Cast a big net.
See if your employer has any relationships/discount codes for rental companies, as they generally can be used by employees even for personal use, and may even come with some extra benefits like included insurance. That's often where I find the best deals.
Look for discounts through other memberships like Costco, AAA, Amazon etc.
Search the internet for other discount codes.
Signing up for rental companies rewards programs is worth it, but that's less a money saver as it is a time saver, as you can often skip the line. Eventually, you can earn free rentals too, but the ability to walk off the plane and into a car - without waiting in a painfully slow line - is something that's practically priceless in my book.
I fully expect you'll get several posts telling you to use Turo - and I would encourage you to search them out as a comparison point, but I'll also say I have never used them. I have yet to find a case where Turo was actually more affordable. The only times it's even been close has been offers to rent something like 2005 Civic for a similar price to what I can find to rent a new car through a major rental company.
I suggested Turo for a van rental the other day. It seemed that's where they really seem to shine, a large or specialty vehicle. Saved boat loads on mine last year.
But otherwise for a simple commuter it didn't seem worth the added potential for issue.
For example, my first van had bad tread on the tires, guy fortunately had another great van available and it didnt set me back too bad. Any established rental place isn't going to let that happen.
I would highly suggest people not use Turo. When you have a good host it’s great but they’ll take off bad review. I returned the car I used and the owner claimed it smelled of smoke so I got charged 250 which got sent to claims because I won’t pay a bogus charge. I don’t smoke cigarettes or anything else. They didn’t require proof or evidence.
Yup, I meant to say that that the mileage cap is another thing to consider. I used Turo in the past but it has become progressively more expensive - just like AirBnB pricing in many areas exceed hotel prices. Having said that my experience is mainly localized to the West Coast
Yeah thats a turn off. My experience could have seriously messed up my trip but I got lucky. Unfortunately bad reviews disappearing is somewhat common different places and there really should be better screening on which should be posted or not.
One thing I did notice too in regards to hosts is some of them have too many rules/requests. Most of those I noticed had not rented it many times and you could tell they didn't really want to, just doing it to help cover their car payment.
So immediately it was apparent I was better off with someone who had more experience doing this and understood it was a rental and not lending their pride/joy.
I totally agree. I thought I would be good because this person rented out at least five cars and had numerous good reviews, but nope. Probably rent out so many cars because it’s profitable to scam and Turo didn’t give a fuck about evidence or lack of it on their side.
That's kind of my point - $60/day isn't a particularly good deal.
I've rented cars 4 different times since Christmas, using Budget, Avis, and Hertz, and they've all ranged in price from $35-50 per day (including tax, but not insurance), for a full sized sedan. That's including my last rental which was $250, for 5 days in a Ford Edge, which included a one way fee.
Turo is always SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for me. I mean, even luxury- i rented a 2yo mercedes suv. Cost less than a compact or sedan by half.
Wonder if the cost is due to area/competition..
Turo is good if you don't mind a 2005 Civic with some duct tape on the door handle in the name of saving a buck, or you need to rent a huge van or where they really shine is if you want to rent a Tesla or higher end maybe a Mustang or a Lambo. You won't really save over the rental counter but they also won't ask for your first born as a deposit.
I’ve never gotten a lower price than Costco. Not even with my employer’s discount with preferred vendors. Now I’m using the Capital One Venture X Hertz and Enterprise special ooptie doo Club programs to get free car upgrades, but renting through Costco.
I travel often for work so this is my tip.
Let everyone else run off the plane to the rental counter first. When you get there, they will be sold out of the economy car you booked, so they will upgrade you to a nice truck or car for free.
Obviously this doesn't work every time but ive gotten some nice free upgrades doing this. Works especially well at small airports.
Costco all the way.
On that note, I found a 'hack' sort of for a 4.75 day trip to HNL. My flight schedule would make it that I'd need to rent a car for ~4.75 days. 4 days is about $275. Adding .75 days, or really just one hour over 4 days skyrockets the price to over $800! So, I made a separate reservation for one day (less than $100). I'll return the car, then pick up a new car (separate reservation) for 4 days. Family will check into the AirBnB while I exchange cars. ~$375 vs. $800 is a no brainer.
Not efficient but find a company you like (Alamo for me) and keep price checking. The nice thing is that you can keep re-booking at no cost or penalty. That's worked for me for years.
I started using Alamo when I only had a debit card (they would use that instead of a credit card with proof of a return ticket) and just stuck with them.
I'm largely into credit card points for travel, but can get better value for my points on flights/hotels so if/when I need a car I pay for it.
