Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by Nico
Photo credit: ShutterstockFor the most part, rental car operations are well-oiled machines. Their most valuable assets are the cars in their fleets. But there is only value if their keys are in the hands of a paying customer. Knowing how timing affects pricing can help you save money. In other words, it can pay to play with your rental car pickup and dropoff times.
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Car rental companies try to be as efficient as possible in getting their cars out of the lot and into a customers’ hands. Part of this involves employing a flexible pricing model that optimizes for keeping a car off of the lot and earning day rates. This flexible pricing can work to the savvy customer’s advantage. Small changes to the time of day of your pickup or dropoff or the length of your rental can drastically change the price of your reservation.
We’ve put together our best advice for using this quirk to lower the price of your rental as much as possible, with real examples.
Changing the Dropoff Time
For the first way that rental car pickup and dropoff times impact pricing, let’s use a real example from Enterprise. We’ll be comparing the price of a Compact SUV rental from Pittsburgh International Airport for a week in February. The pickup time for all of the rentals is also constant at noon on a Monday. But depending on the dropoff time chosen at the time of making a reservation, the price varies by $41.
| Dropoff Time | Total Price ($) |
| 10:30 am | $351 |
| 11:00 am | $351 |
| 11:30 am | $351 |
| 12:00 pm | $351 |
| 12:30 pm | $377 |
| 1:00 pm | $377 |
| 1:30 pm | $392 |
While the savings aren’t enormous, they’re certainly significant. If you were initially planning to drop off your car at 1:30 pm, but you could feasibly drop it off at noon, you could save $40. Not bad. This pattern holds for other rental companies and other timelines.
Playing around a bit more, what if we changed the pick-up time? If we tell Enterprise that we’ll be picking up the car at 11:00 am and dropping it at 12:00 pm, the price increases by $25, for a final price of $376.
Key Takeaway
There are a million different combinations of pick-up and drop-off times we could choose, with any number of possible price changes. The key takeaway is that when booking a rental, take a minute to play around with the pick-up and drop-off times if your schedule allows it. You could find yourself saving a decent chunk of change.
Changing the Dropoff Day
Let’s do a similar exercise, but this time we’ll play with the length of our rental. Again, we’ll be tracking the price of a Compact SUV rental from Pittsburgh International Airport starting on a Monday in February. This time we’ll be incrementally changing the length of the rental, keeping pickup and dropoff times constant at 12:00pm. The price we’re tracking is the total price quoted by the Enterprise reservation tool.
Beating Weekend Price Hikes
In the table below, we’re tracking the pricing of our rental from before from Monday to Monday. Let’s say you wanted to drop-off the car on Saturday.
| Pick-up Date | Drop-off Date | Total Price ($) | Change |
| Monday | Tuesday | $88 | — |
| Monday | Wednesday | $175 | $87 |
| Monday | Thursday | $263 | $88 |
| Monday | Friday | $351 | $88 |
| Monday | Saturday | $588 | $237 |
| Monday | Sunday | $598 | $10 |
| Monday | Monday | $609 | $11 |
The change in price is relatively constant until we get to the weekend. There’s a massive increase in price when we choose to drop off the car on a Saturday instead of Friday. Then, notice the very tiny increases in pricing as we get to Monday. Weekend rates at rental companies, not just Enterprise, are usually much higher than weekday rates. This is because there is a much higher demand for rentals on weekends.
So, in our example, we could save a whopping $237 by dropping off the car a day earlier or keeping the car for an extra few days.
The 26/27 Day Threshold
There’s another way that rental car pickup and dropoff times affect pricing. Rental companies are incentivized to keep a rental car in the hands of their customer for as long as possible. This puts a quirk into pricing that we’ve observed over the years (even a decade ago). It’s something we call the “26/27 day rule.”
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Let’s go back to our Enterprise economy rental, which we’re picking up from Pittsburgh International Airport at 12 noon on that same Monday in February.
| Total Price ($) | Duration |
| $1517 | 21 days |
| $1588 | 22 days |
| $1661 | 23 days |
| $1733 | 24 days |
| $1805 | 25 days |
| $1878 | 26 days |
| $1950 | 27 days |
| $1627 | 28 days |
| $1638 | 29 days |
| $1648 | 30 days |
Note that the price rises steadily until it fell off of a cliff between day 27 and day 28. If you were originally planning to drop off the car the 27th day, but decided to keep it an extra day, you would save a whopping $333.
Key Takeaway
When booking your next rental, play around with your drop-off date. Especially if you’re pushing up against a weekend or the 26/27 day threshold, you might find yourself some big savings.
Related:
- How to Score a Cheap Weekly Car Rental
- 3 Ways to Maximize a Cheap Monthly Car Rental
The post Why it Pays to Play with Your Rental Car Pickup and Dropoff Times appeared first on AutoSlash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do rental cars in Europe have automatic transmissions?
