Should I Prepay for My Car Rental?

Because all rental suppliers desire your repeat business, the majority of them want to offer their customers a “pay now” or prepay option. This allows you to pay for your entire reservation or a big portion of it in advance. Prepaying will generally charge the amounts in one large payment, so keep an eye on how much money you have available on your credit card. However, there are certain advantages to this strategy. Prepaying often results in a 10-15% discount from your vendor as a small “thank you.”

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to prepaying, so let’s talk about if your trip is a suitable fit.

Young family in the showroom paying with a credit card for buying a new car

Budget-friendly

Saving money and stress is a significant advantage of prepaying. As previously said, prepaying can save you 10-15% on overall costs. Also, knowing how much your rental will cost ahead of time will help you plan and budget for your vacation. As previously said, prepaying entails one large, immediate transaction, so make sure you can afford it at the time of booking. The real-time matrix from AutoRentals.com was highlighted in SmarterTravel’s article, The 16 Best Car Rental Booking Sites for 2020.

Changing Trip Specifics

Prepaid reservations, depending on the seller, are locked in stone, leaving little room for alterations or adjustments. Other organizations may allow you to change your reservation, but it may be more complicated or time-consuming than using a travel agency.

Reservation Cancellation

You may receive a partial refund or, more likely, no refund at all, depending on the merchant. Regardless, most businesses demand a cancellation fee for prepaid reservations. If for whatever reason you must cancel your vacation, do so as soon as possible. If you cancel a prepaid trip more than 24 hours before your pickup time, you will be charged a $25* cancellation fee. If you cancel within 24 hours of your pickup time, the charge will be $50*.

To summarize

Rates change on a daily basis, so what appears to be a fantastic deal today may be pricy tomorrow. The most effective way to save money is to monitor pricing on a daily basis. AutoRentals.com and other reputable third-party websites guarantee the lowest attainable rates. If you wish to save money by prepaying, use a third-party travel site.

If you are considering prepaying, inquire with a few rental companies about their procedures for adjusting/canceling prepaid bookings. This can be done online or over the phone. Links to vendor-specific contact information are available if you are using a third-party site.

How to Save the Most Money When Using a Third-Party Site

We understand how stressful and difficult it can be to arrange a trip. Choosing a location is difficult enough, but then you must make plans. Everything these days is expensive, which is why third-party services like AutoRentals.com exist to assist you in comparing and finding the greatest discounts on car rentals. Third-party booking is ideal for budget-conscious travelers who don’t mind hiring a car from a different vendor each time they come. Here are some ideas to help you stretch your vacation budget by saving money on car rentals through our third-party service.

How Do They Work?

We cannot vouch for ALL third-party websites, but we can speak for AutoRentals.com. By presenting automobile rental quotes from as many car rental companies as possible, we hope to give you all viable possibilities and assist you in selecting the best, most cost-effective option. We want it to be quick, simple, and effective.

The concept behind Driveroady.com is to make renting a simple process while also providing our customers with the best pricing possible so they can hire the type of vehicle they require.

TIP: Consider the entire price, not just the price per day. Pricing is structured differently by different vendors, and third-party sites cannot adjust their pricing. Some sellers advertise low daily pricing but then charge exorbitant taxes and fees, leading the total rate to soar.

When using a direct site, drivers can only view the pricing and bundles of one provider. Third-party sites save time during the trip planning process by providing side-by-side pricing. There’s no need to switch between automobile rental websites when everything you need is in one spot. All travel lengths, days of the year, and places can be modified for price comparisons. We also offer filters to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Remember this.

When you book through Driveroady.com, you are almost always booking directly with the vendor, although at the lowest rate. In most circumstances, we will show you everyone’s pricing, compare them for you, and link you to whatever vendor you prefer. Having said that, there is no change, no expense, and you are simply saving time.

We are excited to serve you and make your travel planning a little easier!


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