Use a Car Rental Coupon

{{format]]Car Find the Best Deal on a DVD Rental Service can offer great savings on your rental. You can usually use coupons in association with a discount for even greater savings!

Steps

  1. There are many places to get car rental coupons. You can find them online, in magazines, the yellow pages, newspaper ads and from visitor guides. The coupon you use will depend on where you rent (some coupons will only work in the U.S. or Canada and only at corporate locations) the size of the vehicle you rent and the length of your rental. The following are the most common types of car rental coupons.

Money Off

  1. Know what type of 'Money Off' coupon it is. Money off coupons can range from 5 to 50 dollars off your total rental price. (money always comes off at the end of the rental after the taxes and fees are calculated)
  2. What is the required rental time. The amount of money off usually depends on the number of rental days and sometimes the size of the vehicle that you are renting.
    • If a coupons says $$ off a long-term rental, that's usually for 30 days or more.
  3. Check to see if there are certain days it applies. Most money off coupons will work on weekly or weekend rentals. See the terms and conditions on each coupon for specifics.(Make sure to get out your magnifying glass!)
    • Generally, a weekly rental consists of 5 or more days that include a Saturday night. A weekend rental consists of a minimum of three days, maximum of 5. They usually must begin some time on a Thursday and end before close of business on Monday.
  4. What size is the car? Most coupons only work on compact, mid or full size cars. There are a few out there that will work on an SUV or minivan. The back of each coupon will list the sizes available for that particular coupon.

Free Day(s)

  1. Find the free day coupons. You usually find free day coupons for compact to full size cars, for weekly or weekend rentals. To calculate the value of the free day you would take your base rate (before taxes) and divide it by the number of rental days. This gives you an average daily rate. This amount would be taken off at the end of the rental (taxes and fees are calculated first!).
  2. Be sure you understand the terms of the quoted price that you get on line. When booking online, the value of a money off or free day coupon will not be calculated into your total price. The coupon's value will be taken off by the counter at the end of the rental, assuming you met the terms and conditions for that coupon.

Free Upgrades

  1. Upgrade your choice with an upgrade coupon. Upgrade coupons are either single upgrade or double upgrade. For example if a company classifies its sizes from compact/mid/standard/full/premium, and you wanted a full size; you would book the mid-size and may receive an upgrade to a full size.
    • Don't forget...may receive an upgrade. Most coupons state some variation of "The upgraded car is subject to availability at the time of rental"
  2. Know that upgrades are not guaranteed. Keep this in mind if you require a certain size. If you need a full size, book it and upgrade to a premium. If the price of the full size is more than you would like, book the full size and use a money off coupon instead.

Mileage Credit

  1. Use your frequent 'flyer' program. Many frequent flyer programs and hotel programs offer coupons for bonus mileage credit with rental car companies that they have partnership programs with. These coupons can usually be found at the programs' website or in mail-outs that members are sent.

Tips

  • Some coupons must be presented when you book the rental.
  • Check out the expiration date. The rental must start on or before the date of expiration.
  • Most coupons have a discount number as well; use it for extra savings.
  • Always read the terms and conditions on the back of the coupon to see if the coupon qualifies for your rental.
  • Many car rental companies charge you a fee if to receive mileage credit for a frequent flyer program. Check with the company you want to rent from.

Related Articles

References