Yes. Because they can be very costly to fix if you cause damage while driving the vehicle, rental agencies don't rent them without an automatic transmission. It would be far too costly to replace all these parts every time you drive away with dents in the bodywork.
You can rent a car with an automatic transmission in Europe if you wish to.
Does my car insurance cover rental cars in foreign countries?
Insurance companies are now covering rental vehicles in foreign countries as part their overall policy coverage. For example, if you rent a car from Hertz in Europe, you may have protection for any damage or loss done while driving the rental vehicle. Mexico offers the same protections if you rent your car. Certain policies provide additional protections such as waivers for collision damages and liability. Ask your agent about these types.
Is it possible for me to rent a car and have it returned to Switzerland?
This question is dependent on several factors such as the type of vehicle that you rent, how long you plan on driving it, and whether there are any special requirements, like child seats or other safety features, for your rental car.
For example, if you are planning to drive from Munich to Zurich, then there is no need to book a car because you can use public transport instead. A rental car may be an option for those who want to drive between Munich and Barcelona on holiday.
Which rental car company has the most locations?
Hertz would have been the answer, but they aren't listed as a provider of location-based services.
What is the average daily price of a European rental car?
We are not sure, but it seems to be somewhere between $100-200 daily.
We recommend renting at least for two days to take advantage of the many attractions and activities in the area.
If you intend to stay longer, you might be interested in a vehicle that costs around $2000-$3000.
This way you could travel around Europe for free.
Also, check to see if your credit union offers rental discounts.
Is it necessary to have separate car insurance in order to drive in Europe
If you are driving abroad and your insurer doesn't cover them, you might consider purchasing additional insurance for drivers.
This is due to the fact that there could be different rules about who is responsible if an accident takes place between two cars from different nations.
If you are considering taking out additional cover, be sure to carefully read the small print.
Also, make sure to check if your existing policy covers overseas trip. This is commonly called an 'extended warrantee' and may be more affordable if you buy it separately.
What is the top car rental company in the USA
Hertz has unrivaled customer service. They are always there to help you find a vehicle that suits your needs. They offer great prices on vehicles and have a large fleet of cars across all major metropolitan areas. You can rent for as low $10 per day.
Hertz also offers free airport pick-up and drop-off services, 24-hour roadside assistance, and even a full line of accessories and equipment to ensure you stay safe while driving around town.
Visit the Hertz website today if your goal is to have a memorable experience renting a car.
Statistics
- For canceled trips two days or shorter, a guest is charged 50% of one day's trip cost. (insider.com)
- If you're a member of AAA, you might also be able to snag discounts of 10 percent at Thrifty, and 8 percent at Dollar. (afar.com)
- The perks vary from partner to partner, but you can expect discounts of up to 35 percent on some rentals and the ability to earn anywhere from 50 bonus American AAdvantage miles per day or 500 per rental. (afar.com)
- I'd say 70% of the time, we have a hassle-free encounter, but there have been certain companies that we prefer not to use anymore. (theworldpursuit.com)
- American Airlines, for example, offers AAdvantage members 35% off Budget and Avis — but you need to rent from an airport. (nerdwallet.com)
External Links
kayak.com
avis.com
alamo.com
- Alamo Rent a Car - Cheap Car Hire in the U.S., Latin America & More
- Alamo Insiders - Alamo Rental a Car offer low car rental rates
jdpower.com
- 2021 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study
- 2019 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study | J.D. Power
How To
How to report an incident in a rental automobile
When you're traveling in a rented vehicle, there's always the chance that something happens while driving. There are many things that could happen while driving a rented vehicle. You might be in an accident, have your luggage stolen, or worse, get hurt. You will need to learn how to file a claim with your insurance company in order to avoid losing any money.
Reporting a car accident is a requirement in the United States. By reporting the accident immediately, police can record the details and notify you of their findings. They will either issue you tickets or take note of the incident at-the-scene. After that, they will file a claim against the driver's license.
You should call 911 immediately after getting into an accident. A dispatcher will ask basic questions regarding the situation and whether anyone was hurt. Afterward, he/she will tell you where to go and who to talk to next. The first thing you should do in dealing with an accident is exchange information with the other side. The other person will probably give you his/her name and phone number. The next step is to make sure everyone is OK. You will try to assist anyone who is disabled or injured.
Even if someone was not hurt, it's important to record everything. You should record the time, place, weather conditions, road conditions and type of collision. Also, make sure to note names of those involved. You should seek medical attention if anyone has been injured. Also, you'll want to keep track of your damages, including damage to your vehicle and the other party's vehicle.
Afterward, you'll want to follow up with your insurer. First, you will need to fill in an online claim. Your insurance provider may offer to pay the initial deductible amount before you receive the remainder of the claim. After the claim has been paid, both you and the other driver will need to sign a release agreement. Finally, you'll receive a check from the insurer.
Once you have filed your claim, it's important that you follow all guidelines set forth by your insurer. If your policy covers renting a car or allowing you to drive it yourself, these are the rules.
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