s of dollars back in your pocket at tax time.

It’s simple: Use a logbook app and get money back at tax time. And that’s why MileIQ has made it into our list of the best logbook apps.

#4: You need a robust fleet management logbook app

App name: driver direct (4th place).

Created by : Japanese Cost : Free Download : Google Play , Apple Store

Developed by Toyota for its fleet customers, this app includes many of the same features as the other apps reviewed in this blog, including:

• capturing trip data via GPS,
• downloadable logbook data,
• multiple vehicle tracking,
• business/private use split, and
• expense recording and reporting.

This car logbook app also doubles as an ATO receipt app that boasts time-saving functionalities such as storing descriptions for future presets and photo-stocking your receipts .

Also included are a (Toyota) dealer locator for servicing and a fuel finder that lets you filter results for a particular brand – ideal for fuel card holders.

This is ideal for Australian conditions. Many 4Wd owners traverse Australia. Broken down? Need a new part? This app can pinpoint my closest Toyota dealer, even in remote areas.

In addition, Driver Direct includes Novated Lease tools, unlike all of the other apps in this review. I was able to work out how much I owed on my Novated Lease with the comprehensive calculator.

One thing I particularly like about Driver Direct, that none of the other logbook apps offer, is the ability to display the app on your Apple Watch .

This makes it incredibly easy to initiate a new trip, without reaching for your phone. In Australia, it’s illegal to touch your phone while driving. So, if you’ve just started a new business trip you can legally touch your Apple Watch on your arm, but not your iPhone.

This app doesn’t appear to have been updated since 2017 so that’s the main reason why it’s lower down on my list of choices for the best logbook apps. I also don’t love the interface design. Being old, it looks clunky and dark.

#5: You want a simple app and are prepared to pay more money

App name: driversnote (5th place).

Created by : Danish Cost : $16/month, plus $60 for plugin device Download : Amazon , Google Play , Apple Store

Driversnote is the most expensive subscription-based app — in our analysis of the top 5 logbook apps — that can track your ATO work-related expenses.

The app was originally developed for American drivers, and has only recently become available for Australians.

Why is Driversnote more expensive than the other best logbook apps?

Driversnote is twice the cost of GOFAR, and users must also pay an additional cost of $60 for the plug-in adapter. There is also a ‘ small fee ‘ for delivery to some countries, which would include Australia as this is a Danish company.

With the free version, you have to push start and stop buttons on your phone that will make sure trips are automatically registered via your phone’s GPS tracking (up to 15 trips per month).

The paid subscription includes a device for automatic tracking on unlimited trips , now recently compatible with Android.

It generates comprehensive mileage documentation, can track private or work-related trips and calculates reimbursement, distances and odometer readings.

You can add or edit trips in the logbook at any time if you forgot to use the mileage tracker and there is the possibility to track miles and keep a mileage log for multiple cars and workplaces.

Yes, everything is oriented towards miles and American classifications in the original app version. However, recently they’ve released an Australian version that is ATO compliant.

There’s an option to attach a comment on the trip recorded and to add odometer readings if you need them.

In a nutshell, this app allows you to:

• document and categorise your personal and business trips based on ATO requirements using your phone’s GPS,
• record and segment your trips so that you keep your mileage log for multiple vehicles or different employers,
• download your mileage report as a PDF or Excel file containing all the necessary details for tax deductions and reimbursement claims,
• a simple ATO tax calculator that automatically calculates reimbursements based on the current mileage rates from ATO.

The app itself is compatible with iOS and Android and has an automatic backup feature for your peace of mind in case you lose your phone. This is the case with most of the best logbook apps.

What is the iBeacon and how does it compare to the GOFAR Adapter?

Driversnote is the only other logbook app that needs an additional bit of hardware for tracking to be effective. In both the iBeacon and GOFAR adapter, the device will start and end tracking when you enter and exit the vehicle .

Being a somewhat forgetful person, rushing off to a new client meeting, I am always forgetting to trigger my logbook app to record. So, the device absolutely saves me every single time. It’s brilliant.

However, the biggest difference is that the GOFAR adapter will track trips within itself if I don’t remember to specifically record a trip on my phone, or I don’t have my phone with me. The iBeacon is not able to independently track trips and doesn’t have an inbuilt GPS .

So, when a work colleague borrows my car with the GOFAR all trips will be tracked. Whereas with the Driversnote iBeacon my colleague would need to take my phone with them, in order to track the trip for tax purposes.

