If you’re looking to rent a car for an upcoming trip and Thrifty is one of the options, it might be a good idea to know which promo codes for Thrifty Car Rental yield the best savings.
In our guide, we also break down the secret tips around renting with Thrifty, and what you should know to make sure you have the best experience.
Here’s What You’ll Get Out Of This Article
- A list of all of the known promo codes and corporate codes for Thrifty Car Rental.
- Find out which code provides the best discount.
- Learn about some of the common pitfalls of using the Thrifty website.
- Tips to ensure you get the the best price on car rentals.
In This Article
- Here’s What You’ll Get Out Of This Article
- Thrifty Car Rental Promo Codes
- One-Way Rentals
- Peculiar Things With The Thrifty Website
- Underage Drivers
- Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards
- Earning Other Loyalty Points With Thrifty
- Other Tips On Saving Money At Thrifty
- What You Need To Know About Thrifty Car Rental
- Reviews of Thrifty Car Rental
- Our Best Travel Hacking Tips
- How To Get Best Deals on Hotels?
- Travel Resources For Your Next Trip
Thrifty Car Rental Promo Codes
We’ve covered how to save on car rentals with Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, National, Budget, and Dollar, it’s now it’s time to cover another that’s popular for travelers.
Like Dollar, Thrifty is also under the Hertz umbrella. As a result, under-the-hood, there are a lot of similarities across programs including terminology.
There are two fields available when booking with Thrifty Car Rental:
- Promo Code
- Corporate Discount Program
What’s A Promo Code?
Promo Codes or PC for short are typically issued by Thrifty for public use. These are usually tied to limited-time promotions. The nice thing is that these can often be stacked with corporate codes.
That said, Thrifty uses PC quite sparingly. so don’t expect to use these often.
What’s A Corporate Discount Program?
Again, like Hertz and Dollar, Thrifty’s corporate codes are also called Corporate Discount Program or CDP for short.
These are special codes generated for companies ando organizations that come with their own built-in discounts. In order to use them, you need to be part of the company, a member, or affiliated somehow (such as a vendor or contractor).
Before you use a CDP, make sure you read the disclaimer on using corporate code so you understand the risks if you’re using it without being an employee/member.
Finding The Best Deal At Thrifty
This is quite rare but Thrifty doesn’t discount their rates heavily through the use of promo codes and corporate codes. You’ll see below that there actually aren’t that many out there.
A bulk of the discount codes are for various AAA chapters in the US. They all provide the same % discount and also get you a free child seat, free additional driver, and 10% off prepaid fuel.
Join AAA today
If you’re not a member of the auto club, AAA, sign up to access instant discounts.
The real magic is actually in Thrifty’s Blue Chip Rewards loyalty program. In all other programs, I’d say that the built-in discounts are a bit of a throwaway but in this case, they actually offer the highest discount of all codes. It’s free to join and anyone can benefit.
On the corporate side of things, there really isn’t much to speak of.
How does Thrifty compare to other companies? This is always a hard one to answer because every rental scenario is so different. That’s why I recommend that you try Discover Cars or RentalCars.com. These are search engines similar to Kayak and Skyscanner but for car rentals. They look at all car rental companies and provide the best rates so you don’t have to look at each one, one at a time.
Compilation Of Thrifty Car Rental Promo Codes
If you’re here, you’re probably looking at how you can save money at Thrifty Car Rental. Since there aren’t that many promo codes and corporate codes, we’ve consolidated everything together.
Consensus On Thrifty Rental Car Promo Codes
Compared to other car rental companies, Thrifty Rental Car operates very differently when it comes to promotions, discounts, and corporate codes. They simply don’t really have any or they’ve neutered them in recent years.
The honest truth is that their Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards default discount is actually one of the best discounts and beats the AAA promo codes if you prefer to pay later. We were seeing savings of 14%.
If you’re willing to pay now, their Pay Now And Save price point is going to save you the most money where we calculated that the savings are 21% .