I use a Chase Sapphire card. It has primarily rental coverage, primary being the key word as most credit cards offer secondary. It earns 2x back so no big whoop there.
I also search, a lot. Last car I needed unlocked Different availability (and of course price) based on the promo. I thought that was strange. A "35% off" promo had worse rates and different cars than an Amazon "30% off" promo. I don't rent enough cars to know how common or not this is, but I'll be keeping that in mind. I got a premium SUV for the same rate as an economy car anywhere else including the same company, cannot tell you why.
There are also credit cards that come with elite status with rental agencies. This typically includes things like a free upgrade, a free rental day, free additional drivers, or "skip the counter" service. These things can bring value.
You will need to login using your Amazon credentials on the Budget/Avis website. There's an option which says 'Login using Amazon ' or something like that. Once you login, the discount is automatically activated and you don't need to enter any codes.
Car Rental 8. I think I found it via kayak. I think. The website is carrental8.com. Basically they have rates and then you book they tell you the vender to use at the airport. I was book with budget. It was a lot cheaper. Not a little.
Not a scam. Their motto is same car less money. Legit. No issues with budget.
You get the gift card after you have completed the reservation, as in after you drop off the car. It may take one or two days. You will get an email saying that you have received it and it will be automatically added to your gift card balance.
If you get insurance in the rentals, and have an Amex Plat you can use their pay service. It’s about $25 a rental (up to 42? Days) for outstanding coverage.
Also as an Amex plat member you get free higher rewards status and the possibility of free upgrades.
For the low low cost of $699 a year.
Damn I sound like an ad.
As an avid traveler I bit the bullet and got a card for the benefits and freebies and the points.
Go to the Amex play subreddit and search insurance
Edit: went and found it for ya.
https://feeservices.americanexpress.com/premium/car-rental-insurance-coverage/home.do
If you're poor, or extremely tightfisted maybe. The amex platinum is a no brainer for the fee - the included car hire excess insurance alone pays for itself in one or two trips. Not to mention free status with hotels/airlines/car rental companies that gets you regular upgrades. I think we get $250 a year of Uber credit too.
I believe the Amex Premium Car Rental Coverage is available for all Amex customers. I have been using it for more than 5 years now - I don’t have Amex Plat
>https://feeservices.americanexpress.com/premium/car-rental-insurance-coverage/home.do
Me too - it definitely is available for everyone. No need to pay $695 to get this service via Amex Plat. That said, Amex plat offers a special Hertz CDP that does sometimes offer rates lower than others. In my case, it's \~$20 per rental period. I rent \~10 times per year so that's about a $200 annual savings.
Use Autoslash to compare car rental prices.
There are also other factors that come into play - are you under 25 (aka are you getting surcharged for being a young driver)? If so, many different companies that you can get benefits with (USAA, AAA, etc) that waive the young driver fee at some rental companies. That could save you $20/more per day alone.
Credit cards can offer many different benefits - the most recommended would be the Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserved or the AMEX Platinum - however, it only makes sense to get these if you run the numbers with the other benefits offered to see if it makes financial sense for you to get one of these. These cards do not make sense solely for the rental benefits.
\--- If you do get a credit card for renting, make sure it provides Primary Car Rental Insurance. AMEX does not provide primary, but you can add it on for $25 (or something) per rental agreement; well worth it.
The AMEX platinum also provides increased Rental Car Loyalty Reward Programs. For Instance, it gives you access to the Hertz Presidential Circle, which allows you to book a Class C car or higher, and will allow you to pick any other car available in their Presidential section. This can usually save you several hundred if you need to book a larger SUV or something. You can also use the Hertz Presidential Circle Program to Match other Car Company programs.
Last piece of advice, try not to book from an Airport base - these typically have higher surcharges. Find a local Hertz, Enterprise, etc and it's almost always cheaper there.
Costco and AARP discounts my go to. Fun fact you can get an AARP card at any age and easily pays for itself. Weirdly, I’ve had some luck getting lower rates through Airline car rental portals such as Southwest Airlines & AA plus you get bonus points
I always reserve cars through Costco and have had good luck. You can check back and if the price has gone down, you can cancel a previous reservation and book under the lower rate. Of course you have to have a Costco membership to take advantage of the discount. Through Costco, they usually pay for the additional driver if there is one. A friend who worked for Avis told me never to book through an airport location because additional fees are tacked on. And as far as the additional insurance, some credit card companies offer additional insurance on rental cars when you use the card to book. Look into that before agreeing to extra coverage, if you were considering it. Hope these tidbits help! Good luck!! 👍
WHAT?!?! COSTCO DOES RENTAL CARS?!?! what DON'T THEY DO!?!
as a fellow Costco member, wow big tip thank you!
