Posting Point
This is a story as old as time. You reach the rental desk to find out that your rental will cost more than you expected. What fees are most commonly charged by rental agencies? Which will be included in the cost and which will not?
Young Driver Fees
Renters are most likely to charged an additional fee for young drivers. It all depends on where you live and the rental company. However, young drivers can expect to be charged an additional fee.
This fee is usually charged daily but could be capped at a specific amount. In some cases, it could be a flat rate.
The rental fee depends on where you are renting a car from and through whom. The cost of renting a car can vary greatly. Our search makes it easy.
Notice: The young driver fee, which is included in the total price shown when searching for a limo service Burlington MA car rental company, will be added to your search results. This makes it easy to compare prices between them.
Senior Driver Fees
Senior driver fees, which are similar to young driver fees and charged to renters over a certain age, are also common. Although the fees may seem lower in some cases, seniors should not be concerned if they are higher than 75.
Like young driver fees, this fee is likely per day and could be capped at a specific amount. It may also be a flat fee that covers the rental period in rare cases.
It is also dependent on the company through which you rent your car. They can vary greatly, so it is possible that the car you thought was the cheapest to rent may not be the best. Our search makes it easy.
Notice: The senior driver fee is included in the renting a car cost if you use the age of the vehicle to search. This makes it easy to compare prices between companies.
Taxes, Premium Location Fees, Environmental Fees, etc
Many rental cars come with multiple fees. The government requires some. These fees include taxes (VAT, sales tax), environmental, and airport fees.
Rental companies might also charge additional fees to cover costs associated with the rental location. This is often the case at airports that have high rental costs.
Good news! We try to include all fees when you search for a rental car. Check the Rate Includes section in the rental conditions to ensure you understand the rates.
Additional Driver Fees
Only the primary driver of the car you rent is allowed to drive it. It would be illegal for anyone to drive the car and could result in nullifying your insurance.
Most rental companies permit you to add drivers to your rental contract, but it is usually at an extra cost. This service is always charged when you pick up your car.
We show you how much the driver fee is in most cases on our booking page. You will have to pay for this at the rental desk.
Some exceptions are rare. Rental companies in California are prohibited from charging additional driver fees. In the United States, major car rental companies do not charge fees for domestic partners or spouses of main drivers (who are automatically authorize to drive on the rental contract).
Cross-Border Fees
If you rent a car in Europe, you can visit multiple countries at once. You may shocked to learn that the rental company will charge more for driving permission.
You should first find out whether it is possible to cross international borders. Some rental companies won’t allow cars to taken outside the country or state where they were rented.
You can find information on two areas of our website that will help you locate where you can rent a car. The first is the Geographical Restrictions in Rental Conditions. The other is the booking page (see screenshots below).
We don’t always know the exact fee amount as it often depends upon where you are traveling to. Contact our customer service if you have a specific travel plan. They will be happy to provide this information.
Good news! You will be allow to drive your car rental vehicle to other countries if you plan to travel within the European Union. You should check this before you travel.
Additional Mileage Fees
Most renting a car include unlimited mileage, so this fee is not something you have to worry about. Sometimes, however, vehicles may not come with unlimited mileage. Local renters and van-renters renting premium vehicles may not be able to drive the vehicle unlimited.
You usually have two choices when your rental includes only a certain mileage. Either you can choose to pay more mileage upfront or for unlimited mileage when you pick up the car. Or you can be charge for every mile you drive once the car is dropped off. It is almost always more affordable if the latter is possible.
Book a vehicle with unlimited mileage to avoid paying this fee.
Reviewing the Mileage Policy within the Rental Conditions, you can find out how much each extra mile or unlimited mileage will cost.
Toll-Free Packages
Rental companies may offer toll packages to renters in some areas with toll roads. Sometimes, these can be almost mandatory.
Many areas now have toll roads that do not require toll booths and rely solely on electronic means to pay the tolls. This makes it difficult for renters.
These tolls can collected by a transponder and by paying by plate. You may have to pay the tolls through a rental company, which will charge you additional fees.
If there tolls charged to the car owner by the plate number, the rental company will pass on these tolls to you along with an administrative fee.
You can rent an electronic transponder from a rental company in areas where they are available for an additional charge. Many offer unlimited tolls as part of their packages.
These transponders can turned off in many places, and you can use your transponder if you have one. It is possible to register your vehicle’s license plate online and pay the rent online.
There are some places where the rental company may force you to pay the toll fee. Florida is one of these. Many Fall River limo service car rentals have transponders that cannot be turn off or remove. Even if you pay tolls in cash, it will still register electronically. If you have not purchased their toll package, the rental company will charge a large fee.
In these cases, make sure you factor in the cost of the toll package to the final price you will pay. This information is available in the Rate Excludes section within the Rental Conditions.
There is a surefire way to avoid worrying about fees and tolls. However, this is not always possible.
To Sum Up
These are the most frequent additional charges when renting a car. You should now be able to anticipate what you will encounter at the rental desk and how you can avoid them.
