Tag: National

Late Returning Your Rental Car? It Could Cost You An Extra Day’s Rental Charge

When you rent a car, I bet you don’t give much thought into the times you say you’ll pick up and drop off the vehicle. Most people enter in the time their flight is due to arrive and then maybe give themselves an hour, or two, before your flight is due to leave. But what if your flight home is delayed and you know you’re going to be stuck at the airport? You might decide to just show up a bit later. What if you change your arriving flight at the last minute to get on an earlier plane? Those decisions could cost you an entire day worth of rental car charges, if you’re not careful.

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Should You Earn Rental Credits Or Frequent Flyer Miles For National Car Rentals?

I’m a big fan of National Car Rental’s Emerald Aisle program. I’ve been a member for 20 years now (Ugh, Really? 20 years?) (Note from Sharon – when did I marry such an old man? LOLOL!). For all that time and for all those rentals, I’ve never earned a single rental credit with National. I’ve earned frequent flyer miles for my rentals instead. For my travels, I just don’t rent cars often enough so it would take me forever to earn a free rental day.

National gives you 1 rental credit for each rental and if you rent a car for more than a week, you can earn extra credits. Here’s a breakdown of the earning for longer rentals since this information isn’t easily found on National’s website. It took some digging and I’m not surprised they want to keep it a secret: Continue reading “Should You Earn Rental Credits Or Frequent Flyer Miles For National Car Rentals?”

How To Use Debit Cards For Car Rentals

One question we’ve been asked on our Facebook page is how to rent a car using a debit card. While I’m a believer that the best way to get the most from your spending is to use a miles or points earning credit card, there are people who choose to not have or cannot get one of those cards. This post is for them.

Rental car companies like the security of having your credit card in case they need to charge you for not returning the car, damage to the car or anything else they’d like to charge you for once you return the car. If you use a debit card, they’ll often put a large hold on your account that will prevent access to your funds until the hold is removed.

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Learn What You May Have To Pay For Toll Roads BEFORE Renting A Car (Updated August, 2019)

When you rent a car anywhere in the U.S.A., you will always encounter some charges tacked on to the cost of the actual rental. Taxes. Fees. Surcharges. Upcharges. You know what I mean. If you’re going to be on any toll roads during your rental period, you should know ahead of time what the charges will be for tolls, especially if you’re going to be on a toll road that doesn’t take cash (a situation that is happening more and more often). Not following each rental car company’s respective rules for same could potentially gain you extra penalties that could run from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. Here’s the rundown on what to expect:

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How To Avoid Crazy Toll Charges When Renting A Car In Orlando (Updated August, 2019)

UPDATE July 15, 2019: The The Central Florida Expressway Authority is piloting a new automated toll payment solution for select visitors to Florida who are renting a car from the Orlando International Airport. This program allows car renters to refuse the rental car companies’ toll transponder, thereby saving them the cost of transponder and/or penalties – YOU ONLY PAY FOR THE TOLLS INCURRED. Click here for more info!

When you rent a car, there are almost always costs not included in the advertised price. Sales tax. Vehicle license recovery fee. Customer facility charge. Concession recovery fee. Parking surcharge. Insurance charge. An added fee if you’re under 25 years old. An added fee for additional drivers. Upcharges for satellite radio and car seats. Stuff like that. In Orlando, as is the case in other cities, the cost of a toll transponder is often quietly added on, as well. And folks, it ain’t cheap!
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