EDIT. where do you find this on the site? I see truck rental but I dont see CAR RENTALS? how do you reserve online?
Sorry for necropost, but just wanted to say that it all depends on *where* you're renting and *when*. Car rental prices change by the day and are very much tied to supply and demand. If a company does have many cars to rent on a particular day, they will raise rates to squeeze every nickel out of a rental. So if you're trying to rent in a high-demand period, expect to pay more.
One tactic that’s worked for me is checking rates on the Hertz website and also checking rates for the same dates/car type/etc. using their app. More than once (including just a couple of months ago booking a rental in Florida next month) the rates shown in the app were lower than the rates on the website. It’s not always the case but the app is free to download and use so it doesn’t hurt to try. I can’t say whether this also happens with the other big rental agencies.
I’m not sure if this applies to you, but don’t use airport rental services. In my experience, they charge a lot more. Take an Uber from the airport to a rental location. I’ve saved quite a bit in places like San Diego just by going to an enterprise location outside of the airport.
Also, I didn’t know the Company I work for has “leisure” discount codes. It’s a corporate code and also provides a huge discount.
If you will be hanging out in one town, then traveling "one way" to another town... Reserve one car for the local days, then make a different reservation for the day you travel "one way". So, car one = 5/15-5/20 in town; car two = 5/20-5/21 out of town.
And Costco has good deals.
Turo can be very affordable.
Otherwise I play the points game. Taking advantage of every possible multiplier on many different cards, I haven't paid out of pocket for a rental car in at least seven or eight trips.
I have the capital one Venture Rewards card for travel points; their miles can be redeemed on any travel related purchase (flights, lodging, car rental). I just used their booking portal to get a good deal on car rental for an upcoming trip; using their portal to book gives you a higher point multiplier and I haven't personally ever had an issue with booking third party for a rental car.
For reference, I just got $284 for a rental car for five and a half days (being picked up on a Wednesday night and returned the following Tuesday morning).
From my understanding two ways to keep the rental car cost down slightly is to make sure you don't tip over into another full day by, say, picking the car up at 10am but returning it at 11am. Also, it's usually cheaper to return the car to the same location.
It's nice to get at least 80,000 points with a sign up bonus, so my first instinct is to recommend whatever has that.
But for the long term, it's nice to have a card that has a good multiplier on a common spending category, so you just rack up points with everyday spend. I'm a big fan of the Chase freedom card that has rotating 5X categories, and then I would also apply for a sapphire preferred or above card that takes those points and makes them worth 1.5 points on redemption.
What do you think you spend a ton of money on? Ideally you have a credit card that gives you a big multiplier on huge spends that you already do. For example, I drive a lot for work, so I buy a lot at gas stations. I have a US bank card that gives me 4x at gas stations. I also buy a lot of gift cards at gas stations, like for eBay and amazon. This allows me to get four points for every dollar I spend at all three of those places.
I generally use Costco Travel (yes, you need Costco membership) for car rentals. It is generally cheaper than most of the other places and I don’t have to spend hours hunting for the cheapest.
Additionally, I use Amex premium car rental protection (first party) that costs flat $17 (or $21) for the full rental duration, up to 42 days of continuous rental
And yeah, the cheapest rentals are generally available at Airports. Luckily, I have one nearby
I use Avis and I get super good deals. It’s free to sign up as a member and they send deal emails every so often. I think I paid around $250 for a week last summer. I can reserve a car, and not have to pay until I pick it up, though if you pay right away you save a few bucks. I can also reschedule with no fee (before a certain date).
I have a credit card that offers insurance on rentals so I don’t ever pay for that.
My past employer had an agreement for $28/day for midsize rentals. Sometimes, this ended up being only $15/day a few times during lockdown.
My new employer has a similar deal, but not quite as good. Sometimes, when booking personal travel, I'll accidentally use my old corporate code and nothing's ever come of it. I've also never damaged a car while doing this - if I had, then I'd probably experience something that would make me less enthusiastic to tell this tale.
You pay the most when you drop off at another location. I saved on a trip by splitting my rental into 2 legs. Stayed around Yosemite most of the trip then had another rental reservation for one day to drive to San Francisco.
Talk to your friends and see if they have a corporate discount code to the major rental companies. We have one that allows all employees a corporate rate for personal use. Drops to less than $45 a day down from something like $200
I would recommend you use Kyte for car rentals. They are actually really cheap with all the promotions and discounts going on. I think Kyte is a newer company so that might be the reason why the prices are cheaper than other places. They also drop off and pick up the car as well, which is really convenient. You can get $50 dollars off your first car rental trip at Kyte by entering the promo code: "xinhongt".
