No, Budget and Payless are not the same company. Budget is a car rental company founded in 1958 by Morris Mirkin that specializes in car rentals for leisure and business travelers. They have locations across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Payless is an American discount shoe store chain owned by Collective Brands with over 4500 stores worldwide. It offers a wide selection of footwear styles at discounted prices as well as accessories like handbags and sunglasses. The two companies may appear similar to some customers due to their name similarities but they are actually two very different businesses offering different services altogether.