One of the best feelings when you’re planning a trip is when you can find secret coupon codes to save you a killer amount of money. For the past decade I’ve been using a variety of hidden discount codes that have helped to reduce the cost of my travel significantly. There have been times when I’ve even managed to raise the eyebrow of the car rental attendants because of how cheap I managed to get the car rental down to.
Finding an awesome discount code is like discovering treasure!
I’ve written about car rental discount codes in the past but it is a topic that deserves a refresh as the codes tend to come and go. I also wanted to take this opportunity to clean things up and make it easier to read and apply these codes.
Indispensable Car Rental Discount Codes
The following is a list of car rental codes that I’ve personally vetted. Each one of them offer a certain amount of discount and I’ve put them into an organized table to allow you to quickly navigate between car rental company which code works the best for you.
In terms of the “Amount of Discount” the way I calculated this was by simply taking discount offered by the code over the price if no code was used. I did this based on the total cost of the rental including taxes and fees instead of the daily rate as this seemed more fair of a comparison. That said, I would take as a grain of salt because each company has different base rates so what you should really care about is the final price of the rental which is where the Case Study further down gives you a clearer picture of which code is “better”.
NEW DEALS
For these newer ones, they are either time sensitive or I just haven’t been able to add them to the tables below.
Europcar: Up to 25% off! Ends May 20, 2019. Good for bookings until September 30. Valid for cities in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and UK.
Hertz: Pay Now and Save up to 25% off the base rate. Airport Only. Ends 6/21/19.
Hertz: Get a Free Day When You Rent For Six with code: 203968. Ends 12/31/19
Hertz: Save Up To $15 Off Your Next Car Rental with code: 203972. Ends 12/31/19.
Enterprise UK: Pre-pay and save 10% online
Budget: Save up to 40% off base rates for your next road trip with Pay Now.
Hertz: Weekend rates start at $12.99/day with code: WKEN1 with Hertz.
Enterprise: In UK and Ireland, get 5% off car rentals. Good for car rentals before June 1, 2021.
Avis: Try coupon code TUCA036, TUCA037 to get a free 5th night with AWD W222853 (Thanks Gene!)
Note that new codes are being added all the time so keep coming back and bookmark this page!
The BIG DISCLAIMER that I have to put out there is that by using corporate discount codes (codes that belong to a company and are only meant for employees), while you likely won’t get checked for an employee card, if you do get into an accident or require any sort of insurance claim, you will NOT get covered since you’ve effectively voided any coverage. Use at your own risk.
The Case Study
A sample example is usually the best way to exemplify which code does better than others. Through the table below, you’ll see how these companies price their rentals. Some offer deep discounts on these codes while others don’t offer much of a promotion on codes anymore or only make it seem like you’re getting a discount when you really aren’t.
Lastly, what you need to put into consideration is that this is only one example. This search was done 3 weeks out from the rental and this is an airport location in the US. Rates and discounts will vary depending on days of the week, how far out you’re booking, and where you’re renting from. For instance, I was able to find insane rates via Europcar in Ireland that even the lady working the desk was shocked to see.
Trip Details
- Location: Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Dates: Saturday February 24 – Tuesday February 27
- Duration: 3 days
- Car Type: Midsize/Intermediate
The Price Comparison Table
Looking to do your own price comparison for an upcoming trip? Make a copy of my spreadsheet to save you time.
Direct link to Google Sheet
My Observations
- Thrifty’s codes have become practically useless which is sad.
- You’ll notice that Thrifty and Dollar’s prices are the same – that makes sense because they’re pretty much the same company.
- A lot of these discount companies are going the way of discounts through pre-pay. Pre-pay only if you’re absolutely sure you’re going to rent with the company you choose and you’re not going to make any changes. You’re better off with paying later if you think there’s a chance of anything changing.
- Fox Rent A Company is insanely cheap but I’m skeptical. I personally haven’t used them before so proceed with caution.
How Else Can I Save On Car Rentals?
Didn’t find a code here for your needs?