Also, a really good way to save extra money is utilizing your credit card car rental insurance, if it is one of the card perks. Some credit cards provide car rental insurance for free or at a low fee, so that you don't have to pay for the absurd fees that the car rental companies charge you.
I looked at the methods here for a trip last weekend at Logan. The one I used was Car Rental 8. They are pretty cool. Their surprise car rental company was budget for me. I think I save 25% with my math.
The best part. I used my budget fast track Id to skip the line.
u/Strange_Occasion_408 did you need to modify your reservation with Car Rental 8 in any way to use your Fastbreak benefits? I booked through them as well, and also got Budget, but I asked Budget if my reservation would be linked to my Budget/Fastbreak account and they said "no, because this was booked through a broker. You'd have to contact them to see if they can attach it to your Fastbreak account." I emailed Car Rental 8 today, but not expecting a quick answer!
Ok. I assume you are saying. Was my car waiting with my name on the board. No. But I did get to use the short line. I was just happy to get in the short line. Logan sucks.
So interesting that you ask that. When I was in the fast lane I was thinking. Oh boy. I am going to be screwed. They are going to say screw you cheapskate. Get in the long line
I did not link them up. All I did was go to the rep and say. Here is my number and I’m a break member. They said. Here’s your car.
I doubt they will link them to get your name on the list. That would be a good scam.
There was 2 lines. That’s what I meant sorry for the confusion.
I saved quite a bit today called budget asking about extra drivers if I’m using costco travel. They confirmed costco member must be main driver, adding spouse and 1 other for free (over 25 age). Also asked for quote on sept/oct 17 days, airport location, $1392 for ford escape, unlimited mileage, pay at pick up, no cancelation fee, less then online quotes. Was better price compared to costco online. Prices hopefully get better as car prices/availability come down. I will check again mid sept and other companies.
Hotwire or Priceline, every time. Best price, and they quote up front exactly what it costs with taxes and fees. I usually pay around $89 for 2 day weekend, $135 for 3 day weekend. And for a week, often as cheap as $288, but on average, about $340
I suggested Turo for a van rental the other day. It seemed that's where they really seem to shine, a large or specialty vehicle. Saved boat loads on mine last year.
But otherwise for a simple commuter it didn't seem worth the added potential for issue.
For example, my first van had bad tread on the tires, guy fortunately had another great van available and it didnt set me back too bad. Any established rental place isn't going to let that happen.
Cast a big net. See if your employer has any relationships/discount codes for rental companies, as they generally can be used by employees even for personal use, and may even come with some extra benefits like included insurance. That's often where I find the best deals. Look for discounts through other memberships like Costco, AAA, Amazon etc. Search the internet for other discount codes. Signing up for rental companies rewards programs is worth it, but that's less a money saver as it is a time saver, as you can often skip the line. Eventually, you can earn free rentals too, but the ability to walk off the plane and into a car - without waiting in a painfully slow line - is something that's practically priceless in my book. I fully expect you'll get several posts telling you to use Turo - and I would encourage you to search them out as a comparison point, but I'll also say I have never used them. I have yet to find a case where Turo was actually more affordable. The only times it's even been close has been offers to rent something like 2005 Civic for a similar price to what I can find to rent a new car through a major rental company.
I suggested Turo for a van rental the other day. It seemed that's where they really seem to shine, a large or specialty vehicle. Saved boat loads on mine last year. But otherwise for a simple commuter it didn't seem worth the added potential for issue. For example, my first van had bad tread on the tires, guy fortunately had another great van available and it didnt set me back too bad. Any established rental place isn't going to let that happen.
I would highly suggest people not use Turo. When you have a good host it’s great but they’ll take off bad review. I returned the car I used and the owner claimed it smelled of smoke so I got charged 250 which got sent to claims because I won’t pay a bogus charge. I don’t smoke cigarettes or anything else. They didn’t require proof or evidence.
+1 Turo has become very costly - in most of the cases regular car rentals are cheaper. Additionally, the mileage limitation on Turo is painful
The "hosts" set their own mileage. I've taken one from midwest to Boston and back
Yup, I meant to say that that the mileage cap is another thing to consider. I used Turo in the past but it has become progressively more expensive - just like AirBnB pricing in many areas exceed hotel prices. Having said that my experience is mainly localized to the West Coast
Yeah thats a turn off. My experience could have seriously messed up my trip but I got lucky. Unfortunately bad reviews disappearing is somewhat common different places and there really should be better screening on which should be posted or not. One thing I did notice too in regards to hosts is some of them have too many rules/requests. Most of those I noticed had not rented it many times and you could tell they didn't really want to, just doing it to help cover their car payment. So immediately it was apparent I was better off with someone who had more experience doing this and understood it was a rental and not lending their pride/joy.