This became a particular concern when I discovered that unlike the GOFAR, Driversnote won’t track trips or remind me if trips aren’t tracked for a week or more. This can be especially problematic for caravan drivers who need automatic starts and stops for their long, remote drives.

It’s a good app overall, but won’t notify you if trips are not tracked for at least a week or more. Dale Longenecker

The GOFAR Adapter plugs in — safe and secure — into my car’s OBD2 port, whereas the iBeacon can be left to float about in the glove box or centre console.

Yes, you can use Driversnote without the iBeacon, same as GOFAR.

What are the known issues in the Driversnote app?

• “Close to perfection.. I prefer manual entry w/ odometer reading and/or simply entering miles driven. Being forced to choose a route isn’t good when my route isn’t listed = inaccurate mileage .” Ryan S
• “My only complaint is that someone really dropped the ball with the pricing structure. Among all the cool bells and whistles that would make sense to charge for, they chose to charge for… spreadsheet space . Not a satisfying perk. And at $14/mo for the lowest tier, that potentially ends up costing nearly a dollar per ride for users who don’t surpass their free 15 rides by very much.” Elliot Davidson
• “ App uses well over 10% of my battery everyday you have to have physical activity turned on so they’re tracking you when you walk through your own home not just when you’re driving your vehicle for work purposes.” Anonymous
• “Love it in concept, but even after purchasing their “iBeacon” to make sure that no trips would somehow be missed, there are still huge periods of time with no trips logged even though I have not touched any settings and I drive multiple trips almost 365 days/year. If you decide to use this ATO mobile app , you must check daily to make sure it’s working properly. :-(” Diane Matcheck

Are there any hidden costs and charges with Driversnote?

I was very surprised to discover that I need to pay an additional US$12 per month to access reports. All of the other apps offer standard and custom reports for free.

This hidden charge ( it’s not listed on their pricing page ) blows the cost in the first year out to a whopping $468. Without the report module the cost in the first year is a more manageable $252.

Yes, Driversnote is tax deductible so your business is bearing the cost, but it’s a considerable difference when compared to the free ATO myDeductions app and GOFAR at $8/month, plus all the extra features offered by GOFAR .

What did other people like about Driversnote?

• “Nicely remembers common destinations, which is particularly helpful if you make the same runs over and over again. One can easily go back and manually add these by selecting a date, clicking the start location and stop location.” A Google User
• “It has a nice layout and could use a few minor features but overall I really enjoy this app.” Robert J. Kreckel
• “I deliver for DoorDash and UberEats, and this app has helped me track my miles so much more easily as well as keep track of my driving patterns for the day. There aren’t any ads that pop up, and I can easily start tracking since it’s got a very straightforward interface.” Kimberly

The reason why I’ve placed Driversnote last is mainly due to the hidden costs and the iBeacon tracking techology is problematic. The future promise is excellent and I hope that they continue to develop their technology so it becomes more reliable and affordable for Australian tax payers.

It could then move up a few places in our analysis of the best logbook apps in Australia, for Australian drivers.

How Do I Choose the Best Logbook Apps for Me?

Ultimately it comes down to your personal circumstances , business kilometres travelled  and budget . Consider these points to reach your final decision:

• Do you want everything to be as automated as possible. Your time is most important? Choose GOFAR .
• Do you want a 100% free smartphone app that is suitable for Australians? Choose ATO Logbook .
• Do you want an app that automates reporting to your accountant ? Choose GOFAR .
• Do you own a fleet of cars and want to track your driver’s movements? Choose Driver Direct .

GOFAR’s app is the best ATO compliant logbook app in terms of value and functionality because it:

• is compatible with both iOS and Android
• installs easily via your car’s diagnostic OBD2 port
• can store a week of detailed driving logs on the Adapter if you forget your phone
• helps you save on fuel costs (buy the Ray too)

Either way, the bottom line is that once you try any of these smart car log book apps, you’ll be wondering how you survived without one.

Updated on Tuesday 19 September with new prices, new features, and replaced out-of-date logbook apps. Removed Vehicle Logger; discontinued. Updated Driver Direct; low usage and user ratings, and hasn’t been updated by Toyota since 2017. Updated with new reviews from Google Play, Apple Store and my own experience using the apps. Apps were paid for by the writer. 

