8 Great Savvy Car Rental Strategies

After mastering my 8 great car rental tips, here are 8 great savvy car rental strategies to save money, time, and stress on your next (and every) car rental.

8 Great Savvy Car Rental Strategies

1. Car Rental Loyalty Programs

Rental car loyalty programs—like Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold, and National Emerald Club—are free to join, so register for any programs you might use in the future. My favorite car rental loyalty program benefit is that I can skip the counter and head right to my reserved car.

By the time my flight arrives, I usually have received an email or text message with my car information. Some programs allow members to choose a car from the available pool. I like a low mileage car, comfortable drive, visibility, satellite radio, sun/moon roof (rare).

My kids might want a favorite color. In addition to saving time and freedom of choice, loyalty members earn points and receive special promotions.

2. Just Say No

If your reserved vehicle class is unavailable, do not automatically pay for an upgrade. Gently request that they honor your reservation or provide a higher priced car at the reserved rate. Many people reserve the lowest priced car with the hope of being comped into a better car.

driving on a dirt road through a bright green forest in Virginia
8 Great Savvy Car Rental Strategies

3. Negotiate Upsells

In conjunction with the previous point, determine if the upgrade is because they are out of your type of vehicle or are “running specials.” If it is a special and I am offered an upgrade for $10 a day, I will offer $20 for the week.

4. Optimal Car Rental Strategy

Do you really need a rental car from the airport? For instance, if your flight arrives at night, take a free hotel shuttle and pick up your car the next day. The car rental location might even be at your hotel or can pick you up (or deliver the car to you).

Rental rates are likely lower away from the airport plus you might save the cost of an entire rental day. A great bonus is that you can usually return the car to the airport for the same rate (or less) than the pickup location. I recently saved over $300 by renting a car at my Kona hotel during the weekend period (Thursday noon through Monday noon).

5. Skip the Rental Car?

For a city trip, you may not even need a rental car. Research whether mass transit, taxi, Uber/Lyft, bike rental, and other transportation methods will suffice. Parking charges at downtown hotels may cost more than your car rental rate so it may be doubly in your favor to forgo a rental car.

6. Use Autoslash for Lower Car Rental Rates

I use Autoslash to track my car reservations. Autoslash informs me when they find a better deal (they usually do find a lower rate). People can also use Autoslash to research and make reservations, although I prefer to use the firms’ websites.

7. Car Rental Specials

Check car rental company websites for current specials. In conjunction with your personal discount code, you may also find a last-minute rate, free rental day, or other promotion. My favorite annual travel deal is driving a car one-way out of Florida after Spring Break with rates as low as $1 per day.

8. Miscellaneous Car Rental Savvy Strategies

Major car rental companies might have an associated discount brand at your rental location, like Firefly for Hertz. Smaller brands, like Thrifty and Fox, might offer better service and lower rates.

An independent or smaller local agency may fit your needs; like A1 or Lucky Owl in Honolulu. Many people prefer to check rates on Hotwire and Priceline, especially for last minute rentals.

Peer-to-peer rentals are becoming more popular; Getaround and Turo are like the Airbnb of car rentals. When renting a car in Europe for more than 20 days, research leasing options (more flexible terms and much lower rates).

colorful sign saying "Road Trip"

Which of these savvy car rental strategies have you used?

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