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After you status your match way through to top-tier status at every rental agency, the next step is to actually book your car rental. While doing so, there are potentially a couple of ways to save money, depending on what you qualify for.
Credit Card Perks
Staying true to the PMB audience and focusing on credit card rewards, there are a few perks that certainly make the car rental experience more comfortable.
The American Express Platinum and Business Platinum cards offer discounted Hertz rates (often 25% or more off public pricing) and a four-hour grace period for returns. Since Hertz charges by the 24-hour period, this underrated perk can save you the cost of an extra rental day if you only need the car for a few more hours.
To use the discount and the four-hour grace period, enrol with Hertz using your Amex card and use CDP #633306 when booking online.
Get a four-hour grace period with Amex Platinum
Amex also includes car rental insurance for cars up to $85,000 MSRP, the highest for credit card CDW inclusion in Canada.
RBC also offers Hertz discount codes for cardholders, with up to 20% off, and cards like the RBC Avion Visa Infinite include CDW insurance for car rentals. Use CDP code 451401 when booking on the Hertz website, and you’ll also have the additional driver fee waived.
Costco Travel
I have never used Costco Travel myself, but a few of my friends swear by it as an easy one-stop shop for decent car rental rates worldwide. Scrolling through, rates do appear to be consistently competitive and include extra perks like a free additional driver.
Costco also has the benefit of honouring all elite status benefits, which is a major plus.
Corporate Discounts
If you or your partner (whoever will be the primary renter) has access to corporate car rental discounts based on where you check, check if there’s a leisure rate that is also eligible for personal use. These are typically the best discounts, at least within North America, and many companies offer them, especially if you work with a major bank, a consulting firm, a higher education institution, the government, etc.
Also, check with your university and see if there are any discounts for alumni. My University of Toronto alumni rate is actually my go-to discount for one-way car rentals in North America, which drops the price to ~$110 per day.
Check if your university offers alumni discounts
Autoslash
Autoslash is my favourite among the various methods because it’s a free website that searches for the best deals and monitors prices on your behalf after you make a booking. The team seems active on FlyerTalk, and Autoslash email support is very responsive, even responding to an inquiry I made at 9 PM on a Sunday night.
There’s no need to log in to create an account: simply create one and click through the steps, checking off what you qualify for. The website asks whether you have memberships such as Costco or an American Express Platinum Card to check your eligibility for available deals.
Autoslash checks with all your eligible discounts
The best feature of Autoslash is that even after you make a booking, you can submit your details, including how much you paid, and Autoslash will send you an email if it finds a better deal. Then, you can rebook your car rental, set it up again to receive alerts, and repeat until the day you pick up the car.
Third-Party Bookings
If you do go through Autoslash and book via a third party, like an online travel agency, know that certain elite benefits may not apply. For example, you won’t earn National Car Rental free days or gain access to the Emerald Aisle, so you’ll need to check in at the rental counter.
You may also not be eligible for upgrades based on elite status. To be honest, this matters little when renting internationally because rental agencies apply elite benefits inconsistently at best, and most agencies only award points at “participating locations”.
Many discount rates in North America don’t work as well internationally, which is where Autoslash comes in handy. Even within North America, I’ll always track my existing booking with Autoslash and then decide if it’s worth foregoing the perks for dollar savings.
Takeaway
There’s no single best way to save on a car rental, so it’s worth exploring a few options before booking. Credit card discounts, Costco Travel, corporate or alumni rates, and Autoslash can all yield the lowest price, depending on where you’re renting and which discounts you qualify for.
Featured Image Credit: National Car Rental