There are always not-so-secret codes that the car rental companies post themselves. I usually share these on my travel deals page or you can go to the car rental company pages themselves to see what promos they are running.
Rent outside the airport
Airports are always going to be more expensive to rent than going into the city. That’s because airport has additional taxes and fees on top. Rental companies also increase the rates in exchange for the convenience of renting a vehicle right when you land. You might be better off taking a cab into the city and renting from a smaller location.
Watch out for sneaky fees and add ons
I’ve noticed that some car rental companies like to add insurance coverage and other add ons automatically when you make bookings online. When you confirm your booking and when you sign the papers at the counter, make sure you read all the inclusions and pay attention to anything they might’ve snuck in. Prepaid gas is something that is quite common.
Don’t pay for insurance you don’t need
Where rental companies make money is in the additional insurance such as loss damage waivers (LDW), collission damage waivers (CDW), or personal effects coverage. Thing is, if you’re already covered under your own car insurance, you have something like CAA/AAA membership, or you have an awesome credit card, you really don’t need to pay for extra insurance.
Don’t pre-pay for gas
I would say do it if you know you’re going to be really tight on time but otherwise it doesn’t make sense to do this.
How it works is that they’ll charge you for a full tank at a slightly inflated market rate on fuel. This means that even if you have half a tank left, they’ll charge you for full fill up. Don’t do it if you can avoid it and make sure you decline it.
General Car Rental Tips
Read the fine print for tax, fees, and information
Where car rental companies get you is in the fine print often times. I can’t even count the number of times when I’ve seen a killer deal on a rental only to find that there are a ton of added fees on top or you realize it isn’t unlimited miles.
I typically don’t worry as much for the big rental companies but if you’re booking from a smaller unknown/local rental company, make sure you read the details.
Don’t reserve a car under a card you’re going to cancel
This turned out to be an issue for me in South Africa with Europcar. I totally wasn’t thinking about this at the time but as part of the churning that I do, I ended up cancelling a card that I made a reservation with. During check-in they asked for my ID including the card. I of course, didn’t have the card on me anymore. Luckily, the manager on duty made an exception for me to allow me to keep my reservation but if things played out differently, I would have had to create a new reservation which undoubtedly would have been much more expensive.
Research all the rental companies
The big players don’t necessarily always win. Especially if you’re travelling outside North America, there are a lot of other companies that you might not’ve heard of.
For example, Jucy is huge in New Zealand but I never would have known if I didn’t do my research. Similarly, Iceland was the same in that all the big companies were ridiculously expensive and so we ended up booking with Blue Car Rental which was completely unknown to us but had excellent rates.
If you’re interested in Dollar in the UK, they have good rates as well.
Lastly, it may also make a difference to look at the local country’s car rental websites. For instance, Enterprise.com is usually where I naturally go to search but if you’re renting in Canada you should look at Enterprise.ca and if you’re travelling to the UK, you should use Enterprise.co.uk.
Don’t discount loyalty
You have to put value in loyalty programs and what will make your life easier. I’ve been with National for a long time and I belong to their Emerald Club program. While their prices may not always be the lowest, I find myself booking with them often because they’re the only car rental company where I can go out to the aisle and pick the car I want. This is HUGE.
The worst is when you go out onto the lot and realize they gave you a crappy car and you have to go back inside to ask for a change. It’s time wasted and most of the times you just don’t want to have to deal with that.
Additional Car Rental Deals That I’ve Found
Looking For More Travel Deals?
Make sure you head to the travel deal portal
Take me to the deals
Em says
May 15, 2019 at 3:59 PMI’ve made a reservation for a trip through Avis using W222853 which saved a crazy amount of money…but I’m wondering how likely it is they will ask for ID? Has anyone had experience with this?
Will Tang says
May 15, 2019 at 4:53 PMFor that particular code, I’m actually not sure if it’s tied to a specific corporation as it doesn’t say. Doing some research as well, most people that have used it have never raised any issues at all. I’d be pretty confident using it!
