The cost of renting a car for business has accelerated at break-neck speed in recent years. What's more, rates on weekdays – when most small business travelers need a car – can be more than double the bargain-basement weekend rates.
Plus, fees and taxes can add as much as 50 percent to the cost of a daily rental. To make matters worse, onerous new liability clauses can result in you the renter being responsible for the cost of a new car if the rental company opts to sell rather than repair a damaged vehicle. It's more important than ever to know what you're getting into.
- Decide if and when you should rent a car
- Build benefits from frequent rentals
- Avoid unexpected after-the-fact charges and claims
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Quickly search online for the best rental car rates
The internet is a great resource for comparing costs on car rentals.
I recommend: Look into
Hotwire and
SideStep for quick-and-easy search tools that will get you to the deals fast and reveal fees and taxes upfront.
BreezeNet also offers one-stop-shopping for discount deals. Individual
car rental Web sites can help in the search too.
Maximize benefits from your rental car programs
Choose one or two car rental companies that serve most of your locations and offer special programs for small businesses. Then decide what's most important: convenience and an on-airport location? (You'll pay more). Don't mind the ride to a remote lot? (Rates will probably be cheaper).
I recommend: Check out
Budget Rental Car's Budget Business Program, the
Hertz Business Account Program, the
Avis Corporate Awards Program, Enterprise's
Corporate Class Business Rental Program and Advantage Rent a Car's
Easy Corporate.
Take advantage of car rental discounts through your credit card
If you don't already have one, apply for a credit card that lets you accrue airline miles or points, then check into how you can use those points for car rentals too.
I recommend: Check out these websites for
card programs offered by airlines or broader cards like the
Chase Travel Plus Platinum Visa Card and the
Capital One No-Hassle Card for Small Business.
Consider whether you really need a car at all
Do you really need a rental car? Unless you require the vehicle to visit customers, make sales calls in out-of-the-way places, deliver products or transport service equipment or provide transportation for others, it's likely there's less expensive transportation that will get you where you need to go.
I recommend: Taxi or rental car? Use
this guide for several US cities. Look into
other ways to get from the airport to your hotel or conference center.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Try to avoid paying "daily" rates if possible; they're usually higher. If you'll keep the car for more than four days, the lower weekly rate should apply.
- Evaluate your present car insurance. Most likely, it will cover you when you rent a car in the US. International rentals are different; in general it's best to take all insurance coverage like CDW (collision damage waiver), LDW (loss damage waiver) and liability/personal accident coverage when renting outside the US.
- Look into AAA, AARP and even Sam's Club and Costco discounts if you're a member (if not, consider joining).
- Always (always!) check over a rental car before you drive it out of the lot AND when you return it. Take pictures if necessary to document previous damage to the vehicle.
- If you're using a discount coupon, make sure it's a true discount. Some are applied only against the highest rate.
- If you're underage (younger than 25) you'll usually either pay a high daily surcharge or be prohibited from renting altogether. Check this out ahead of time.
- If your driving record is sketchy, some companies might not rent to you at all. Know before you go.
The official source of Renting Cars for Business Travel is the Car Rental page at Business.com
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