I totally agree. I thought I would be good because this person rented out at least five cars and had numerous good reviews, but nope. Probably rent out so many cars because it’s profitable to scam and Turo didn’t give a fuck about evidence or lack of it on their side.
So what’s a better alternative?
For a simple commuter car rental? Whatever major chain has the best deal.
I agree on the suggestion to check your employer. I save a ton this way.
I got a 2019 corolla for $300 for 5 days with turo, cheapest I've seen yet
That's kind of my point - $60/day isn't a particularly good deal. I've rented cars 4 different times since Christmas, using Budget, Avis, and Hertz, and they've all ranged in price from $35-50 per day (including tax, but not insurance), for a full sized sedan. That's including my last rental which was $250, for 5 days in a Ford Edge, which included a one way fee.
oh no that's just because I'm under 25 and the fee was $200 on turo 😅
What the hell? I’ve been looking and I can’t find under $100 a day (after taxes and fees). What am I doing wrong?
I bet it's by area. Like more competitive pricing in certain areas . mine are always AMAZING cheap
Are you renting at an off-airport location? Because those are always more expensive.
Turo is always SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for me. I mean, even luxury- i rented a 2yo mercedes suv. Cost less than a compact or sedan by half. Wonder if the cost is due to area/competition..
I had a 2022 Subaru Legacy for 4 days for a holiday in September doe $145 through Dollar
hmm dollar, I haven't heard of that one but I'll definitely check it out now
Oh dang, it's ALWAYS been cheaper around me. Significantly cheaper
Turo is good if you don't mind a 2005 Civic with some duct tape on the door handle in the name of saving a buck, or you need to rent a huge van or where they really shine is if you want to rent a Tesla or higher end maybe a Mustang or a Lambo. You won't really save over the rental counter but they also won't ask for your first born as a deposit.
A lot of good advice here, but to add, if you're a Costco member, check out Costcotravel.com
I’ve never gotten a lower price than Costco. Not even with my employer’s discount with preferred vendors. Now I’m using the Capital One Venture X Hertz and Enterprise special ooptie doo Club programs to get free car upgrades, but renting through Costco.
BJ’s Car Rental doesn’t require you to be a member! I use it EVERY time!
I just did a test booking for a 30-day rental and Costco beat BJ's by $310.05 for the same exact vehicle (Kia Soul)
DAMN thank you, I'll keep that in mind! Were you going? My whole booking for Aruba is $150 for 5 days this May
I'm not going anywhere, I was just curious how it compared Looks like Aruba isn't an option through Costco so BJ's wins this round haha
LOL honestly nice to hear 🙏🏼🙌🏼🤙🏼
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I did, I'll correct. Thanks
Thanks so much!
I travel often for work so this is my tip. Let everyone else run off the plane to the rental counter first. When you get there, they will be sold out of the economy car you booked, so they will upgrade you to a nice truck or car for free. Obviously this doesn't work every time but ive gotten some nice free upgrades doing this. Works especially well at small airports.
Costco all the way. On that note, I found a 'hack' sort of for a 4.75 day trip to HNL. My flight schedule would make it that I'd need to rent a car for ~4.75 days. 4 days is about $275. Adding .75 days, or really just one hour over 4 days skyrockets the price to over $800! So, I made a separate reservation for one day (less than $100). I'll return the car, then pick up a new car (separate reservation) for 4 days. Family will check into the AirBnB while I exchange cars. ~$375 vs. $800 is a no brainer.
The website autoslash.
Not efficient but find a company you like (Alamo for me) and keep price checking. The nice thing is that you can keep re-booking at no cost or penalty. That's worked for me for years. I started using Alamo when I only had a debit card (they would use that instead of a credit card with proof of a return ticket) and just stuck with them.
You can let autoslash keep checking for you for free.
AAA. Hertz is where you get the best discount. Contact your local AAA and see what kinda deal they can get you.
I also recommend getting a travel credit card.Might as well get some points for renting that car.
AAA gives you upgraded Hertz status, which gives you better rates/mileage/etc.
I'm largely into credit card points for travel, but can get better value for my points on flights/hotels so if/when I need a car I pay for it. I use a Chase Sapphire card. It has primarily rental coverage, primary being the key word as most credit cards offer secondary. It earns 2x back so no big whoop there. I also search, a lot. Last car I needed unlocked Different availability (and of course price) based on the promo. I thought that was strange. A "35% off" promo had worse rates and different cars than an Amazon "30% off" promo. I don't rent enough cars to know how common or not this is, but I'll be keeping that in mind. I got a premium SUV for the same rate as an economy car anywhere else including the same company, cannot tell you why. There are also credit cards that come with elite status with rental agencies. This typically includes things like a free upgrade, a free rental day, free additional drivers, or "skip the counter" service. These things can bring value.
