Last Updated on September 12, 2023 by Mike

Five Steps and Tips To Get More From A Car Rental Agency Without Spending More Money

Most people are under the mistaken impression that all they need to do is reserve a car and pay for it. However, if you want the best deals, you need to avoid this way of thinking and follow the steps and tips listed below.

Five Steps To Getting The Best Car Rental Deal You Can Find

1 – Look through and pick out at least three (if not four) car rental agencies that can meet your needs and demands. You can use the Internet or your local phone book to locate the different agencies. Be sure you look through them all before settling on a particular one. You don’t want to miss the best car rental company because you’re tired of searching for different ones.

2 – Be sure to get in touch with the car rental agency to find out about the following information:

– Special offers

– Availability

– Location

– Rates

– Special rates

– Pickup sites

– Extra charges

– Insurance

– Hotel partnership

– Airline partnership

Be sure you do whatever you can to lower the rate you pay for the vehicle from the company you’re renting from

3 – Choose A Place To Pick Up The Vehicle

You want to make sure that the place you do business with will have a pickup spot located near where you live. You don’t want all the hassle of trying to get there. Of course, some car rental agencies will pay for your cab ride (should you have to take a cab), and will pick you up at home or the airport so that you can get the rental car.

4 – How To Choose Your Vehicle

It’s important to choose a rental vehicle based on your needs. Thus, you want a vehicle that’ll fit everyone in your family and your baggage. If you’re traveling alone, then a compact vehicle will do just fine. Remember that car rental agencies charge more for larger vehicles.

5 – Reserve Your Vehicle

Once you’ve made your decisions about what agency to go through and the costs, you’ll need to reserve the vehicle. Some vehicle rental agencies demand that you pay a reservation fee on top of the actual cost to rent the vehicle. Be sure to keep this in mind when you’re shopping around.

Five Tips To Get The Most Vehicle For Less Money

1 – Get Free Upgrades

When you’re in the process of getting a car rental, see if they have any upgrades available for no additional charge. After all, you want to get the best deal possible. Make your inquiry about this when you pick up your vehicle that morning. This is when most vehicles haven’t been returned yet, so there is often a shortage, and it’s possible to get an upgrade for no additional charge to your account.

2 – Use The Internet For Discounts

You can always reserve your car rental through the Internet, which often gives discounts. Some will even accept the method of finding a vehicle using your price. This means you tell them how much you can afford to spend, and they’ll do what they can to find a deal that’s best for you. And, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do anything else.

3 – Fill The Tank

Make sure that the rental car has its gas tank topped off before you return it, as they’ll charge you for it at inflated prices to fill it themselves.

4 – Seek Out Fly/Drive or Fly/Drive/Stay Packages

Save yourself some additional money by looking for fly/drive or fly/drive/stay packages since these can be great discounts on many areas of your trip. It also means you don’t have to worry about the little details of a hotel or airline since it’s all right there. Most travel agencies will have these packages for you to choose from.

5 – Exchange Your Discounts

If you’ve got frequent flyer discounts or have a free flight that’s going to expire, consider using a car rental agency that’ll exchange those discounts for discounts on the vehicle rental. While it’s cost-effective to fly using the frequent flyer discount, if you’re going to let it expire, why not change it over to something you can use.

These are just some of the things you can do to save yourself some cash while going on business or vacation with a rental car. Be the pesky customer who asks questions about discounts and other things. Why shouldn’t you get more value for your dollar without paying additional money for it?