How To Apply Thrifty PC And CDP Codes
When renting a car with Thrifty, it’s really easy to enter a PC and/or CDP.
From the homepage of the new Thrifty site, click on “Add a Discount”.
This opens up a box on top and this is where you can enter in a CDP and/or PC.
Once you’ve entered in a CDP, you’ll notice that the system will automatically convert this into a name. That’s how you know which promotion, organization, or company it’s for.
Confirm by clicking on “Apply”.
You’ll go through the standard selection process and on this is what the final page looks like. You’ll know if your discount applied by looking at the top left. In this case, this is the Thrifty Blue Chips Rewards discount (CDP: 3070631).
One-Way Rentals
If you’re looking for a discount on one-way rentals, you won’t find it with Thrifty Car Rental. Here’s why:
Rate increases on one-way rentals – While they don’t charge a one-way fee, you’ll notice that the rate increases significantly.
Codes can’t reduce one-way rates – We’ve experimented with all of the codes and none of them are able to provide discounts on one-ways.
Peculiar Things With The Thrifty Website
Besides the issue with making reservations as an underage driver issue mentioned below, there are two other oddities with Thrifty’s page.
There Are Two Different Pages That Can Give Different Rates
There’s thrifty.com, and this is what you think would be their official landing page. When you load this page, you’ll notice that it first shows you a page that looks like is from the early 2000’s and then flips to the new design. This is the site that you will often get pushed to but we’re convinced that this is outdated and quotes higher rates.
Next, there’s thrifty.com/us/en. This looks almost identical but is a tad more updated. On this page, you’re either locked into the US or Canada page.
If we don’t use any codes, we noticed that when we put the exact same query, here’s what happened:
| Site | Base Rate Price | AAA Discount Price | Blue Chip Rewards Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| OLD: thrifty.com | $269.91 | $269.91 | $224.17 |
| NEW: thrifty.com/us/en | $260.74 | $239.88 | $224.17 |
We honestly couldn’t find a reason why this is the case but there’s clearly something wonky going on.
Beyond all of this, Thrifty’s website isoverall a hot mess with many links leading to dead pages and for some reason many pages living on their own island which means the only way to find them is to try to Google for them.
Our recommendation is to make sure to book with the new thrifty.com/us/en when making bookings. Also, make sure that when you’re browsing around that you don’t get forced back to the old site.
Underage Drivers
Thrifty specifically addresses drivers that are under 25 with the following rules laid out:
- Be at least 20 years old (unless you’re in New York or Michigan, where the age limit is 18 years old).
- Have a valid driver’s license, in good standing for over a year – that means if you have any recent suspensions, you might not be able to rent.
- Have a valid debit or credit card – the name will need to match the one on your license.
- You will be subject to a Young Renter Fee in addition to the standard car rental rate.
This confirms that underage drivers are subject to a Young Renter Fee (underage fee).
What if you’re 18? Thrifty says this is possible but under specific conditions:
- U.S. Government Exceptions: If someone is a United States military personnel or Government Employee and can provide official government paperwork to the rental location in which they are inquiring, they will be able to rent a car at age 18.
- State Government Exceptions: In both Michigan and New York states, the minimum car rental age is 18 years old, as officially mandated by the state government.
How do you make an underage booking? The frustrating part about their website is that there’s no way to indicate age. As a result, there’s no way to know what the Young Renter Fee will cost and so it could be quite the rude surprise. According to Thrifty, you simply make a booking as you normally would and when they check your idea, that’s when they slap the fee on.
Are there any codes that waive the Young Renter Fee? No, there aren’t any promo codes that can do this.
Ultimately, we would not recommend renting from Thrifty Car Rental if you’re under the age of 24 for the mere fact that there’s no easy way to tell how much that fee will cost. It’s much better to book with another car rental agency where there aren’t any surprises or you can apply a code that waives the fee.
Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards
As we’ve eluded to above, Thrifty has their own loyalty program called Blue Chip Rewards.
Thrifty does a pretty terrible job at promoting their program so here’s a breakout of the benefits
Joining has the following benefits:
- Faster reservations, pick ups, and returns.
