Payless Car Rental in downtown San Diego, founded in 1971 in Spokane by former Thrifty franchisee Les Netterstrom, occupies counter space inside the consolidated Rental Car Center at San Diego International Airport under the Avis Budget Group umbrella following a $50 million acquisition in 2013. The counter sits within the same LEED Gold-certified terminal as corporate sibling Dollar Car Rental, both brands targeting the economy segment of the airport rental market from 3355 Admiral Boland Way. Payless pioneered the first automated central reservation system in the car rental industry in 1987 — a booking backbone that now routes through Avis Budget Group's consolidated GDS distribution across Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Travelocity. Returned vehicles cycle through the Rental Car Center's 15 on-site wash bays and 72 fueling stations, a centralized quick-turnaround system that replaces the off-site fleet prep mobile operators like Fresh Layer Mobile Detailing handle for independent lots. Multi-vehicle group van reservations with split pickup and drop-off scheduling across staggered travel dates represent the counter's most coordination-intensive booking type.