If you find yourself in need of the services of a rental car agency, do some research before you book. There are quite a few money saving techniques you’ll want to utilize in order to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Try these simple tips to help you save a few bucks!
Avoid Renting at the Airport
The convenience of renting your vehicle as soon as your plane lands can’t be beat. However, you pay for that luxury in terms of price markups when you rent from the airport. An article written by Kelsey Sheehy for nerdwallet.com reveals the following experiment, “We checked rates in March for a Memorial Day visit to Portland, Oregon. An economy rental from Enterprise is $15 per day if you pick it up downtown. The same car is more than $38 per day if you pick it up at the airport. Plus you’ll pay a $6 per day “Customer Facility Charge” and 10% “Concession Recovery Fee” for renting at the airport.” The article goes on to say that this wasn’t the case at every airport which is why it’s important to do your research. She also mentions that you should factor in the cost of an Uber or Lyft to get you to a rental agency outside of the airport. Pricing everything out will ensure you’re getting the best price.
Know your Insurance Policy
When renting a car, agencies will often try to get you to purchase an insurance policy with them for an additional price. Before you commit to this, read up on your own insurance policy. Chances are the one you already pay for includes coverage for any vehicle rentals. Nobody likes to waste money so make sure you are fully aware of what your policy entails.
Utilize Lesser Known Companies
Advantage, Thrifty, Dollar and Payless are just a few names of budget rental companies. They typically offer slightly cheaper prices than some of the bigger names in the business. It’s worth a look!
Take Advantage of your Memberships
Do you have a Costco membership? What about a AAA membership? These are things you already pay for that could potentially provide you with a discount when renting a vehicle. An article written by Kelsey Sheehy for nerdwallet.com states, “I find that Costco consistently beats full-price car rentals on online travel agencies,” says Clem Bason, CEO of the travel website goSEEK.com and formerly of Hotwire.com.” Additionally, when speaking about AAA, the article goes on to say, “They offer 8% and 10% savings on Dollar and Thrifty respectively,” says Bason. “Getting an extra 8 or 10% off the cheapest options out there can make the difference and cause AAA to sometimes beat Costco on price.”
A savvy shopper is a happy shopper. There is no shame in asking an excessive amount of questions. Every bit of knowledge you gain by trying to find discounts will only benefit you as you work towards saving money in the future.