- Thrifty’s best discounts (surprised that this is actually true).
- Free e-returns.
- Free authorized second driver (spouse or partner only).
- Free to join.
- If you decide to earn points instead of with travel partners, you earn one point for every qualified US dollar spent for rentals in the US or Canada. These can be redeemed for free rentals.
The reward redemption table is insanely hard to find on the website but it’s this:
| Rewards | Point Redemption |
|---|---|
| 1 FREE Weekend Rental Day | 500 |
| 2 FREE Weekend Rental Days | 1000 |
| 3 FREE Weekend Rental Days | 1500 |
| 4 FREE Weekend Rental Days (max) | 2000 |
| 1 FREE Weekday Rental Day | 625 |
| 2 FREE Weekday Rental Days | 1250 |
| 3 FREE Weekday Rental Days | 1875 |
| 4 FREE Weekday Rental Days | 2500 |
| 1 FREE Weekly Rental | 2550 |
| 2 FREE Weekly Rentals (14 Days max) | 5000 |
That said, there’s something really weird going on with the Thrifty site right now where there’s barely any information about this part of the program now so I have a feeling that they’re in the process of scrapping it.
Conditions of joining are:
- You have to be 18+.
- Requires a US or Canadian address.
Does Thrifty has a skip-the-counter service? Unfortunately, no. Unlike Hertz and Dollar, they do not have any expedited pick up process where you go straight to the lot.
The main added benefit is being able to skip the counter. This is important because you don’t have to go to line up at the counter to process the paperwork. Instead, it’s all ready to go and you head straight to your car.
Earning Other Loyalty Points With Thrifty
You’re only eligible to do this as a Blue Chip Rewards member but Thrifty has Travel Partner Programs with various other reward programs.
Similar to how this works for other car rental companies, you have to choose between earning points with a rewards partner or Thrifty’s own Blue Chip Rewards. You cannot double dip.
The below is a full table of the current partners (drop down in Blue Chip Reward dropdown) which is a shortened list compared to their website which I don’t believe has been updated.
| Partner | Earn Rate | Limit | Frequent Flyer Surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 50 miles per rental day | 30 days | $0.95 per day |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 50 miles per rental day | 28 days | 7.5% Excise Tax on the cost of those miles which is on average 6 cents per day |
| Avianca LifeMiles | ? | ? | ? |
| COPA | 200 miles per day | None | None |
| Delta SkyMiles | 4 miles for every $1 spent | None | 7.5% Excise Tax on the cost of those miles which is on average 6 cents per day |
| FRONTIER Miles | 50 miles per day OR 500 miles per rental | 4 days OR 5+ days | $0.75 per day |
| Gulf Airlines Falcon Miles | 200 miles per rental | None | None |
| IHG Rewards Club | 125 points per day | None | None |
| Kuwait Oasis Club | 500 miles per rental | None | None |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 250 points per rental | None | None |
| Spirit Airlines | 50 points per day OR 500 points per rental | 1-4 days OR 5+ days | $0.75 per day |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 600 points per rental | $1.50 per day |
HEADS UP: Every single program has a different take on Frequent Flyer Surcharge. Some have it, and some don’t so it’s best to check each page.
PRO TIP: If you’re interested in earning these points, click into the landing pages above to see if there are any specials. From time to time, they’ll have accelerated earning options if you use specific promo codes.
Can you use this with corporate codes? In most programs, they explicitly prohibit the earning of frequent traveler awards if you use a Thrifty Car Rental corporate code.
Other Tips On Saving Money At Thrifty
Beyond coupon codes and promo codes, there are actually a number of tricks that I usually keep in mind. These alone will save you lots of money with Thrifty Car Rental.
Now imagine if you combined all of these together, imagine the savings!
Current Thrifty Car Rental Offers
Save 10% on weekend car rentals by using PC: 102160 through to 03/31/2025
- Sign up for Blue Chip Rewards – The main benefit is being able to skip the counter and go directly to the car. If you rent enough at Dollar, you can also convert those points to free days.
