How do you get a good deal on car hire?  Due to the wild fluctuation of supply and demand, car hire companies work hard to keep customers coming back.  If you keep some of these things in mind you can negotiate a good deal on your next car hire. 

1. Loyalty Programmes

Most car hire companies have free membership programmes targeted at frequent customers.  Being a member of their programme will often allow you to negotiate a better rate, even if you don’t hire that often.  Being a member of a ‘frequent traveler’ with an airline may also get you a better deal. 

2. Rent a Car During High Demand Periods

The rental company wants to hire a car.  You can often get a larger or nicer car for the same price as a smaller car if your car is not available.  Consider renting on a Friday evening or during a major holiday period to get the best chance of an upgrade:  many times, the stock of cars during these times decrease as demand goes up. 

3. Ask About Grievance Pricing for Family Emergencies

Car hire agencies realise that with an emergency, one usually must travel on short notice and will try to help out.  If you’re hiring a car to travel to a family emergency, such as a funeral or visiting a relative in hospital, many companies will give you a grievance discount.  This is not an advertised discount, however, so you’ll need to ask specifically for it.  However, by doing so, you can easily save 10-20%. 

4. Ask about Specials

If it’s not being hired, you can get a deal. If the weather is bad, you can get convertible cars at a discounted rate.  Sports car hire is cheaper when petrol prices are high. 

5. Go at peak rental times

At peak rental times, the sales clerks will want to get through the queue as quickly as possible.  This shortage of time can actually work in your favour, as they would rather approve last minute price negotiations quickly than haggle. 

6. Help the company move their cars

Popular destinations will often have an overabundance of cars from one-way rentals, while other outlets may lack a supply of vehicles.  It is not uncommon for car rental companies to run specials for people to drive their cars back to their less popular locations.  In the United States, for example, Florida and California typically have too many cars, so by choosing to fly into one of those states and driving to another, you may get a huge bargain. 

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