Gene says
May 15, 2019 at 5:01 PMI used it all the time, throughout many different airports. not once they ask for an ID
Gene says
May 15, 2019 at 5:12 PMIt also doesn’t have a minimum required days. W222853 can be used to reserve for only couple hours or couple months, or anything in between.
Will Tang says
May 15, 2019 at 5:18 PMThanks for the heads up!
Evan Jones says
April 28, 2019 at 10:17 AMI found Hertz CDP #2180208 to give very cheap rates. i dont think it waives the underage fee for those under 25 tho.
Will Tang says
May 1, 2019 at 10:46 PMAmazing thank you for sharing Evan! I’ve added it to the list.
Chris says
April 19, 2019 at 3:57 PMMy wife and I are going to Hawii in July and we plan on using Hertz to rent our car. I want to use CDP code 2006142 (Woodforest National Bank– found the code on another site). Do you guys know if Hertz will require any sort of proof of employment to use that CDP code? Thank you.
Will Tang says
April 19, 2019 at 6:26 PMHey Chris! Thanks for sharing that code with the group. I’ve added it to the list and it’s a good one. Okay so with Hertz I’ve never tried it personally but with National and Avis I’ve never been asked ID. On top of that, for some spots Hertz has something called Hertz Ultimate Choice where they’ve kind of copied National and allow people to just go out and pick cars. Talking to less people often means less chances of people checking ID. That said, would love to hear from anyone else that has had more experience with Hertz!
Tamara says
April 16, 2019 at 2:31 AMHey there! I am looking to book a 5 day rental from SFO to LAX in June. I checked out the codes for National and they don’t appear to be valid – am I missing something? I was logged in as an Emerald member at the time. Thanks
Will Tang says
April 16, 2019 at 1:05 PMHey Tamara, they should work! When you entered the codes, this is a bit counterintuitive but enter them under “Account Number”.
matt says
March 23, 2019 at 5:48 PMSo the code for national 5000491 that is inclusive of cdw gives me a super cheap rate for a cabo san lucas rental and then says its a Standard Business Program A account and I have no options to add any kind of insurance. Is that inclusive of the required liability or would you think I’d need to pay extra once I arrived and was provided the contract?
Will Tang says
March 24, 2019 at 5:03 PMHi Matt, so for that code it is inclusive of CDW insurance. I’ve never run into any accidents when using that code but I can’t say for sure how that would work from a claim perspective if they do find out you don’t actually hold employment at a specific employer that this program is under. So that is definitely one of the trade-offs of using that particular code.
Matt says
March 24, 2019 at 5:49 PMWould the staff there at the national rental office ask for employment verification when collecting the car since that code specifically lists a company?
Matt says
March 24, 2019 at 5:56 PMLet me clarify…one of the codes didn’t specifically notate insurance and was quite cheap. The other code included both liability and cdw and was more expensive and lists a construction company as the account holder. Liability is what I was under the impression is mandatory and the cdw can be added to cover collision damage. I wasn’t sure of the liability being included in the first code you listed since national did not show it in the confirmation
Anthony says
March 12, 2019 at 4:15 AMAny codes for national car rental?
Will Tang says
March 13, 2019 at 4:43 PMYes there are codes in this article for National.
Dave says
February 19, 2019 at 1:04 PMThis is amazing, thanks for putting this together! I just saved a bunch with Avis using AWD A442100 and Coupon MUWA152, which knocks $25 off your rental price.
Do you have anything similar for airlines?
Thanks again!
Will Tang says
February 19, 2019 at 3:35 PMSweet I’m glad you were able to find a good deal!
For flights, I do flight deals with the weekly newsletter if you’re interested in signing up https://goingawesomeplaces.com/flight-deals-subscribe/
Jill says
January 19, 2019 at 4:36 PMDo you have car rental codes for 2019?
Thanks
Will Tang says
January 20, 2019 at 10:59 PMAll the codes here are valid for 2019!
Gene S says
January 20, 2019 at 11:50 PMW222853 has given me biggest discounts. Not sure about under 25 there.