- Don’t rent from the airport if you can – Those airport fees sneak up on you without you realizing because they show up under Taxes & Fees. In Thrifty’s case, they’re called “Airport Concession Recovery Fee”, and “Customer Facility Charge”. In most rentals, these can add up to be $75 just on their own.
- Week rentals sometimes cheaper than 5 or 6 days – Discounts often kick in when you hit a full week so if you’re close to that, try getting a quote for 7 days.
- Use credit card for car rental insurance – Instead of purchasing insurance, leverage your credit card for insurance. Make sure you read your policy beforehand to know what and how you’re covered. The best Canadian credit cards have insurance built in.
- Prepaying fuel is never a good idea – Don’t be tempted by the prepaid fuel option. We’ve only ever done it if we know that we’ll be in a tight jam on return. What they don’t tell you of course is that their fuel price is higher than the market price.
- Roll the dice on Wild Card or Managers Special – These are rentals where you don’t know what class of car you’ll get. All you know the worst you’ll get is economy and you’re saving money on the rate as a result. The only thing to keep in mind is that you can’t apply any promo codes with this.
What You Need To Know About Thrifty Car Rental
Branding
Thrifty Car Rental is a budget-conscious rental car agency that we would say is at a similar level to Dollar, Budget, Fox Rent A Car, and Alamo.
They started in 1958 and IPO’d in 1987. Following that, they were acquired by Chrysler Corporation and acquired Dollar along the way, before being spun off into Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.
The company grew to 331 locations in the US and Canada by 2010 and in 2012, Hertz Corporation purchased them for $2.3 million.
With the acquisition, that’s why you see a strong tie between Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty. In many cases at the airport, all, or at least 2 will have counters next to each other.
Hertz of course went into bankruptcy in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but managed to emerge from it in 2021.
Lastly, it’s good to be aware of this Florida settlement over misleading rental car fees.
Prices
So unlike Hertz, National, Enterprise, and Avis where they have a large footprint and charge a high price without discount codes, Dollar is typically less inflated and more affordable as a standard base-rate that anyone can get. This is similar to say Budget and Fox Rent-A-Car.
Similar to Hertz and Dollar, Thrifty also has a “Wild Card” or “Managers Special” option when making a booking. This is a surprise booking where you don’t know what class of car you’ll end up getting. Instead, they assign whatever is more optimal for their inventory that day. The lowest class of car you can get is economy.
HEADS UP: Blue Chip Rewards discounts don’t apply to Wild Card or Managers Special.
The last type of rate is the “Book Now and Pay Later” option. All car rental agencies do this now where if you pay in full, you can save up to 10% off. While this sounds great, the beauty of car rental reservations has always been that they’re incredibly easy to cancel. We would not recommend taking this option unless you’re absolutely sure.
NOTE: You’ll notice that only the new Thrifty website shows this option. It is impossible to “Book Now and Pay Later” on the old Thrifty page.
Don’t forget parking at the airport
Something that’s easy to forget in trip planning is how you’re going to get to the airport and if you’re driving your own car, where you’re going to leave it behind.
That’s where booking platforms like Airport Parking Reservations and Park Sleep Fly come into play. Whether you need to get a hotel package that includes parking or just parking itself, they have you covered.
Use the code AWESOME7 to save up to $7 off of your booking.
Locations
As if things weren’t bizarre enough with the website and puzzling disappearance of the Blue Chip Rewards points program, it’s also unclear how many locations exist.
Let me explain.
If you look at the Thrifty Car Rental Location Finder, you can scroll and zoom into different parts of the world and you’ll see locations pop up all over. You’ll see locations in North America, different parts of Europe, and surprisingly all over Asia as well.
That’s great but if you dig into some of these international locations, you realize that they aren’t even real Thrifty locations.
The Mysterious Fukuoka Location
For instance, I found a location Fukuoka International Airport in Japan and they even have a landing page for it. If you try to put in a query, nothing happens.
