How to Get the Best Deal on a Rental Car

Steps

Join one or more of the rental car loyalty programs like National's Emerald Club or Alamo’s Quicksilver Club which can earn free days or, as an alternative, earn points or miles in your favorite rewards program. The car rental's programs sometimes give preferred deals that are not available in other channels.

Know your providers. Not all rental car companies are created equal and it is important to understand how each are unique and how they can serve you best. For example, National and Budget allow you to rent one way while most others insist on returning the car where you picked it up. Meanwhile, Enterprise is known for offering an extra level of service which picks you up before and drops you off after your rental which none of the other companies do. They have many locations in urban and suburban areas which is extremely convenient for people who do not have a car. They are also not affiliated with any one manufacturer like the others, so you get lots of choices. They seem to be moving into the Airports and can be found at most of the major one in the US and Canada now.

Search consolidators and the online travel agencies including Orbitz, Expedia, Kayak and others. The major online agencies negotiate with the car rental companies to offer competitive rates and are always competing for your business. Orbitz is particularly good because they allow you to add discount codes to your search and get even lower rates. The meta-search engines like Kayak and Mobissimo may help you to figure out which agent or company has the best deal but this is just one step in the process.

Look for a discount code at your favorite rewards program, credit card site, association, etc because most of them either have discounts or miles or points that you can earn. These companies and associations work hard for you to keep you loyal and they always have a steady stream of new offers, discounts and rewards to save you money. Often times they make a small percentage on the deals you take through them so they are always incentivized to negotiate good deals for you. If do not want to go to all of these sites individually, DealMine.com has many of them searchable all in one site so you can compare the best deal for you based on where you belong.

Contact barter marketing companies who occasionally sell bulk rental car packages to consumers in exchange for cash upfront. This is not always available but the super-aggressive deal hunter may find some great deals if you put in the time.

Tips

American Express cardholders should never buy collison damage waiver from rental car companies. If you pay with the Amex card, you are covered. You should only take liability coverage. Other credit cards may have similar coverage and you should check your agreements or call customer service to confirm before counting on it. If you have car insurance for your regular car, you may be covered and not need any of the insurance provided by the rental car companies.

New York City residents are often excluded from many discounts and deals when renting in Manhattan. To find the best deals in the area, consider taking trains to the surrounding areas in NJ, CT or NY including airports where rates may be the best.

Besides New York City, Airports have the highest rates. If you plan on staying in an area for a long time, consider taking a shuttle to town and then rent from an agency in town. The rates will be considerably less. Keep in mind that returning to this location means you have to take a cab or shuttle back to the airport. The price and hassle may not be worth the effort on a short rental.

Steps

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