Will Tang says
January 21, 2019 at 8:28 PMYes that’s a good one!
Divine7 says
January 14, 2019 at 9:03 PMThis scares me a bit. I came here, as we all do, by Googling coupon codes. I found the article and quickly did a “Ctrl + F” and searched for “Enterprise”. Due to the short notice and a family emergency I am rapidly making the booking and felt I had no time to read the article (SORRY!). However, right before I was about to check out I thought “Hmm, I wonder if he mentions someone checking if I’m a Costco member” and returned to start reading. When I came upon the red print I was shocked.
So, to confirm, if I use this code to save $20-$30 dollars, I may end up in a situation (accident) where my Costco membership comes into question? So when my bluff is called, my insurance will be invalid and I will owe them thousands of dollars? This is a very scary thing to think about, and then to consider how many other people have potentially used these codes without reading, as I had almost done.
If you have any opportunity to clarify any additional details you may have about this before tomorrow afternoon, I would greatly appreciate it! As much as I want to save some money, the risk seems WAY higher than the reward to me, but I want to be sure I understand this.
-A Concerned Renter
Will Tang says
January 15, 2019 at 3:54 PMHey! Well the truth is that’s a bit of a risk you take by using corporate codes from companies you technically don’t work for. I think they’re worth using if there’s a substantial saving but if you’re balancing a small discount to potentially not being able to make a proper insurance claim, you might be better off not using the code. I hope that helps!
Gene says
January 15, 2019 at 4:19 PMWhen you use corporate code that has insurance included (as part of their deal), and you try to file a claim through Avis, this is where your claim might get denied, because technically, it’s tied to the company, because you didn’t pay anything for it, the company technically did.
But if you use a corporate code (best one I use is: W222853), that doesn’t include insurance, and you decide to pay extra for your insurance through Avis, or decline, and use your credit card, that corporate code has nothing to do with the claim, because it’s related to an individual, who purchased the insurance.
cq says
November 11, 2018 at 12:20 AMif you decline their insurance and use your credit card insurance would that still invalidate your policy if found using corporate code you don’t belong to?
Will Tang says
November 13, 2018 at 10:15 PMI’ve never tested this theory. I feel like this would depend on your credit card and whether they would 1) find out about it and 2) whether they consider using these codes as invalidating the CC insurance policy. Not sure if someone else could chime in?
Gene says
January 15, 2019 at 4:17 PMThat shouldn’t invalidate anything. When you use corporate code that has insurance included (as part of their deal), and you try to file a claim through Avis, this is where your claim might get denied, because technically, it’s tied to the company, because you didn’t pay anything for it, the company technically did.
But if you use a corporate code (best one I use is: W222853), that doesn’t include insurance, and you decide to pay extra for your insurance through Avis, or decline, and use your credit card, that corporate code has nothing to do with the claim, because it’s related to an individual, who purchased the insurance.
Justin Roberts says
October 26, 2018 at 3:43 PMI’ve have a very good experience with using CV code 022Q9225 for hertz. It’s a code that has set rates, so be sure to look around and compare.
Will Tang says
October 27, 2018 at 9:15 AMAwesome thanks for sharing the code Justin!
Chewy says
October 22, 2018 at 9:41 PMDo you have a list of corporate codes that maybe people who works there may not know they can use it? I work for a Honeywell corporation and I have had their corporate code for many years, but I can no longer find it for new employees. It gives very good corporate flat rates. I also use discount coupons along with the corporate code to get me extra 20-30 dollars off per rental. Also the with National I can set to get airline miles instead of free rental days. I find it stupid that you cannot use free rental days with a discount coupon. Makes the free day worthless since I can usually get a coupon worth the free day.
Will Tang says
October 22, 2018 at 10:01 PMI don’t have those codes unfortunately but if someone else here has those, I’d be happy to put them up here to share.
Brandi Wilcox says
October 4, 2018 at 7:33 AMPutting my car in the shop. Gonna need a rental today, thursday and plan to keep until next. Wed/thursday. I Live in Houston, Texas.