We then went to the Fukuoka International Airport car rental page and there’s no mention of Thrifty at all.
This leads us to one of three conclusions:
- There used to be a Thrifty location and it closed.
- Thrifty is partnered with a Japanese car rental agency (like an airline codeshare)
- This is a complete mistake.
We’ve scrolled around the map and found a lot of international locations that also didn’t seem real.
Actual International Locations
We kept digging and then found this obscure Thrifty page that lists out all of the international locations. Of course, Japan isn’t listed. I’m also skeptical that all of these are still active locations.
Here’s the breakdown of countries/specific cities:
- Aruba
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia-Zagreb Airport
- Croatia -Split Airport
- Croatia Split Downtown
- England
- France
- Germany
- Guadaloupe
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Luxembourg
- Martinique
- Mexico
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Palermo, Italy
- Panama Intl Airport
- Puerto Rico
- Russia
- St Lucia
- St. Maarten
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Arab Emirates
We’re honestly not sure how much we trust this list but hopefully it’s a more accurate representation of the locations they do have around the world.
We tested St. Lucia’s George Charles location and it mysteriously says they’re fully sold out.
Reviews of Thrifty Car Rental
Thrifty doesn’t have the type of reputation that some of the other bigger players have such as Avis, National, Enterprise, and Hertz.
Personally, I’ve used Thrifty plenty of times in continental USA and I’ve never had issues. That said, more than the others, we’ve found some pretty nasty reviews which we’d thought we’d highlight as a PSA.
Thrifty Tulsa Reviews
When you read the Tulsa reviews, it’s quite comical because you quickly realize that it’s a dumping ground for all locations. You always have to take reviews for a grain of salt but you certainly pick up on some common malpractices.
A few common ones are the prepaid gas charge. If you don’t read your contract carefully or explicitly deny it, they’ll add it in. Even if you return the car with a full tank, they might find a way to hit you with the fee.
PRO TIP: Always take a photo of the fuel guage when you return the car so you have evidence that you returned it with a full tank.
Also, if you rent through other online travel agencies such as Expedia, AutoEurope, Booking.com, or others, reservations might not have gone through or things are lost in translation along the way when it comes to insurance that’ll surprise you when you get the final bill.
Thrifty Honolulu Reviews
When reading the Honolulu reviews, we’re seeing a trend in terms of coercion into buying insurance you might not need, poor service, and overall disorganization.
The other main things I noticed were a consistent issue of them running out of cars which is something we’ve heard about in Hawaii in general. We believe they’re in the practice of overbooking which is a ploy to maximize their inventory and force upgrades.
Overall, we recommend that you always take thorough photos of the vehicle both inside and out before and after you rent a car (for all car rental companies), and make sure you thoroughly read all of the features, add-ons, and rate you agree to in the contract. Don’t just blindly sign the contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Thrifty CDP code?
The best overall and risk-free code is what’s associated to the Blue Chip Rewards program. By being a member and logged in, you get 14% off with CDP: 3070631. There are currently no known corporate codes that provide as good of a discount.
Can you do one-way rentals with Thrifty?
One-way rentals are allowed with Thrifty. Surprisingly, in many cases, no one-way fees are applied or increase in rates. However, some CDPs do add on an expensive one-way fee.
Does Thrifty offer any AAA or CAA discounts?
Thrifty has an affiliation with AAA but doesn’t with CAA. You can find all of the unique CDP code per region with Thrifty.
Is there an AARP code for Thrifty?
No, Thrifty has no codes for AARP members.
Does Thrifty have discounts for Costco members?
No, Thrifty does not offer discounts for Costco members.
Can you stack a promo code with a CDP?
The system will allow you to do this but the CDP rate will override any rate discounts that come with the promo code. That said, if it’s a class upgrade or some other promotion, they should be able to stack.
Does Thrifty charge an underage fee?
Yes, if you’re under 25, a “Young Renter Fee” is added. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know how much the fee is since the online booking system doesn’t allow you to identify as an underage driver. As a result, you’ll find out when you pick up the car.
