# 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. - Title: How To Get A Screaming Deal On Your Next Car Rental · Jalopnik - Summary: Book early, shop beyond travel sites, and use discounts to save on car rentals. Renting cars early, using travel aggregators, and leveraging memberships can… - Keywords: car rental, budget travel, travel discounts, frequent flyer discounts, aaa membership, costco membership, usaa membership, credit card insurance, mystery rental, video walk-around, Jalopnik - Source: Jalopnik — https://jalopnik.com/2314274/how-to-get-good-deal-car-rental - Author: Michael Frank - Published: 2026-11-14T13:05:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: car rental, budget travel, travel discounts, frequent flyer discounts, aaa membership, costco membership, usaa membership, credit card insurance, mystery rental, video walk-around, cars, culture ## 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. ## Key takeaway Renting cars early, using travel aggregators, and leveraging memberships can save money on car rentals.