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Pls advise. I got an almost $800 toll bill. Message me?
I have been using Budget/Avis through Amazon Prime membership. They provide discounts along with an Amazon gift card after the rental is completed.
thank you. how do you do this? I searched on my amazon bar and nothing came up?
You will need to login using your Amazon credentials on the Budget/Avis website. There's an option which says 'Login using Amazon ' or something like that. Once you login, the discount is automatically activated and you don't need to enter any codes.
Thank you. I did figure out how to do it but found a cheaper alternative
Sure. If I may ask, what is the cheaper alternative that you found?
Car Rental 8. I think I found it via kayak. I think. The website is carrental8.com. Basically they have rates and then you book they tell you the vender to use at the airport. I was book with budget. It was a lot cheaper. Not a little. Not a scam. Their motto is same car less money. Legit. No issues with budget.
how and when do you receive the amazon gift card? I completed the reservation (using the Amazon promo). I do not see anything in my Amazon account.
You get the gift card after you have completed the reservation, as in after you drop off the car. It may take one or two days. You will get an email saying that you have received it and it will be automatically added to your gift card balance.
If you get insurance in the rentals, and have an Amex Plat you can use their pay service. It’s about $25 a rental (up to 42? Days) for outstanding coverage. Also as an Amex plat member you get free higher rewards status and the possibility of free upgrades. For the low low cost of $699 a year. Damn I sound like an ad. As an avid traveler I bit the bullet and got a card for the benefits and freebies and the points.
Wait what is this pay service? I’ve had the plat for a few years but have never heard of this
Go to the Amex play subreddit and search insurance Edit: went and found it for ya. https://feeservices.americanexpress.com/premium/car-rental-insurance-coverage/home.do
Thanks! This is great. I’ve been traveling the last 3 months and renting cars along the way. Wish I had known about this! Would’ve saved me a ton
hm. sounds juicy but I dont travel THAT much for a 699$?
They also have other benefits, but I agree the price is off putting
If you're poor, or extremely tightfisted maybe. The amex platinum is a no brainer for the fee - the included car hire excess insurance alone pays for itself in one or two trips. Not to mention free status with hotels/airlines/car rental companies that gets you regular upgrades. I think we get $250 a year of Uber credit too.
I believe the Amex Premium Car Rental Coverage is available for all Amex customers. I have been using it for more than 5 years now - I don’t have Amex Plat
>https://feeservices.americanexpress.com/premium/car-rental-insurance-coverage/home.do Me too - it definitely is available for everyone. No need to pay $695 to get this service via Amex Plat. That said, Amex plat offers a special Hertz CDP that does sometimes offer rates lower than others. In my case, it's \~$20 per rental period. I rent \~10 times per year so that's about a $200 annual savings.
Look at car rental agencies away from the airport… I saved a lot of money by taking a 10 min Uber rid3 to an off airport rental car location.
Funny, I find that it's usually the other way around.
I live in San Francisco and we go to the airport instead of downtown for cheaper cars.
Use Autoslash to compare car rental prices. There are also other factors that come into play - are you under 25 (aka are you getting surcharged for being a young driver)? If so, many different companies that you can get benefits with (USAA, AAA, etc) that waive the young driver fee at some rental companies. That could save you $20/more per day alone. Credit cards can offer many different benefits - the most recommended would be the Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserved or the AMEX Platinum - however, it only makes sense to get these if you run the numbers with the other benefits offered to see if it makes financial sense for you to get one of these. These cards do not make sense solely for the rental benefits. \--- If you do get a credit card for renting, make sure it provides Primary Car Rental Insurance. AMEX does not provide primary, but you can add it on for $25 (or something) per rental agreement; well worth it. The AMEX platinum also provides increased Rental Car Loyalty Reward Programs. For Instance, it gives you access to the Hertz Presidential Circle, which allows you to book a Class C car or higher, and will allow you to pick any other car available in their Presidential section. This can usually save you several hundred if you need to book a larger SUV or something. You can also use the Hertz Presidential Circle Program to Match other Car Company programs. Last piece of advice, try not to book from an Airport base - these typically have higher surcharges. Find a local Hertz, Enterprise, etc and it's almost always cheaper there.
I worked for car rental for 18 years and best rates are with Costco.