Danny Adams

Co-founder of GOFAR and with a Computer Science background from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Aerospace, Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering (Honours), UNSW. I want to transform data from cars into useful services so -> drivers save time & money -> emissions fall -> Australian roads are safer. So we built an ATO-compliant logbook app called GOFAR . I write to help you understand how to use GOFAR to maximise business travel . Reach out via [email protected] .

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How G.M. Tricked Millions of Drivers Into Being Spied On (Including Me)

This privacy reporter and her husband bought a Chevrolet Bolt in December. Two risk-profiling companies had been getting detailed data about their driving ever since.

By Kashmir Hill

Kashmir Hill is a technology reporter who has been covering the privacy implications of connected cars, including her own.

Automakers have been selling data about the driving behavior of millions of people to the insurance industry. In the case of General Motors, affected drivers weren’t informed, and the tracking led insurance companies to charge some of them more for premiums. I’m the reporter who broke the story . I recently discovered that I’m among the drivers who was spied on.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

My husband and I bought a G.M.-manufactured 2023 Chevrolet Bolt in December. This month, my husband received his “consumer disclosure files” from LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk, two data brokers that work with the insurance industry and that G.M. had been providing with data. (He requested the files after my article came out in March, heeding the advice I had given to readers.)

My husband’s LexisNexis report had a breakdown of the 203 trips we had taken in the car since January, including the distance, the start and end times, and how often we hard-braked or accelerated rapidly. The Verisk report, which dated back to mid-December and recounted 297 trips, had a high-level summary at the top: 1,890.89 miles driven; 4,251 driving minutes; 170 hard-brake events; 24 rapid accelerations, and, on a positive note, zero speeding events.

I had requested my own LexisNexis file while reporting, but it didn’t have driving data on it. Though both of our names are on the car’s title, the data from our Bolt accrued to my husband alone because the G.M. dealership listed him as the primary owner.

G.M.’s spokeswoman had told me that this data collection happened only to people who turned on OnStar, its connected services plan, and enrolled in Smart Driver, a gamified program that offers feedback and digital badges for good driving, either at the time of purchase or via their vehicle’s mobile app.

That wasn’t us — and I had checked to be sure. In mid-January, again while reporting, I had connected our car to the MyChevrolet app to see if we were enrolled in Smart Driver. The app said we weren’t, and thus we had no access to any information about how we drove.

But in April, when we found out our driving had been tracked, my husband signed into a browser-based version of his account page, on GM.com, which said our car was enrolled in “OnStar Smart Driver+.” G.M. says this discrepancy between the app and the website was the result of “a bug” that affected a “small population” of customers. That group got the worst possible version of Smart Driver: We couldn’t get insights into our driving, but insurance companies could.

Many G.M. owners have reached out with similar accounts since my article appeared. Jenn Archer of Illinois bought a Chevy Trailblazer in April 2022. She didn’t subscribe to OnStar and had never heard of Smart Driver, but last month discovered that LexisNexis had her driving data.

“I was furious,” she said. In the last two years, her insurance rate has increased by 50 percent.

In 10 federal lawsuits filed in the last month, drivers from across the country say they did not knowingly sign up for Smart Driver but recently learned that G.M. had provided their driving data to LexisNexis. According to one of the complaints, a Florida owner of a 2019 Cadillac CTS-V who drove it around a racetrack for events saw his insurance premium nearly double, an increase of more than $5,000 per year.

At no point had these drivers been explicitly informed that this would happen, not even in the fine print, they said. New reporting reveals the cause: a misleading screen that these people would have briefly seen when they bought their cars — if their salesperson showed it to them.

“G.M. established the Smart Driver program to promote safer driving for the benefit of customers who choose to participate,” said a company spokeswoman, Brandee Barker. “Based on customer feedback, we’ve decided to discontinue the Smart Driver product across all G.M. vehicles and unenroll all customers. This process will begin over the next few months.”

Last month, G.M. stopped sharing data with LexisNexis and Verisk — giving up annual revenue in the low millions, an employee familiar with the contracts said. The company also hired a new chief trust and privacy officer.

“Customer trust is a priority for us, and we are showing that in our actions,” Ms. Barker said.

How It Happened to Me

According to G.M., our car was enrolled in Smart Driver when we bought it at a Chevrolet dealership in New York, during the flurry of document-signing that accompanies the purchase of a new vehicle. That this happened to me, the rare consumer who reads privacy policies and is constantly on the lookout for creepy data collection, demonstrates what little hope there was for the typical car buyer.

