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When you book a nonrefundable flight and then see a cheaper fare later, you\u2019re pretty much out of luck\u2014but that\u2019s not the case when renting a car. Most car rental companies give you the option to reserve a car without prepaying, which gives you the opportunity to cancel or change the reservation later if you see a better deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019d rather not spend time continuing to shop around after you\u2019ve made your reservation, AutoSlash<\/a> will do it for you. You can make your initial booking through the site, or put in your existing reservation code from the car rental company, and AutoSlash will notify you when a cheaper rate becomes available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before pulling the trigger on your booking, check the car rental company\u2019s website for discount codes to use toward your rental, and also do a Google search for \u201c[car rental company name] coupon code.\u201d Sites like RetailMeNot<\/a> and SlickDeals<\/a> often list codes that can save you up to 25 or 30 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n The 16 Best Car Rental Booking Sites for 2023<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n When renting in a foreign country, try both your home country\u2019s version of the car rental company\u2019s site as well as the local version. For example, I tested prices for a three-day car rental in Glasgow, Scotland, on both Alamo.com<\/a> (the company\u2019s U.S. site) and Alamo.co.uk<\/a> (the U.K. site). The U.S. site quoted me a rate of $207.71 for a small car with a manual transmission, while Alamo.co.uk offered a rate of 158.81 GBP for the same vehicle, just $199.51 at the current exchange rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A couple of caveats: First, if the price difference is very small, it might be canceled out entirely if your credit card charges you a fee to pay in a foreign currency. Second, this car rental hack can be tricky if you\u2019re trying to book on a site in a language you don\u2019t speak. Google Translate and other machine translators aren\u2019t always reliable, and you want to make sure you understand the terms and conditions before you book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you a member of a group like AAA, AARP, Costco, BJ\u2019s<\/a>, or USAA? If so, you\u2019re probably eligible for car rental discounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The AARP lists partnerships with Avis, Budget, Payless, and Zipcar in its member benefits<\/a>, while Hertz offers exclusive deals for AAA members. Hertz will also waive the youth driver fee<\/a> for AAA members between the ages of 20 and 24. Additionally, Costco, BJ\u2019s, and USAA have search engines where you can look for car rental deals from their partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that group memberships are just one possible discount and that other, more generous offers are sometimes available. You probably won\u2019t be able to combine both, so don\u2019t simply default to your preferred group rate without shopping around.<\/p>\n\n\n 5 Red Flags to Watch Out for on That Too Good to Be True Car Rental<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n You can often save big by bundling your car rental into a package with your flight and\/or hotel. For example, I priced out a weeklong trip from New York City to San Diego on Expedia<\/a> and found that the flight would be $495.30 per person and a car rental would be $267, or $133.50 per person. The total cost of booking flights and car separately: $628.80 per person. But when I tried a flight + car package, the cost was just $461.70 per person\u2014less than the cost of the flight alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One-way car rentals<\/a> are notoriously expensive, as the rental company often charges a fee to cover the cost of getting the vehicle back where it belongs. But what if you\u2019re actually doing the company a favor by driving it where it needs to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s the premise of Transfercar<\/a>, which lists vehicles that need to be moved from one destination to another; if you\u2019re willing to do the driving, you can snag a car or camper for ultra-cheap\u2014or even free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Transfercar might have an automatic-transmission compact campervan that needs to be driven from Perth to Broome within the next few weeks. You\u2019d be able to drive it for up to eight days for free (including insurance) to help them get the campervan back to where it needs to be. <\/p>\n\n\n How to Drive a Luxury Car for Free On Your Next Vacation<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Become a member of your favorite car rental company\u2019s loyalty program, and you\u2019ll immediately enjoy benefits such as skipping the line at rental counters and access to members-only deals\u2014even if you\u2019re not a frequent renter. Most of these programs have partnerships with airlines and hotels, so you can apply points from your rentals toward future flights or stays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you really need the pricey insurance the rental car agent is trying to peddle? Maybe not. Many credit cards offer certain types of rental car insurance as long as you pay for your rental with that card. It\u2019s worth calling your credit card company or digging into your card\u2019s terms and conditions to see what coverage you already have. You might also be covered by your own car insurance policy at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more, see 9 Nasty Truths About Car Rental Insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During your initial walk around the rental vehicle, take out your phone and snap a few pictures or even a video of any dings or scratches. Note that this doesn\u2019t take the place of reporting these issues to a rental company staffer as soon as you see them\u2014but it gives you documentation just in case your rental company tries to charge you after the fact for damages you didn\u2019t cause. For an easy time stamp that proves dings and scratches were there at the time of rental, text the pictures to someone.<\/p>\n\n\n The 10 Best Road Trips in the US<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Most car rental companies expect you to return the vehicle with a full tank, and they\u2019ll often give you the option of prepaying for fuel. This is nearly always a terrible deal. Instead, use an app such as GasBuddy<\/a> to find the cheapest nearby station and fill the tank yourself. Keep in mind that gas stations right near the airport tend to be quite expensive; you\u2019re often better off filling up about 10 miles away.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLook for Coupon Codes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Related:<\/h3>\n
Check Rates on Multiple Versions of the Car Rental Company\u2019s Site<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Take Advantage of Group Memberships<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Related:<\/h3>\n
Book Your Car as Part of a Package<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Get a One-Way Rental for Free<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Related:<\/h3>\n
Join a Loyalty Program<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Check Your Credit Card Benefits Before Buying Insurance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Take Photos or Videos of Your Car During Inspection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Related:<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t Overpay for Gas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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