HOW TO FIND A CHEAP CAR RENTAL
No
matter where you’re traveling, how old you are or how outlandish your rental
requirements, you can always save money on car rentals. From little-known
tricks to snazzy startups, we’ll break down the best ways to save money on
ground transportation.
Do you really need a rental car?
For many travelers, a car may seem
like a necessity just based on their daily routine. However, if you are
traveling to a big city, public transportation is usually a cheaper and more
accessible option than renting and parking a car. The independence of having a
car can seem freeing initially, but if you plan on driving that car into a
major city center expect high stress, gridlock, and parking nightmares. If you
know you’ll need a car for at least part of the trip, jot down a quick cost
benefit analysis comparing the total cost of renting a car (including parking fees) versus
catching a cab, shuttle, or train.
6 tips to save on rental cars
1. Get big savings by avoiding big names
Consider renting from a company
you’ve never heard of. FlightCar lets
outbound travelers rent their cars to inbound ones at discounted rates; RelayRides is a car-sharing company that’s less
air travel-specific.
2. Waive the 24-and-under surcharge
There’s a lot to recommend being over
25, such as the ability to legally serve in the House of Representatives and to
rent a car hassle-free. Though some companies will lend to the
pre-quarter-life-crisis crowd, they often levy a hefty surcharge. Here are a
few ways to avoid the fee, which can run up to $25 a day. Be warned, though,
that those under 21 are probably stuck with the young invincible surcharge.
- Search for discounts.
- Consider Zipcar or similar offers. Short-term
car rental services may have an affiliation program with your university
that’ll get you lower rates.
- Look for affiliation discounts. The
USAA, for example, lets members 21 and up avoid the surcharge; military
personnel are also exempt.
3. Find rewards and discounts
No matter where you book or how,
you’re sure to find discounts with a savvy combination of credit cards and
coupons. Here are some good sources to earn money back or get a deal on
rentals:
- Credit cards that give bonus rewards on travel
or car rentals. Look for one that’ll give rewards
on any rental, without tying you to a specific set of dealers.
Be careful, though – some only give rewards if you book directly with the
rental agency, instead of Kayak or a similar agency.
- Coupon aggregator websites. They’ll
tell you which companies are offering promotions like 20% off or one day
free. One such is Zalyn, which aggregates rental car
deals and lets you filter by location and date, rather than the (more
limiting) rental company.
- Rewards malls and cashback websites. NerdWallet’s discount
tool can help you
find coupons as well as tell you which sites will give you 5% or more back
on your rental.
- Affiliation discounts. AAA,
the AARP and other organizations offer cut-rate rentals for their members.
4. Go for the compact, hope for the upgrade
Rental companies stock far more
mid-sized cars than compacts. If they don’t have a compact on site they will
often give you an automatic upgrade at no additional fee. The caveat to this is
that you have to hold your ground and not fall for the upgrade fee early on in
the conversation. If you remain steadfast the company will have no choice but
grant you a complimentary upgrade.
5. Check weeklong rates, even if you’re booking for the
weekend
When booking, play around with your
rental dates. Sometimes weeklong rates end up being cheaper even if you end up
not using the car for the entire seven days. This strange occurrence is due to
the fact that during the weekends or peak days, the rate tends to be higher on
a day-to-day basis. By renting using the weeklong rate, you avoid these
inflated rates.
6. Bundle up
Another good way to save money at the
rental car counter is to book a combined flight and car or flight, hotel, and
car option. Check out your favorite online travel agency for package options.
What to watch out for
Avoid the ever-present upsell: Reduce human contact
Determine beforehand what kind of
vehicle you are looking to rent. With a clear picture in mind and reservation
in hand, you can resist the temptation of adamant upsells at the rental car
counter. It’s fine to get the red Mustang if you really want it or need to
impress your clients, but you need to think critically about the purchase. Most
rental car employees that man the counter are paid based on commission, so they
will try their very best to have you walk away with a load of upgrades and the
insurance to match. If possible, try to join a membership program that lets you
preselect your car and drive off the lot without having to go to the counter.
Surcharges and taxes add up quickly
Fees
and taxes may
misconstrue the price per day that most rental companies advertise as their
going rate. So when you see those pay-per-click advertisements that boast $10 a
day rates, be wary that the actual cost will most likely be beyond that due to
fees and charges. This is where comparison sites can come in handy: oftentimes,
they’ll include fees in the calculated price.
Look for rental locations near, not at, the airport
Airport car rentals often come with
fees or higher rates that jack up the price. Look for rental car companies with
other convenient downtown or suburban locations to avoid fees.
Don’t take the pre-fill: Fill up on your way back
Many rental car agencies have a
pre-fill option, which assumes you’ll return the car on empty and pre-charges
you for the tank of gas. Though the rates might seem low, competitive with
local gas prices, you’ll be paying for a full tank no matter how much is left
over. The only way you come out ahead is if you pull into the drop-off point
running on fumes. On the other hand, if you bring the car back less than full,
you’ll pay astronomical prices on the remainder. You’ll save quite a bit by
filling up on your way to return the car instead of leaving it to the mercenary
hands of the rental agency. When you do fill your tank of gas while traveling,
use a gas
credit card to
maximize rewards savings.
Pro tip: Avoid filling up right next
to the airport – they always jack up the gas prices.
Skip unnecessary insurance upgrades
You may have steeled resistance to a
rental car salesperson’s pitch for upgrading to a luxury sedan, but the most
ardent traveler can waver when the insurance pitch is made. The gory details of
accidents, hefty fees, and fines make many customers buy into insurance
packages even when they do not really need them. Oftentimes, your
credit card will cover basic insurance; sometimes, this coverage is
invalidated if you insure with the rental company. Figure out what your current
car insurance and credit card contracts already cover in terms of rental car
insurance before agreeing to any extra insurance.
---------Written
by : Anisha Sekar, Top Contributor of NerdWallet------------
ABOUTME
Hi all. This is deepak from Bthemez. We're providing content for Bold site and we’ve been in internet, social media and affiliate for too long time and its my profession. We are web designer & developer living India! What can I say, we are the best..
0 comments:
Post a Comment