Maximizing Rental Car Savings with My Go-To Strategy

When it comes to travel, miles and points can cover airfare and lodging, making trips significantly cheaper. However, rental cars are one expense that you typically need to pay in cash. Fortunately, with the right strategy, you can still save hundreds of dollars while maintaining flexibility and peace of mind. Here’s my go-to rental car strategy. It combines Costco Travel, Autoslash, and the right credit card. Together, these maximize savings and benefits.

Booking with Costco Travel

Costco Travel is my first stop when booking a rental car. Here’s why:

• Competitive Prices – Costco Travel consistently offers some of the best rental car rates. These rates often beat direct bookings and other third-party sites.
• Flexible Cancellation – Plans change, and with Costco, you can cancel anytime before pickup with no penalty.
• No Upfront Payment – Unlike many other travel booking platforms, you don’t have to pay anything when you book. You don’t even need to give a credit card in advance. As a Costco member, they simply trust you to keep your word or cancel ahead of time rather than no-showing.
• Free Additional Driver – Many rental companies charge extra for additional drivers. But, booking through Costco includes a second driver for free.
• Rental Companies & Customer Service – When booking through Costco Travel, you’ll typically find options. These include Alamo, Enterprise, Avis, and Budget. Among these, Enterprise and Alamo are often ranked higher in customer service and satisfaction. Avis and Budget can sometimes have more mixed reviews. Nonetheless, they still offer competitive pricing and availability.

Tracking Price Drops with Autoslash

Once I book my rental car, I immediately plug my reservation into Autoslash. This free service tracks rental car prices and automatically notifies me if a lower rate becomes available. If a better deal pops up, I simply cancel my existing reservation and rebook at the lower price. This step alone has saved me a significant amount over the years.

Using a Credit Card for Free Rental Car Coverage

One of the biggest ways to save on rental cars is by declining the rental company’s insurance. Rental agencies push expensive coverage, but many premium credit cards offer primary rental car insurance as a free perk. I always use one of the following cards to pay for my rental:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Sapphire Preferred®
• Ritz-Carlton Credit Card (No longer available but available via product change)
• Capital One Venture X

These cards offer primary rental car insurance. This means you don’t have to file a claim with your personal auto insurance first. This can save you a lot of hassle (and potential rate hikes) if anything happens. With this credit card coverage and my personal auto insurance, I can decline the rental company’s insurance. I can pocket the savings.

Final Thoughts

By using Costco Travel for low rates and flexibility, I can achieve significant savings. Autoslash for price tracking helps guarantee that I get the best deals. A credit card with rental car coverage provides extra protection. As a result, I rent cars for significantly less than the average traveler—all while staying fully covered. This strategy works for everything from weekend getaways to long road trips, ensuring I get the best deal every time.

Next time you book a rental car, give this method a try and watch the savings add up!