From Jalopnik · Michael Frank · · 2m
How To Get A Screaming Deal On Your Next Car Rental
Book early, shop beyond travel sites, and use discounts to save on car rentals.
In brief
Book early, shop beyond travel sites, and use discounts to save on car rentals. Renting cars early, using travel aggregators, and leveraging memberships can save money on car rentals. Originally reported by Jalopnik.
Book early
Laguana recommends booking your car as soon as you know your travel dates to find deals that don't exist days before pickup.
“If you book well in advance you can often find deals that don't exist days before pickup.”
Pre-pay cancellation fees
Hertz charges $100 for cancellations more than 24 hours prior and $200 within 24 hours, while Alamo charges $50 for cancellations before the 24-hour window and $100 within 24 hours.
“Hertz will charge $100 if you cancel more than 24 hours prior to the reservation start date, and $200 if you're within 24 hours.”
Off-airport rentals cheaper
NerdWallet found off-airport rental car reservations save an average of $126 for seven-day rentals compared to airport rentals.
“NerdWallet looked at 20 different destinations and found that for rental car reservations lasting seven days, the average savings was $126 versus renting at the airport.”
Shop beyond travel websites
Major online-travel aggregators have clauses preventing rental companies from advertising rates lower than what the aggregators offer.
“Major online-travel aggregators (Expedia, Priceline, Kayak, etc.) have clauses in their agreements with car rental companies that prevent the rental companies from advertising rates lower than what the aggregators offer.”
Use travel aggregators
Fricke recommends starting on Kayak to compare all brands, especially for large sprinter vans.
“I always start on Kayak. It's a great resource to pull all brands in comparison. I find this helps when searching for certain vehicle types like large sprinter vans.”
Cheapest rental car agencies
Budget, Hertz, and Dollar consistently loan cars for less, with Enterprise averaging $480 for seven days versus National's $680.
“Enterprise averaged $480 for seven days of rental, which was way cheaper than the $680 that National charged.”
Use memberships for discounts
AAA members save up to 20% off base rates from Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty, while Costco members get cheaper rates and add a second driver for free.
“You can save up to 20% off the base rate of all rental cars from Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty. Costco pre-negotiates cheaper rates for its members and lets you add a second driver at no extra cost.”
Frequent flyer discounts
United Airlines frequent flyers save up to 35% on base rates with Avis and Budget, and USAA members get up to 35% off current rental rates.
“United Airlines frequent flyers save up to 35% on base rates with Avis and Budget. USAA members (available to active duty military, veterans, and their families) can get up to 35% off current rental rates from Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Alamo rental agencies.”
Verify insurance coverage
Laguana says most renters get insurance products but skip personal effects coverage to avoid filing claims with their own insurance.
“When I rent cars while traveling, I usually get most of the insurance products (although I will usually pass on the personal effects coverage).”
Mystery rental option
Mystery rentals offer cars that aren't selling well, often at lower rates than listed on websites.
“The mystery rental is usually a car that is not selling well. But it can still be a great deal, because the car rental company won't want to list that vehicle at such a low rate and have it find its way into various websites and search engines.”
Video walk-around of car
Fricke advises taking a video walk-around to check for damage before renting a car.
“To ensure you take a video walking around the vehicle, checking for any damage (don't forget the inside). This ensures if there's any existing damage the rental car company doesn't place blame on you.”
Check gas prices
Use apps like Gas Buddy to check gas prices near the rental agency to avoid higher per-gallon tolls.
“Use an app like Gas Buddy so you know the price of gas near the rental agency. Most companies want to charge you their own per-gallon toll (usually higher than the going rate) if you bring the car back empty.”
Peer-to-peer rentals
Turo includes liability insurance but may exclude credit card coverage for peer-to-peer car loans.
“Turo includes liability insurance in their loans (which covers third parties and their property), but says you should check with your car insurer to see if it covers peer-to-peer car loans, and cautions that most don't.”
The main idea
Renting cars early, using travel aggregators, and leveraging memberships can save money on car rentals.