To find out how it happened, I called our dealership, a franchise of General Motors, and talked to the salesman who had sold us the car. He confirmed that he had enrolled us for OnStar, noting that his pay is docked if he fails to do so. He said that was a mandate from G.M., which sends the dealership a report card each month tracking the percentage of sign-ups.

G.M. doesn’t just want dealers selling cars; it wants them selling connected cars.

Our Bolt automatically came with eight years of Connected Access, a feature we didn’t know about until recently. It allows G.M. to send software updates to our car but also to collect data from it — actions consented to during OnStar enrollment.

Our salesman described the enrollment as a three-stage process that he does every day. He selects yes to enroll a customer in OnStar, then yes for the customer to receive text messages and then no to an insurance product that G.M. offers and that monitors how you drive your car. (This sounds similar to Smart Driver, but it is different.)

He does this so often, he said, that it has become automatic — yes, yes, no — and that he always chooses no for the last one because that monitoring would be a nuisance for customers.

Ms. Barker, the G.M. spokeswoman, said that dealers are not permitted to sign customers up and that the customer must be the one to accept the terms. At my request, she provided the series of screens that dealers are instructed to show customers during the enrollment for OnStar and Smart Driver. There is a message at the top of each screen: “The customer must personally review and accept (or decline) the terms below. This action is legally binding and cannot be done by dealer personnel.”

The flow of screens was almost exactly as my salesman described, except for the second one about receiving messages, which he said he always hits “yes” on. That screen wasn’t just about accepting messages from G.M.; it also opted us into OnStar Smart Driver.

It’s a screen that my husband and I do not recall seeing — presumably because our salesman filled it out for us as part of his standard procedure.

The Forgettable Screen That Enrolled Millions

I drove to the dealership — in my Bolt, appropriately — to ask about this, and a more senior salesman said they always have the customers accept the terms themselves.

Maybe our salesman misspoke on the phone and my husband and I have forgotten a moment during our car purchase when we were asked to tap “yes” on this screen. I can’t say with certainty.

What I can say is that, regardless of who pushed the consent button, this screen about enrolling in notifications and Smart Driver doesn’t say anything about risk-profiling or insurance companies. It doesn’t even hint at the possibility that anyone but G.M. and the driver gets the data collected about how and where the vehicle is operated, which it says will be used to “improve your ownership experience” and help with “driving improvement.”

I showed the screen, used to enroll millions of people in Smart Driver, to a series of information design experts.

“What you showed me does not at all disclose clearly how G.M. or OnStar benefits from the use and sale of your info,” said Jen King, an information privacy expert at Stanford University. “Including it during the purchase process appears to be a conscious decision to get high conversion rates.”

Harry Brignull, author of “Deceptive Patterns: Exposing the Tricks Tech Companies Use to Control You,” said: “In these sorts of agreements, they need to be very clear about the true function of it. Otherwise, users won’t understand what it is they’re opting into.”

Ms. Barker said G.M.’s terms and privacy statement allowed the company to share information with “third parties” — legalese that people agree to on the first screen the salesman was instructed to show us. That wouldn’t seem, however, to meet G.M.’s own bar for such sensitive information.

A decade ago, G.M. and other major automakers made a commitment to the Federal Trade Commission to provide “clear, meaningful and prominent” notice about the collection of driver behavior information, including why it is collected and “the types of entities with which the information may be shared.”

Moreover, this innocuous-sounding data-collection program appears alongside a request to send important-seeming notifications about, among other things, “issues with your car’s key operating systems.” To get them, you have to accept the other.

Kate Aishton, a lawyer who advises companies on data and privacy practices, deemed the process poorly designed for obtaining actual user consent, particularly since it takes place in a high-pressure sales environment. She was sympathetic to salespeople who were given an incentive to sign G.M. customers up for this without realizing the consequences.

“Their job is to sell cars. It’s not to understand the details of privacy products,” she said. “Passing the buck on to that blind person, if there hasn’t been a really specific education on it, would be pretty unfair.”

Smart Driver 2.0

A former G.M. employee who worked on the company’s data engineering team said he was not surprised that drivers did not understand what data was being collected from their cars and where it was going.

G.M., he said, gets data from all of its internet-connected cars. Some of that data collection benefits drivers, such as monitoring of vehicle health. For example, if a particular model has a transmission issue, he said, G.M. can see from vehicle data which specific cars are experiencing the problem and send their owners a targeted recall.