Our Best Travel Hacking Tips
- Complete list of car rental codes for all companies
- Best Avis AWD codes
- Hertz CDP discount codes you need to know about
- Marriott corporate codes
- Top Hilton category 1 hotels
- Our travel hacking guide
How To Get Best Deals on Hotels?
- For the best prices on hotels and flexibility, I’ve been a huge fan of Booking.com. With their Genius program, you can get instant savings of 15%. If you love codes, make sure to check out these list of the best hotel corporate codes.
Travel Resources For Your Next Trip
If you’re in the process of planning your trip and putting together your itinerary, these are genuinely the best resources that the Going Awesome Places team stands by 100%.
Credit cards: Don’t get burned by hidden fees on top of terrible exchange rates. When we travel now, we use the Wise Card. Simply load it with the currency you need before you go and use it as a regular VISA or their digital wallet card. Use their free app to track how much you have and top up when you need to.
Flights: Of all the booking search engines, Skyscanner is the most helpful and easy to use thanks to their Everywhere feature. Kayak is also another that’s we will often check as well.
Car Rental: If you’re looking to save money, these car rental coupon codes will be a true game-changer. Otherwise, DiscoverCars and RentalCars are great places to start.
Rideshare: For new Lyft users, use code WILLIAM4825 to get 50% off your first 2 rides (max $10 USD per ride). Offer valid for 14 days after you take your first ride. For new Uber users, use code psuqbjg4d7rn for the same offer except it’s valid for 30 days.
Airport Parking: You’ll need a spot to leave your car at the airport so why not book a spot at a discount. Use code AWESOME7 to get at least $5 off at Airport Parking Reservations or Park Sleep Fly packages.
eSIM: Lately, we’ve really loved using eSIMs. We’ve tested several over the years and we have access to a few special promotions.
- AmigoSIM – Use GOINGAWESOMEPLACES to save 25% off. Code is re-useable.
- Gigsky – Use TANG149 to get $3 USD when you sign up, then use code GOINGAWESOME to save 20% on all eSIM orders.
- KnowRoaming – Use code GAP10 to save 10%.
- AloSIM – Use code GOINGAWESOMEPLACES to save 15%.
- Airalo – Use referral code WILLIA9500 to get $3 USD credit on your first purchase.
- Ubigi – AWESOME10 to save 10% on your first order.
Wifi Hotspot: We’ve been a huge fan of wifi hotspot devices such as PokeFi (use code GAP24300) because their rates are are hard to beat and it works globally. Solis is another that we recommend. Pros are that you can share the wifi with your whole group but cons are that you have to invest in a device and you have to charge it every night.
Hotels: Our go-to is Booking.com because they have the best inventory of properties including hotels and B&Bs plus they have their Genius tier discounts. Expedia is also worth using especially with their One Key rewards program which is basically like cash. The exception is Asia where Agoda always has the best prices. Always do a quick check on TripAdvisor as well.
Vacation Rentals: Your first instinct will be to check Airbnb but we always recommend checking VRBO as well if you’re looking for a vacation rental (now eligible for One Key).
Tours and Activities: When planning our trips, we always check both Viator and GetYourGuide to at least see what’s out there in the destination that we’re going to. They often have different offerings and prices so check both.
Travel Insurance: Learn how to buy the best travel insurance for you. This isn’t something you want to travel without.
- HeyMondo – Popular insurance provider for frequent travelers and comes with great coverage and special perks. By booking through our link to get a 15% discount (from June 19-29)!
- RATESDOTCA – Search engine Canadians looking for the cheapest insurance including multi-trip annual policies.
- SafetyWing – A perfect fit for long-term nomads.
- Medjet – Global air medical transportation.
- InsureMyTrip – Best for seniors, families, and those with pre-existing conditions.
If you need more help planning your trip, make sure to check out our Travel Toolbox where we highlight all of the gear, resources, and tools we use when traveling.
