Travel Tips

Priceline.com links with only the top five car rental companies: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National. These well-known companies have the most handy airport pick-up locations in the U.S. and at most major airports in Canada.

With Priceline your savings are almost always guaranteed. If you find a lesser price for the same car make and model and for the same car company, location, dates, and other details on another site within two days, Priceline will refund 100 percent of the difference. Priceline also pledges that you will drive a well-oiled car in perfect running condition, and in case of mechanical troubles, the five aforementioned companies offer repair services. Moreover, they change vehicles across Canada and the U.S.

Tips for bidding on Priceline’s Rental cars

Do your Research

How much you will save by using Priceline depends on how well you research. Look into prices online at other car rental bidding sites on the same day you plan to bid on Priceline. Compare prices between these sites, keeping in mind that the sites do not disclose brand names and models until you make the purchase.

Make up your mind on your Priceline Bid

A foolproof game plan for figuring out what bid to enter at Priceline is to undercut the Hotwire price by as much as 20%. Priceline usually offers a “one-time chance” to rent for a cheaper price than most sites. In many cases bidders are able to save a whopping 45%. If you are willing to go to such lengths by looking into off-airport car rental locations, you might get a better deal that could secure savings even greater than 45%.

Bid 20% Lower

As a rule, make your bid 20% lower than the best available prices you find on other discount travel websites, especially on those that reveal the brand name in advance. You may get a bigger discount on large cars in particular.

For any size car, go for a bigger discounts of 30% or more if you are bidding days or weeks in advance. It does not matter if your plans coincide with a peak season or landmark occasion. If your bid is rejected, you have lost nothing because you still have the chance to re-bid.

Think about Bidding Days and Seasons

At peak times fewer mark downs are available. During school breaks in particular it is rare to find significant car rental discounts near popular attractions. At other times standard weekend rental prices at 12 noon Thursday through Monday are generally cheaper than weekday rates. In that case, be sure to base your bid rate for weekend reservations on weekend prices as well.

Consider your Personal Requirements

Keep in mind that that subcompact and economy cars rarely come with radios and CD players. If you prefer to have these extras in the vehicle you rent, then bid on a compact-size car. Chances are you will find very small differences in price.

No instant Re-bid

Priceline.com Rental Cars allows you to bid only on the same car size, location, and dates once every 24 hours. You can re-bid sooner than that, however, if you change one of the three components.

Bid Early

As with any online service, the best way to avoid a possible shortage is
to bid as early as possible. This is easier with rental cars than with other travel-related services, since you do not have to make a nonrefundable payment right away. However, some online sites charge a cancellation fee. Hertz, for instance, charges $25 for a cancelled transaction.

Alternative Bookings

If you come across a "not available" notice when you make your reservation, don’t hesitate to consider the obvious alternatives: a bigger or smaller model, a pickup rather than airport, etc. If the national chains cannot find the car you are looking for, think about renting from a smaller company that may have a smaller fleet but fewer customers. You can find them by browsing through classified phone directories in your local papers or conducting online searches.
If you are not positive you will not cancel, however, stick to making the rental arrangement through Priceline. Regular rates have been going up recently, and the best way to save is to rent from one of the reliable and transparent sites.

Reservation but no Car coming?

As long as you have a final and binding booking, no shortage should affect you. If you are told no cars are available right now, remember that your reservation is a legal contract that the rental company is obliged to honor. However, no laws prohibit over-sales or failures to deliver rental cars. The rental car industry does offer a standard solution to this problem. When the car you have reserved is not available, the common practice among rental companies is usually one of the following: (1) upgrade your reservation to a better vehicle at no additional cost; (2) offer a lower-grade car along with a rebate equivalent to the rate difference; or (3) arrange for another company branch to deliver your car.

If your rental company cannot deliver on any of these terms, you should find a car at a competing agency, rent it, and have the original company absorb any rate difference.