People often prefer to rent a car for sightseeing while travelling to a new place. This option seems to be safer than using public transport due to the prevailing fear of the COVID pandemic. Hence, the demand for rental cars is very high now, which has caused a sharp increase in the rental charges quoted by many car rental companies. However, there are some effective ways of reducing the price of renting a car, which can provide financial relief to customers.
Search online for the best car rental deals
There are several websites where people can find quotes for renting a car. So, they can compare the prices of car rental online and finally select the cheapest one that suits their budget. People can also visit the websites of different car rental companies and check the ‘Pay now’ option there, to find the rental price mentioned on each site. However, they should be careful not to pay the quoted price, as it may be non refundable in many companies. If it is refundable, people may even look around for cheaper options even after booking a car.
Check out the discount brands
Some car rental companies are well-known for offering high discounts on their rental prices. Thus, customers can rent cars at much lower rates than normal car rental costs. These discount brands should be checked regularly when a car is needed to be taken on rent, mainly for long trips. So, these car rental brands are more popular than the most premium brands, as these discounts help in saving money on renting a car. However, these discount offers may vary from city to city.
Use memberships to get good deals & use coupons & discounts
Certain companies offer memberships that can be used in all retail chains to buy things at a discounted rate. These memberships are also valid in getting rental cars at a lower price than quoted costs. Most car rental companies acknowledge such memberships and free drivers are also available as an added advantage of these memberships. The frequent-flyer programs offered by many airlines can also help in lowering car rental costs, mainly for renting a car from the airport to reach a hotel in the city. Membership of the American Automobile Association (AAA) is also useful in getting discounts on car rental prices.
Select economy cars for rent
It is seen that small-sized economy cars are available at much cheaper costs than large luxury cars. Thus, if a person faces money constraints while booking a rental car, an economy car should be the best option. However, the booked economy car should be sufficient to accommodate all the people who are supposed to travel together in that car. Moreover, there should be enough space to carry the luggage conveniently, without cramming all together inside the car.
Do not add an extra driver for a tour
Car rental companies usually charge extra fees to provide an extra driver on a long trip. This fee may vary according to the location of renting a car. People can avoid this fee by sticking to only one driver for the entire trip. However, some companies allow the spouse or a close family member to drive as well without paying any extra fee for it. Some companies waive this extra driver’s fee for people who are enrolled in their membership programs. Some other memberships can also be used in getting off this extra driver’s charge.
Use your own insurance
All car owners have insurance for their vehicles, which can be extended to rental cars as well. Young people can ask their parents to add them as additional drivers in their car insurance policies, which can be used for rental cars too. However, these young men and women should have clean driving records without any mishap, to avoid an increase in insurance premiums. Some credit card companies offer car insurance coverage that can be used in the cases of rental cars if the price of renting the car is paid through those credit cards. In these ways, people can save by paying for the car insurance costs of their rented vehicles.
Let go of the benefits of extras offered by the companies
Many car rental companies offer GPS navigation facilities, satellite radio, and toll transponders, charging extra fees for each of these services. Customers can simply refuse these facilities and save a lot of money per day on their rental expenses. For navigation, drivers can use Google maps which is available for free. Toll charges need to be paid but can be avoided by changing route directions sometimes. However, the extra charge for special car seats for kids is unavoidable unless such car seats are available for free from local friends.
Find out current fuel prices and compare them to the prepaid ones
Car riders should be aware of the current prices of fuel used in a rental car so that they can pay exactly the present cost at fuel stations during their trips. People should fill up the fuel tanks of their rental cars before a trip. If the car rental company provides a fully filled fuel tank while handing over the car, the customer should refill it before returning the car at the end of the trip. Hence, the fuel cost should be checked every day before visiting a prepaid gas station.
Try to book as early as possible
People need to book their rental cars as soon as possible, much before the required date or time. Since these rental car reservations can be cancelled without paying any penalty, they should immediately book a car when a trip is scheduled. However, they should check the car rental price regularly before travelling, as the rental price often drops and they may rebook at that time after cancelling the earlier one.
Use a few tested tactics of lowering the rental price
It is found that the car rental cost is often lower at car dealership centres. Thus, it is best to visit these centres to rent a car for a required date. People need to be flexible about the date and time of travel, as the prices shoot up on weekends and during festive seasons.
People can save money by sharing a rental car with their peers if there is enough space for all in that car. In this way, both parties can save money by sharing the car rental cost, making it cheaper for all.
