When planning a trip, comparing car rental rates is a crucial step to ensure you get the best value for your money. Budget Car Rental understands this need and offers compelling programs designed to provide you with not only competitive prices but also added benefits. Let’s explore how you can confidently compare car rental rates and discover the advantages Budget provides to make your travel experience smoother and more affordable.
Budget’s Best Rate Guarantee: Your Price Match Promise
Budget is committed to offering you the most competitive prices. Their Best Rate Guarantee is designed to give you peace of mind, ensuring that you’re securing the best possible deal directly through Budget. This guarantee essentially states that if you find a lower publicly available rate for the same rental criteria elsewhere, Budget will match it.
However, it’s important to understand the exceptions to this guarantee. To ensure fair comparison, the Best Rate Guarantee does not apply to rates that fall under the following categories:
- Competitor Rates: Rates from other car rental companies, including brands like Avis, National, Enterprise, Alamo, Sixt, Dollar, and Payless, are excluded from the guarantee. The focus is on comparing rates within the Budget ecosystem and potentially against similar offerings, not direct competitor price matching.
- Discounted and Negotiated Rates: Rates obtained through discounts, coupons, upgrade offers, pre-negotiated deals (such as group, government, corporate, tour, or insurance replacement rentals), or similar special rate programs are not eligible. These rates are already discounted and fall outside the scope of standard rate comparison.
- Package Deal Rates: Car rental rates that are part of a package deal, such as those bundled with airfare, hotel stays, or other travel components, are not considered for the guarantee. Package rates are often discounted and don’t allow for direct rate comparisons.
- Auction and Wholesale Rates: Rates found on auction or wholesale websites where the car rental company’s name is not revealed until after the purchase are excluded. These opaque booking methods make it difficult to verify and compare rates accurately.
- Membership-Required Rates: Rates from websites that require a membership login to view and access the rate do not qualify. The guarantee applies to publicly accessible rates available to all customers.
Unlock a Free Day on Your Car Rental
For longer trips, Budget sweetens the deal even further with a “Free Day Earned on 3rd Day Minimum” offer. This promotion allows you to enjoy one day free of the daily time and mileage charges when you rent for three days or more. This offer is applicable to rentals of intermediate (group C) through full-size four-door (group E) cars.
It’s important to note that while the daily rental rate is waived for one day, you are still responsible for taxes, concession recovery fees, customer facility charges (like the $10 contract fee in California), and fuel charges. Optional add-ons like Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) and other surcharges are also extra.
This free day offer cannot be combined with one-way rentals or used in conjunction with other coupons, promotions, or offers. It is valid at Budget locations within the contiguous U.S., excluding the New York Metro area, and may be subject to holiday and blackout periods. An advance reservation is necessary, and you’ll need to provide a profile number associated with the coupon. Remember to cancel your reservation by the rental date to avoid coupon usage. Vehicle availability may vary, and the offer may not be available on all rates at all times. For online bookings on Budget.com, the free day will be applied at the rental counter. Budget retains the right to modify or expire coupons without prior notice and coupons cannot be applied to completed rentals. Standard Budget age, driver, and credit requirements apply, and minimum age may vary by location with potential surcharges for renters under 25. This offer is valid for rentals starting on or before December 31, 2023.
Enjoy a Complimentary Car Upgrade
To enhance your driving experience, Budget also provides a “FREE UPGRADE” offer. This allows you to upgrade by one car class, subject to availability, when you book a compact through full-size four-door car. This is a fantastic way to enjoy a more comfortable or spacious vehicle without paying extra. Imagine booking a compact car and potentially driving away in an intermediate or even a full-size sedan, depending on availability at the time of rental.
This upgrade is automatically applied at the rental location if available and is a great bonus to consider when comparing car rental options.
Making Your Car Rental Choice
When you compare car rental rates, remember to look beyond just the base price. Consider the added value and benefits offered. Budget Car Rental provides not only a Best Rate Guarantee, ensuring competitive pricing, but also valuable incentives like free days and upgrades. By taking these factors into account, you can make an informed decision and choose a car rental that best fits your needs and budget, knowing you’re getting a great deal with Budget.
