How to Get Free or Cheap Rental Cars

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Spend enough years as a travel rewards geek, and you can almost book free flights and hotel stays in your sleep. But these days, rental cars can be one of the largest expenses you’ll have to worry about on your next vacation. That’s because during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rental car industry spent 2020 selling off cars while attempting to avoid bankruptcy. And prices are surging as rental-car services still haven’t been able to replace their cars quickly enough to meet the growing post-pandemic demand.

Thankfully, I've learned a few tricks along the way. Here's how to get discounted or free rental cars, including by redeeming credit rewards and finding special discounts.

1. Book Through a Travel or Airline Portal

One easy way to pay for your rental car with credit card rewards is to use a card that allows you to redeem your points directly for travel.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card lets you book rental cars through the Chase Travel portal. The rates are fairly low, and you get 1.25 cents in value per point redeemed.

Chase Ink Business Preferred® cardholders can do the same. And if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’ll receive 1.5 cents in value per point redeemed toward rental cars and other travel reservations. So if your rental car or other travel reservation costs $150, you’d only need to redeem 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your Sapphire Reserve account, or 12,000 points from your Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card.

Credit Card	Intro Bonus	Annual Fee	Rewards Rate	Learn More
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95	1x- 5xPoints More Info The card offers 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), as well as 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). This card earns 2x points on all other travel spending and 1x point per dollar everywhere else. Chase broadly defines travel to include not just airfare, hotels and rental cars, but expenses like parking, tolls and public transit too.	Apply Now
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply Now	100,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $2,300 (100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95 More info This fee includes extra cards for authorized users, such as employees, at no additional charge.	1x - 3xPoints More Info Earn 3x points on the first $150,000 of combined spending in a number of key business categories	Apply Now
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Apply Now	$750Cash Bonus More Info Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	$0	1.5%Cashback More Info Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business. The advertised rewards type is cash back, but it’s important to note that you’re technically earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which can then be converted to cash back).	Apply Now
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Apply Now Rates & Fees	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after using your card to spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$550	1x - 10xPoints More Info The card offers 10x points per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars as well as 5x points on air travel booked directly through Chase Ultimate Rewards immediately after you spend $300 on travel purchases annually. Additionally, earn 3x points per dollar spent on all other travel and dining purchases and 1x everywhere else.	Apply Now Rates & Fees

2. Get a Credit Card With Travel Statement Credits

Another great way to use points and miles to pay for your rental car is to use a travel credit card, including one that offers statement credits toward travel purchases. The leading card in this field is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. This card offers double miles on all purchases, and its miles are worth 1 cent each as statement credits toward a variety of travel purchases, including rental cars. What's more, you can earn 5 miles per dollar on all rental car and hotel purchases that you make with the card through Capital One Travel.

Other benefits of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card include a $100 credit toward the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and the ability to transfer rewards to airline miles or hotel points. There’s a $95 annual fee for this card.

Similarly, the Discover it^® Miles card offers 1.5 Miles per dollar spent on all purchases and will match the miles you earn during your account’s first year. Miles can be redeemed for travel statement credits, cash back or other options. There’s no annual fee for this credit card either.

Recommended Travel Credit Cards

Credit Card	Intro Bonus	Annual Fee	Rewards Rate	Learn More
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	$95	1x- 5xPoints More Info The card offers 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), as well as 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). This card earns 2x points on all other travel spending and 1x point per dollar everywhere else. Chase broadly defines travel to include not just airfare, hotels and rental cars, but expenses like parking, tolls and public transit too.	Apply Now
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Apply Now	50,000Southwest Rapid Rewards Points More Info Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $700 (50,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points * 0.014 base)	$69	1x - 2xPoints More Info Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.	Apply Now
United Gateway℠ Card Apply Now	20,000United MileagePlus Miles More Info Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Dollar Equivalent: $280 (20,000 United MileagePlus Miles * 0.014 base)	$0	1x - 2xPoints More Info Earn 2X United miles per dollar on United purchases, local transit and commuting and at gas stations. You’ll earn 1X mile per dollar on all other purchases.	Apply Now
Citi Premier® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	60,000Citi ThankYou Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou Points after making $4,000 worth of purchases during the first three months of account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,080 (60,000 Citi ThankYou Points * 0.018 base)	$95	1X-10XPoints More Info 10X total ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024. 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels 3X -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets 1X -- Earn 1 Point on All Other Purchases	Apply Now Rates & Fees

3. Sign Up for a Loyalty Program

You may want to join a rental car company’s loyalty program to earn rewards you can redeem later to help pay for a rental. Of all the rental car loyalty programs, my favorites are National and Hertz:

• National is great in my experience because it offers points based on the number of times you rent a car., which is ideal for those who rent for shorter periods, rather than many days at a time. It also makes sense for those who rent a midsize or other inexpensive cars.
• Hertz has a decent loyalty program that rewards you based on the amount you spend, so it's often a better choice for those who rent expensive vehicles and those who rent for longer durations.

You can also occasionally find Hertz points sold during the U.S. Travel Association’s Daily Getaways online promotion. And while this can be an excellent value, these points sell fast. The program was on hiatus during the height of the pandemic but is returning in 2023, so it's worth checking out if it will be offering Hertz points again. Also note that Hertz significantly devalued their program within the last few years, but I feel it’s still a program worth using.

4. Use Corporate or Alumni Codes

Depending on your situation, you may be able to take advantage of a discount code through your job or college. Many employers, especially at larger companies, offer discounts to staff on services like car rentals, phone plans and more. Check your discount portal to see if there are any offers or ask your human resources team if you’re not sure. Some government employees and private sector staff are also eligible for discounts or free rental cars if they’re on official business for their jobs.

5. Take Advantage of AAA Discounts

If you’re a member of AAA, you may have some lucrative discounts at your fingertips already. The auto club offers deals with multiple rental car companies. For example, AAA members get a percent off car rentals at Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar Car Rental. You could potentially save up to 20% on a rental through AAA.

6. Check Out Car-Sharing Services

A rise in car-sharing services have made renting a vehicle cheaper in some situations. Turo, for example, is a little bit like Airbnb, but for cars. This peer-to-peer car-sharing service pairs automobile owners with drivers looking for short-term use of a car. Hosts can list their vehicles, and drivers can search based on their dates and other needs to find and rent the right car. In many cases, Turo is cheaper than traditional rental car companies, and it boasts free cancellations up to 24 hours before your reservation, so if you find a cheaper option, you’re not out any money.

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7. Look for Military Discounts

If you’re a member of other organizations, look into any perks or promo codes they offer. For example, military service people can sign up on miltary.com to access a range of deals, including discounts on rental cars through Hertz, Enterprise and others. You may also be able to get a discount directly through some of the big car rental companies by letting them know you are an active member of the military. Check with their customer service and shop around before you reserve a car so you can find the best deal for your situation.

Bottom Line

With many rentals selling for two to three times what we used to pay, now is the best time to look for ways to redeem your points and miles—or get a discount—instead of paying full price. By examining all of your options, you might be able to get the wheels you need without feeling like you’re being taken for a ride.