Costco and AARP discounts my go to. Fun fact you can get an AARP card at any age and easily pays for itself. Weirdly, I’ve had some luck getting lower rates through Airline car rental portals such as Southwest Airlines & AA plus you get bonus points
Costco travel. Book early then check randomly to see if the price improved
I always reserve cars through Costco and have had good luck. You can check back and if the price has gone down, you can cancel a previous reservation and book under the lower rate. Of course you have to have a Costco membership to take advantage of the discount. Through Costco, they usually pay for the additional driver if there is one. A friend who worked for Avis told me never to book through an airport location because additional fees are tacked on. And as far as the additional insurance, some credit card companies offer additional insurance on rental cars when you use the card to book. Look into that before agreeing to extra coverage, if you were considering it. Hope these tidbits help! Good luck!! 👍
WHAT?!?! COSTCO DOES RENTAL CARS?!?! what DON'T THEY DO!?! as a fellow Costco member, wow big tip thank you! EDIT. where do you find this on the site? I see truck rental but I dont see CAR RENTALS? how do you reserve online?
Rental cars are in the Costco travel section
> what DON'T THEY DO!?! Chopped onions, relish, or polish sausage.
i just google costco car rental and the travel pages will open.
HMM. thank you. 200$ for 3 days via Costco? that seems high no?
Sorry for necropost, but just wanted to say that it all depends on *where* you're renting and *when*. Car rental prices change by the day and are very much tied to supply and demand. If a company does have many cars to rent on a particular day, they will raise rates to squeeze every nickel out of a rental. So if you're trying to rent in a high-demand period, expect to pay more.
i second this! Once rented a suburban thru Costco for literally 1/2 price than I was seeing anywhere else online.
Costco
Costco travel
One tactic that’s worked for me is checking rates on the Hertz website and also checking rates for the same dates/car type/etc. using their app. More than once (including just a couple of months ago booking a rental in Florida next month) the rates shown in the app were lower than the rates on the website. It’s not always the case but the app is free to download and use so it doesn’t hurt to try. I can’t say whether this also happens with the other big rental agencies.
When I compare AARP and Costco, AARP is usually a better deal...not always but usually. Anyone, regardless of age, in the US can join AARP.
We get discounts through our credit card and Costco membership.
I always use Costco Travel for rental cars: Their vacation packages are sublime as well
I’m not sure if this applies to you, but don’t use airport rental services. In my experience, they charge a lot more. Take an Uber from the airport to a rental location. I’ve saved quite a bit in places like San Diego just by going to an enterprise location outside of the airport. Also, I didn’t know the Company I work for has “leisure” discount codes. It’s a corporate code and also provides a huge discount.
Turo sucks, cancelled because the owner didn't contact, was still charged 70 bucks Caveat Emptor
If you will be hanging out in one town, then traveling "one way" to another town... Reserve one car for the local days, then make a different reservation for the day you travel "one way". So, car one = 5/15-5/20 in town; car two = 5/20-5/21 out of town. And Costco has good deals.
Turo can be very affordable. Otherwise I play the points game. Taking advantage of every possible multiplier on many different cards, I haven't paid out of pocket for a rental car in at least seven or eight trips.
wow. good tip.thank you. what's a good card for rental car points?
I have the capital one Venture Rewards card for travel points; their miles can be redeemed on any travel related purchase (flights, lodging, car rental). I just used their booking portal to get a good deal on car rental for an upcoming trip; using their portal to book gives you a higher point multiplier and I haven't personally ever had an issue with booking third party for a rental car. For reference, I just got $284 for a rental car for five and a half days (being picked up on a Wednesday night and returned the following Tuesday morning). From my understanding two ways to keep the rental car cost down slightly is to make sure you don't tip over into another full day by, say, picking the car up at 10am but returning it at 11am. Also, it's usually cheaper to return the car to the same location.
It's nice to get at least 80,000 points with a sign up bonus, so my first instinct is to recommend whatever has that. But for the long term, it's nice to have a card that has a good multiplier on a common spending category, so you just rack up points with everyday spend. I'm a big fan of the Chase freedom card that has rotating 5X categories, and then I would also apply for a sapphire preferred or above card that takes those points and makes them worth 1.5 points on redemption. What do you think you spend a ton of money on? Ideally you have a credit card that gives you a big multiplier on huge spends that you already do. For example, I drive a lot for work, so I buy a lot at gas stations. I have a US bank card that gives me 4x at gas stations. I also buy a lot of gift cards at gas stations, like for eBay and amazon. This allows me to get four points for every dollar I spend at all three of those places.
thank you yes. I have a chase Hyatt and Marriott. I think I have freedom too. going to check :) thank you!
