Shopping for the best car rental deal may seem like a daunting task. Searching through rental company after rental company gets tedious and by the end of it, your head might be spinning after spending so much time comparing the countless car rental companies competing for your business. Looking for car rentals is a lot like shopping for the best hotel rates for your team. It should come as no surprise that there are a lot of factors to keep in mind. Because you’ll be traveling with your team, you are going to have to go for larger or multiple vehicles. The costs are going to jump up, but you can do your part to alleviate the situation and come out on the other side with a good deal.

 

Do the research

Don’t just decide to wing it and rent from the first agency you look at. Research prices using sites like Priceline, Kayak, or search companies on a search engine like Google. These resources will help you understand what the average rates are and give you a better idea what you’re looking for before you even visit the car rental company’s site. When you find the deal you’ve been looking for, many of the car rental companies offer a “Pay Now” option, so you can book your rental before you depart for your trip. One thing to remember if you decide to go that route, many rentals booked in advance are nonrefundable. If you purchase ahead of time and your rental is refundable, periodically checking for cheaper rates is always a good idea. You can cancel the reservation you made previously and go with the better price.

 

Ensure your insurance situation

The car insurance provided by the rental companies should never be your first option. These insurances tend to be rather pricey, especially if you purchase it at the agency on the day of pickup. There are a few ways around having to purchase this insurance.

1. Call up your credit card and find out if the conditions of the card cover rentals. Some credit card companies do offer this perk and all you have to do to utilize it is purchase the rental with that credit card.
2. Having regular car insurance is also a great way to avoid expensive rental insurance. Many policies provide coverage when driving a rental car.
3. If you happen to have purchased travel insurance for your trip, these policies can sometimes include car rentals.

Options 1 and 2 are more likely alternatives for most people. Remember to follow up with these possibilities before reluctantly having to buy the car rental’s insurance. One more thing to keep in mind, the majority of the time it is cheaper to purchase the rental insurance before you actually show up to the agency than purchasing at the desk at the time of pickup.

 

Variety of rental cars

Not all car rental companies have an extensive variety of car types. Since you’ll be traveling with a team, your rental options are probably limited to larger vehicles such as SUVs and vans. Larger companies like Enterprise, one of the nation’s leading car rental companies, offer diverse assortments of automobiles, making them ideal agencies for large groups in terms of vehicle type. You may want to focus your search on these bigger companies if you need to transport a lot of kids. Having less people on your team will open up more of a selection. Smaller car rental companies become more of an attractive possibility even though their variety of car types may not be as extensive. Some smaller companies to keep an eye on while doing research are Alamo, Thrifty, and National.

 

Inquire about discounts

Many car rental agencies run promotions or offer some kind of discount. Companies with loyalty programs might have discounts for employees. Find out if your job comes with these kinds of benefits. Group pricing is another viable way to receive a discount on your rental costs. Because you’re traveling with a team, there’s a decent chance you can qualify for a group rate.

 

Service is important

While the major driving force of shopping around for the best car rental is the price, quality service should be a determining factor in the buying process. Here are some notable services provided. Keep in mind, that not all companies offer every one of these amenities.

1. Communication is key. If any kind of problem arises, you want to be comforted in the fact that you will be able to reach the rental agency at any time. The majority of companies utilize phone, email, live chats, and even fax. Hopefully your trip is smooth sailing throughout, but on the off chance something does occur, or if you have questions before you even pick up the car, knowing that the car rental company you rented from has good customer service will alleviate some stress.
2. Not all locations are open for 24 hours. However, many still offer an after-hours return where you can drop off your rental at any time. This may not seem like a huge deal, but it is helpful for convenience sake.
3. Car drop-off is useful for those who cannot get to the car rental location easily. Instead, the company will drive the car directly to you. An additional fee is sometimes accompanied with this perk.

 

Fuel policies

The car rental industry has a couple fuel policies for customers to choose from. Each one has its pros and cons. Ultimately, you have to consider how much driving you plan to do and how you prefer to pay.

1. Full to Full starts you off with either a full or mostly full tank of gas at the start. When you return the car, all you have to do is replace the amount of fuel you used and you’ll avoid any fees.
2. A pre-purchase policy has you paying for the tank that’s left when you pick up the car, but does not penalize for a lower gas tank when you bring it back. It’s in your best interest to bring the car back as low on gas as possible. The agency will refund you for any fuel you haven’t used.
3. Sometimes available as a special offer or an additional bonus if purchasing add-ons like additional driver, a free tank of gas can be included onto the rental price. This option gives you a full tank of gas when you pick up the car and does not charge you a fee if return the car with less than a full tank.

 

Other things to consider

1. Make sure to do a thorough inspection before you drive away in your rental. Document every scratch, dent, and nick you find on the exterior and interior. You want to make sure that the car rental agency doesn’t try to falsely accuse you of causing the damage upon your return.
2. During the buying process, rental employees are going to try and push add-ons like GPS and additional driver. Unless there is a designated person who is willing to drive for the entirety of the trip, you may not be able to avoid the additional driver fee. However, the person who purchases the rental can get around it if the other driver is a spouse or domestic partner. As far as GPS is concerned, you can use your smartphone’s GPS program for free.
3. Don’t be quick to rent your car at one of the airport locations. Arriving at the airport and heading to the rental counter may be easy, but you pay for that accessibility. Hailing a cab or Uber, or hopping on the bus or train to a rental location off airport grounds will result in a decline in average rental price of every vehicle.

 

Tacking on the responsibility of searching for the best car rental can feel like a ton of extra work. Because of all the other aspects of your team’s trip that need to be planned, this might be the last thing you want to add to the list. Fortunately, by keeping these useful tips in mind when hunting for the best deal, you’ll have an easy car rental experience.

To assist you even further, we have created an infographic and compiled key information for the top five car rental companies in the country. This chart compares these companies side by side for you in an easy to understand format, perfect for the busy team coordinator such as yourself.

Brand	Vehicle Types	Help & Support	Services
Enterprise	6 car classes; 5 SUV classes; 2 pickup truck classes; 2 van classes	24 hour reservations; call/email customer service, roadside assistance; live chat	Click for services
Hertz	5 car classes; 3 SUV classes; 1 pickup class; 1 van class	Call/email customer service/reservations; live chat; roadside assistance	Click for services
Avis	6 small to full size car models; 6 SUV models; 3 truck/van models	Call reservations/customer service, roadside assistance	Click for services
Thrifty	7 car classes; 6 SUV classes; 3 van classes; 4 pickup classes; 1 hybrid class	Travel agent contacts, call/email; roadside assistance
Alamo	7 car classes; 6 SUV classes; 7 van classes; 2 pickup classes; 1 hybrid class	Call/email reservations, customer service; roadside assistance	Click for services