In recent years, he said, G.M. began analyzing other driving behavior besides speeding, braking and acceleration. An internal G.M. document from 2021, which was reviewed by The New York Times and which said more than eight million vehicles were “opted in” to Smart Driver at that time, described a new version of the program called “Smart Driver 2.0.” This version tracked hard cornering, forward collision alerts, lane-departure warnings and seatbelt reminders; these metrics were being used to price policies for drivers using G.M.’s own insurance plan, then called OnStar Insurance, but don’t seem to have been shared with LexisNexis and Verisk.

Still, these in-vehicle alerts, intended to help people drive more safely, became a measuring stick for how risky they were as drivers.

A new car, like mine, has hundreds of sensors, the former employee said, so even just a 15-minute trip creates millions of data points, including GPS location — all of which is broadcast in near real time to G.M. He expressed concerns about the insurance industry’s use of this data because it lacked context about the situation that might have led a driver to slam on the brakes or swerve out of a lane.

Turning It Off

Asked how consumers can turn off G.M.’s digital access to their cars, a spokeswoman said customers could “disable all data collection” by contacting an OnStar adviser through the blue button in their vehicle or by calling the OnStar customer service line .

Some drivers have said on online forums that they don’t trust G.M. to stop remotely tracking their cars, and instead offer D.I.Y. advice for opening up the car’s electrical guts to remove the OnStar module.

Andrea Amico , founder of Privacy4Cars, a company that makes a tool to erase personal data from vehicle infotainment systems, said a line needed to be drawn between technical data from a vehicle — like that used to trigger recall notices — and personal data about drivers, such as how and where they drive, which should belong to them, not the automaker.

Beyond privacy issues, Mr. Amico pointed out that the driver behavior reports that LexisNexis and Verisk were creating were inaccurate — tracking my driving, for example, on my husband’s report.

“The fact that they cannot reconcile who gave consent and whose data it is,” he said, “is very problematic .”

Read by Kashmir Hill

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

Kitty Bennett and Jack Begg contributed research.

Kashmir Hill writes about technology and how it is changing people’s everyday lives with a particular focus on privacy. She has been covering technology for more than a decade. More about Kashmir Hill

• Sustainability
• Small Business
• Mastercard launches mobile virtual card app to simplify travel and business expenses

HSBC and Westpac to unlock the convenience, security and efficiency of tap to pay transactions   

Mastercard announced a new mobile virtual card app that enables virtual commercial cards to be seamlessly added to digital wallets. The innovative app is designed to offer financial institutions more choice in how they deliver the secure and sustainable contactless payment solutions that companies increasingly expect.  

For over a decade, Mastercard has pioneered virtual card solutions to simplify tedious expense report and reconciliation processes for employees, contractors, recruits, and consultants who often use personal cards or cash for reimbursable business expenses. As companies navigate changing payment preferences particularly from the entry-level workforce – with over two-thirds of millennials having adopted digital wallets 1 – mobile technology is unlocking the next frontier of convenient contactless payments.   

“Businesses worldwide are seeking fast and secure payment experiences, where payments can be made with just a click or tap, and finance teams can experience automatic reconciliation,” said Chad Wallace, global head of Commercial Solutions, Mastercard. “With today’s launch, we’re providing innovative tech that digitizes business and travel expenses, while also empowering businesses with more control of and visibility into their finances.”  

The app leverages Mastercard’s innovative virtual card and tokenization platforms, enhanced data, and robust spend controls all within one easy-to-use interface. Accessing Mastercard mobile virtual cards is made seamless through the app so users can quickly experience the benefits of tap to pay. Mastercard mobile virtual cards can be used by organizations spanning a range of sizes and industries – including healthcare, insurance, fleet, higher education, and corporate travel.  

Key capabilities and benefits of Mastercard’s mobile virtual card app include:  

• Increased security : The app offers the ability to set up a biometric authentication and an added security measure using a PIN to view card details. Each virtual card is also tokenized, enabling the cardholder’s sensitive data to be replaced by a unique card number so sensitive account details are not exposed.  
• Robust spend controls: Organizations can confidently stay compliant with expense policies using Mastercard’s transaction-level controls, which limit how, where, and when a mobile virtual card can be used. 
• Flexible integrations: Financial institutions can quickly get to market through Mastercard’s user interface or flexible API-based integrations, and offer unique features such as customized card art.  
• Holistic and seamless payment experience: The app provides a single interface to check the status of card balances and view pending and completed transactions, and is bank-agnostic, enabling users to access and manage virtual commercial cards issued by multiple participating financial institutions.  
• Real-time and enhanced data: For each mobile virtual card created, custom data elements are automatically captured and matched to the transaction, providing organizations with increased insights into spending and automatic reconciliation to optimize back-office processes. 

