Okay, I have a long history with renting cars–or rather, my lack of a credit card, post-divorce, and the inability to rent a car using traditional rental companies kind of experience.  Enterprise Rent-a-Car was the only company that would let me use my lowly debit card.  They would always take $300 cash out of my account as a deposit, but I’d do whatever it took to get the rental car when needed.

There was a time, years ago, when I thought I’d venture out because one of the big national companies had said they’d take debit cards too. (Woo hoo!)  I had enough in my bank account to cover the deposit, and had the reservation in hand. When I checked in, they said they have to run a quick credit check, and then “we’re good.”  But we weren’t.  My post-divorce credit was still recovering (to put it kindly) and I was mortified to have to walk away from the airport rental counter empty handed.  Hence my apprehension with this entire process.

Fast forward a few years, and I just returned from a quick trip to visit my daughter. It was only a two day, midweek trip, so I wasn’t worried about the overall cost of a rental car.  When an Enterprise email popped up in my inbox I thought, perfect! I clicked through the link and selected my airport, dates and vehicle class.  When the price popped up for $59 per day, I thought, something must be wrong.  But this has happened before, as a “Preferred User” my rate was actually higher!  I went to the Enterprise website directly and the rate was about $55 ($39+airport fees & taxes) which still seemed too high.  So I googled rental cars and found a national rental agency, whose name I recognized, with a compact for $38 ($25+airport fees & taxes) and booked the reservation.  There’s no cost, nor contract to make an online reservation for a car. So if some travel site says a paid confirmation is “required” let your fingers do the walking.

There was a lesser known agency, Payless where the day rate was only $12 (plus taxes & fees for $24 total) but I was nervous about a bait-and-switch if I really needed this car. (No, that’s happened to you too?! You show up to rent the car you want and they don’t have it?  Me too.)  There’s not a cost at this time, to make a car rental booking, so I booked this second reservation as well, with the brand name as back-up.

When I went to check-in at Payless Rental Cars, they share the desk with Avis Rental Cars–same agents, same desk, and the shared line of cars.  I guess they have two pricing tiers with two different names for people, like me, who are afraid to use the lowest cost provider. And people, like me, who want to use the lowest cost provider!

When I returned the car, I drove into the Avis/Payless line, checked my car in and flew back home with an extra $35 in my pocket.  Multiply that times more days on a longer holiday, and it adds up quick. That’s my tip o’the day.

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Additional tips:

1. If you’re traveling as 1 or 2, always rent the smallest sized (aka: cheapest) vehicle offered. When you go to pick it up, they’ll often say, ‘We’re out of that size, so we’ll upgrade you.’  Okay then, no problem!
2. Use your own insurance, and if you’re uncertain, check with your insurance agent or company.  I have been in an accident with a rental car, and aside from my $250 deductible, my auto insurer covered the damage to the rental car, lost days revenue for the rental car agency (*very important) as well as a rental car for me while it was being fixed.