Will Tang says
October 4, 2018 at 12:01 PMHave you tried the coupon codes here? The National and Avis ones are really good so give it a shot.
Cory says
September 5, 2018 at 1:10 PMcode 40000 gives me the biggest discount!! However, it also doesn’t let me prepay, so needless to say extremely worried about getting questioned about the IBM code – has anyone used it and been asked for more info at the window.. It’s the only code that doesn’t let you prepay.
Will Tang says
September 5, 2018 at 1:50 PMYou’re right – it doesn’t take prepay unfortunately. I personally don’t have experience using codes with Hertz so I wouldn’t be able to answer you confidently. One thing you could do is make this booking and have a back up booking ready in-case.
Bobby says
September 4, 2018 at 6:58 PMAny codes to book a car for 15 days? Looking around 200-300$ range in NJ/PA area
Will Tang says
September 5, 2018 at 12:54 AMHave you tried using Avis with AWD: W222853 and code TUCA037?
Gene Strelkov says
August 17, 2018 at 7:26 PMHello. I have 2 new coupon codes, that can be redemmed for free days on avis.com rental car site.
1st code: TUCA036
FREE 3rd day on weekend rental. Must be used with AWD code: W222853. Applies to intermediate (group C) through full size (group E). Weekend rental period begins Thursday and car must be returned by Monday 11:59 pm
Expires: 01/31/2019
2nd coupon: TUCA037
FREE 5th day on weekly rental. Must be used with AWD code: W222853. Applies to intermediate (group C) through full size (group E). Minimum 5 consecutive day rental with Saturday night keep.
Expires: 01/31/2019
Also using AWD code W222853 gives huge savings. Up to 40% in some locations
Will Tang says
August 18, 2018 at 9:57 AMSweet thanks for these!
shawn says
July 26, 2018 at 9:49 AMThe avis awd# y325274 I came across has the lowest rate i’ve seen. You can also use it with coupon MUPA007 for an additional $25 off.
Will Tang says
July 26, 2018 at 6:43 PMSweet I’m glad that one worked out for you and thanks for sharing these new codes 🙂
Eli Johnson says
August 16, 2018 at 10:11 AMExpired 8/15/2018
Will Tang says
August 16, 2018 at 10:25 AMWhich one is expired 8/15?
Jewels says
July 22, 2018 at 6:51 PMOMG i just booked an AVIS rental car for a week out of Boston airport full size car for $313.00 all taxes, fees and unlimited mileage AND i didn’t have to PREPAY!! when i called to inquire about the prepay amount, expecting it to be a little cheaper, it was $720!! the agent told me to hang on to my existing ‘pay at the counter’ reservation! i’ve been researching for 1 1/2 days and this has been by far the best deal!. COUPON A442100!! THANK YOU!! : )
Will Tang says
July 23, 2018 at 4:37 AMThank you for sharing your story! The codes do make a big difference and happy to hear that you’ve been able to save a TON of money 🙂
Sam says
September 1, 2018 at 12:03 PMI need a code by tomorrow can u help am coming from Washington Dulles one way to Cleveland airport
Will Tang says
September 1, 2018 at 2:12 PMHey for a one-way rental like that, I’d recommend using the Contract ID from National: 5000491. Try it out and let me know what you get!
Caleb says
January 20, 2019 at 4:54 PMHope this forum isn’t dead! Do you know which company this code belongs too? In case I’m blindsided at the counter. Also, I’m under 25 and it seems this kills the Young Driver fee
Will Tang says
January 20, 2019 at 10:58 PMHey Caleb, which code are you asking about? There are a few that are good for under 25 that I think I’ve made note of.
Gene says
September 1, 2018 at 2:14 PMI’ve used AWD code W222853 for big discounts, and if your keeping for at least 5 days, with Saturday, use coupon code TUCA037 for free day.
Will Tang says
September 2, 2018 at 9:45 PMThanks for sharing Gene! I’ve added it to the list!