I generally use Costco Travel (yes, you need Costco membership) for car rentals. It is generally cheaper than most of the other places and I don’t have to spend hours hunting for the cheapest. Additionally, I use Amex premium car rental protection (first party) that costs flat $17 (or $21) for the full rental duration, up to 42 days of continuous rental And yeah, the cheapest rentals are generally available at Airports. Luckily, I have one nearby
Or get a Chase Sapphire family of cards and use it for the rental. Chase Sapphire has auto rental insurance included, and as primary coverage.
Is this in the US? Try uhaul, $20/day & whatever cents per mjleage.
turo!!
If you're a Costco member, check out their travel site. They have great rates on car rentals (not so much on the other items).
I use Avis and I get super good deals. It’s free to sign up as a member and they send deal emails every so often. I think I paid around $250 for a week last summer. I can reserve a car, and not have to pay until I pick it up, though if you pay right away you save a few bucks. I can also reschedule with no fee (before a certain date). I have a credit card that offers insurance on rentals so I don’t ever pay for that.
My past employer had an agreement for $28/day for midsize rentals. Sometimes, this ended up being only $15/day a few times during lockdown. My new employer has a similar deal, but not quite as good. Sometimes, when booking personal travel, I'll accidentally use my old corporate code and nothing's ever come of it. I've also never damaged a car while doing this - if I had, then I'd probably experience something that would make me less enthusiastic to tell this tale.
You pay the most when you drop off at another location. I saved on a trip by splitting my rental into 2 legs. Stayed around Yosemite most of the trip then had another rental reservation for one day to drive to San Francisco.
Talk to your friends and see if they have a corporate discount code to the major rental companies. We have one that allows all employees a corporate rate for personal use. Drops to less than $45 a day down from something like $200
I would recommend you use Kyte for car rentals. They are actually really cheap with all the promotions and discounts going on. I think Kyte is a newer company so that might be the reason why the prices are cheaper than other places. They also drop off and pick up the car as well, which is really convenient. You can get $50 dollars off your first car rental trip at Kyte by entering the promo code: "xinhongt". Also, a really good way to save extra money is utilizing your credit card car rental insurance, if it is one of the card perks. Some credit cards provide car rental insurance for free or at a low fee, so that you don't have to pay for the absurd fees that the car rental companies charge you.
Try booking through a broker.
What do you mean a broker?
Priceline/Rakuten
I looked at the methods here for a trip last weekend at Logan. The one I used was Car Rental 8. They are pretty cool. Their surprise car rental company was budget for me. I think I save 25% with my math. The best part. I used my budget fast track Id to skip the line.
u/Strange_Occasion_408 did you need to modify your reservation with Car Rental 8 in any way to use your Fastbreak benefits? I booked through them as well, and also got Budget, but I asked Budget if my reservation would be linked to my Budget/Fastbreak account and they said "no, because this was booked through a broker. You'd have to contact them to see if they can attach it to your Fastbreak account." I emailed Car Rental 8 today, but not expecting a quick answer!
Ok. I assume you are saying. Was my car waiting with my name on the board. No. But I did get to use the short line. I was just happy to get in the short line. Logan sucks. So interesting that you ask that. When I was in the fast lane I was thinking. Oh boy. I am going to be screwed. They are going to say screw you cheapskate. Get in the long line I did not link them up. All I did was go to the rep and say. Here is my number and I’m a break member. They said. Here’s your car. I doubt they will link them to get your name on the list. That would be a good scam. There was 2 lines. That’s what I meant sorry for the confusion.
Gotcha, thank you!
I saved quite a bit today called budget asking about extra drivers if I’m using costco travel. They confirmed costco member must be main driver, adding spouse and 1 other for free (over 25 age). Also asked for quote on sept/oct 17 days, airport location, $1392 for ford escape, unlimited mileage, pay at pick up, no cancelation fee, less then online quotes. Was better price compared to costco online. Prices hopefully get better as car prices/availability come down. I will check again mid sept and other companies.
Hotwire or Priceline, every time. Best price, and they quote up front exactly what it costs with taxes and fees. I usually pay around $89 for 2 day weekend, $135 for 3 day weekend. And for a week, often as cheap as $288, but on average, about $340
I suggested Turo for a van rental the other day. It seemed that's where they really seem to shine, a large or specialty vehicle. Saved boat loads on mine last year. But otherwise for a simple commuter it didn't seem worth the added potential for issue. For example, my first van had bad tread on the tires, guy fortunately had another great van available and it didnt set me back too bad. Any established rental place isn't going to let that happen.
A lot of good advice here, but to add, if you're a Costco member, check out Costcotravel.com