HSBC Australia and Westpac will be the first financial institutions to offer organizations and corporate customers mobile wallet functionality through the Mastercard app.    

“We’re pleased to partner with Mastercard to bring mobile wallet virtual cards to our Australian corporate clients, providing them with a smarter, safer, and faster way to pay,” said John Scott, Head of Global Payments, HSBC Australia. “Mobile wallet usage is growing, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for over half of the digital payment transactions globally 2 . As contactless payments continue to surge, it’s important that corporate clients have access to best-in-class payment solutions to keep their business secure and take advantage of the increased efficiency offered by the latest technologies. HSBC has a history of delivering innovative digital solutions to our corporate clients, and we’re proud to add to that legacy with the launch of mobile wallet virtual cards in Australia. We plan to launch in other markets later this year.” 

“Westpac is pleased to be one of the first domestic banks in Australia to offer the new Mastercard mobile virtual card app to our corporate and commercial customers in addition to our existing virtual card capabilities. The global payments market is at an inflection point and the mobile wallet solution, combining digital innovation, real time processing and security through robust controls is another way we’re helping our customers,” said Jeff Byrne, Managing Director of Global Transaction Services at Westpac Institutional Bank. 

The app will be available in other key markets for users with a commercial virtual card issued through an organization by a participating financial institution. Once registered for the app with an invitation code, users will find their commercial virtual cards automatically linked and ready to be added to select digital wallets for use across Mastercard’s trusted global network.  

For more information on other ways Mastercard is simplifying commercial payments, click here .  

1 PYMNTS Research: “Mobile Wallet Challenge: Replacing Physical With Digital,” (April 2023)  

2 “Global Mobile Payment Methods 2024 Report” (January 2024)  

Disclaimers:  

Mastercard In Control Pay app and features are available only for eligible virtual card accounts issued by the financial institution. Prepaid Cards and Consumer Cards are not eligible. The virtual card(s) are not issued by Mastercard and is (are) subject to the terms and conditions of the relevant issuer.  

Media Contacts

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

www.mastercard.com

• Investor Relations

Mastercard Sites

• Mastercard.com
• Mastercard Brand Center
• Mastercard Data & Services
• Priceless.com

FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY: Tornado Watch issued for part of the Ozarks

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - The Storm Prediction Center issued a Tornado Watch for part of the Ozarks.

The Tornado Watch lasts until 11 p.m. It includes these counties:

• Benton, Ark.
• Carroll, Ark.
• Madison, Ark.
• Washington, Ark.
• McDonald, Mo.
• Newton, Mo.

The KY3 First Alert Weather Team is tracking the potential for severe storms with a line out of Oklahoma. The storm could cause all modes of severe weather.

Stay ahead of the storm with the KY3 First Alert Weather app. Download below for Apple and Droid products.

To report a correction or typo, please email [email protected]

Copyright 2024 KY3. All rights reserved.

FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Severe threat continues until midnight

First Alert Weather Resources

Tornadoes kill 4 in Oklahoma, leaving trail of destruction and thousands without power

On Your Side: When to shred old tax documents

Latest news.

Crosswalk construction projects starting Monday to improve pedestrian safety in Springfield

Springfield-Greene County Parks Board talks lifeguard retention for the summer

Ozarks woman whose car caught fire shares her story

Heavy rain across the Ozarks leads to water rescues

US Secretary of State to Travel to Jordan and Israel — State Dept

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gestures while he deboards an airplane as he visits Saudi Arabia in the latest Gaza diplomacy push, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will expand his trip to the Middle East and continue onto Jordan and Israel after visiting Saudi Arabia, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Sunday.

In a statement, Miller said Blinken will focus on the effort to secure a ceasefire in Gaza that will see the release of hostages and ensure humanitarian aid into the enclave continues or increases.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Diane Craft)

War in Israel and Gaza

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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Tags: United States , Israel , Middle East , Jordan

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Vehicle expense tracker

Dennis wainaina, screenshots, description.

Fuel, maintenance, mileage, and more: Track it all, effortlessly. A vehicle management app that helps users log and track fuel and maintenance. Users can also view monthly expense summaries for the last 6 months in the form of a chart. Also set reminders so that you never miss a maintenance event for your car.

App Privacy

The developer, Dennis Wainaina , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy