National - Pre-pay fuel for just a few gallons?

Is there a way to pre-pay (or be billed, upon returning a car) for just a few gallons of gas, rather than a whole tank?

I regularly rent cars in Charlotte, and I fill up on cheap gas in SC before crossing into NC and driving about 30 miles to the airport, which means that I have to buy about a gallon or so of gas right near the airport to refill the car. I'd like to avoid having to buy gas a second time in NC.

I thought about doing the upfront fuel option, but I see that it requires that you pay for a whole tank of gas.

The National website states that you'll have to pay for gas needed to fill up your car, if you don't return it with a full tank. That's fine, if I'd be billed for just about what I used up (a gallon or so)...but in practice, is the billing accurate?

Thanks.

They bill at something like $8/gallon normally.

While probably cheaper to do it yourself, I have been offered to prepay for half a tank a slightly from time to time. I have never taken then up on the offer as my planned mileage never synched up when they made the offer.

Try this website: http://gasbuddy.com/ to find a gas station:
1. to buy that last gallon at, and
2. that is near enough to the airport to have the gas gauge reading full when you turn the car in.

They (National as well as all other rental car companies) bill you for the gas used if you return less than full (and did not buy the fuel option) at a rate of somewhere around 2x the average local price per gallon (close to $8 these days).

If you pay for the fuel option - basically you are paying for all the fuel in the car - the rate is slightly less than the average local price - they are counting on you returning the car with "some" fuel in the tank thereby making a profit on "selling" you the fuel at a slight discount.

There is no way for you to prepay for a few gallons (or some fraction - say 1/4 - of the tank).

FWIW, I do not recall ever having rented a car that was filled to the brim. And everytime I have returned one, all they look for is that the needle is pointing to the F (many of which don't budge until a few gallons have been used).

That being said, I would simply suck it up and pay the extra 30 cents or whatever per gallon at the returning State's gas price and top it off...I never have liked being THAT person who returns one less than full. I just wish more people felt that way so I knew I was really starting with a full tank...

That's fine, if I'd be billed for just about what I used up (a gallon or so)...but in practice, is the billing accurate?


Accurate? That's a tough standard. They don't take the car from you, fill it, and use the volume from the meter to the nearest tenth of a gallon.

Fair? The mechanism if one hasn't purchased gas appears to be distance traveled/EPA rated city mileage * contract gas price per gallon. If one drives 30 miles in an Impala that means you're going to buy about 1.5 gallons, or around $12 (unless you're using a corp. code with a market-based fuel cost per gallon).

Rational people will recognize there's a value in not needing to stop (the Gas Buddy suggestion plus GPS nav makes things easier). Whether that's worth the difference between National's fuel charge and do-it-yourself is up to you. I won't risk missing a flight to put gas in a rental car, but unless I'm running late due to a long-winded client, I don't try to cut it close, either.

Is there a way to pre-pay (or be billed, upon returning a car) for just a few gallons of gas, rather than a whole tank?

I regularly rent cars in Charlotte, and I fill up on cheap gas in SC before crossing into NC and driving about 30 miles to the airport, which means that I have to buy about a gallon or so of gas right near the airport to refill the car. I'd like to avoid having to buy gas a second time in NC.

I thought about doing the upfront fuel option, but I see that it requires that you pay for a whole tank of gas.

The National website states that you'll have to pay for gas needed to fill up your car, if you don't return it with a full tank. That's fine, if I'd be billed for just about what I used up (a gallon or so)...but in practice, is the billing accurate?

Thanks.

I do the same thing. I usually rent in Charlotte and Atlanta a lot and I fill up at the last exit before entering North Carolina. I then top off at the Shell on Little Rock Rd. They had gas for $3.38 there yesterday and it was about $3.89 in Charlotte.

I use national every week and have had a couple scenarios play out.

I never prepay because of the price, if I forget or am running behind and did not get the car filled up they are usually pretty good about being FAIR. Often times they would ask if you filled the car up and I would say "dang I forgot, but I have time to go do it" and they will barter with me to only charge say 2/3 of what is actually missing from a full tank.

Last time in San Antonio the guy was very cool and charged me a 1/4 tank when it was just under 1/2 tank.


They also now allow you to prepay for a 1/2 tank which is not terrible.

Thanks- this is all very helpful.

I also tried that gas station at I-85 exit 106 thanks to the suggestion above. Funny how the stations right at that exit, next to the NC border (and thus closer to NC's higher gas prices), have cheaper gas than further into South Carolina.

Worst fill up I had was near San Diego CA where the gas stations only take CASH MONEY, no plastics..

Not all locations allow the half tank pre-pay. I did it at DFW last year, but this year at LAX, they only have the full tank pre-pay option. A waste since I generally use about 1/2 a tank. Luckily LAX has a few gas stations on the road to the National lot.

Also, FWIW, the "I forgot to fill it rate" at LAX this morning was $6.20ish/gallon while the pre-pay full tank option was $4.20ish/gallon.

Maybe it's just me (and I never use the prepay option) but this seems like it is so ripe for the customer to be taken advantage of. Even though I usually check what a given car's tank capacity is while I have it out, 98% of renters who arent interested in cars probably don't. So how does that person know if their returned car has a 12, 15, or 18 gallon tank? I suppose it's one thing if its a corporate rental and you never see the bill. But if you're paying out of your pocket, it would theoretically be on you to ensure that you didn't get charged for an extra gallon or two, which seems like it would involve a whole lot of extra work.

Or am I missing something?

You're not.

Seeking to 'bring it back empty' is work for the driver (true tank balance, estimating miles needed to complete the journey) and wholly impractical for short duration/low mileage trips. It's a sucker's bet.

I have seen - in Europe - agencies offering refueling at market-based pump prices plus a flat service fee of maybe $6, for those who don't want to interrupt their travel to refuel the car. That seems like a civilized way of doing things - but cuts profit potential for rental agencies so I fear there's no chance it will catch on in the U.S.

What would be better would be a contractually agreed-upon number of gallon prepurchase. That way, you know exactly what you're getting. The problem there though would be who knows what happens where a porter says the X gallons didn't return the car to full and then you get charged for the difference. I really don't think there's a good solution to this...which is why I will continue to fuel it myself!

But whoever recommended the GasBuddy app - cannot recommend this enough. Makes refueling prior to returns a breeze. And generally most gas gauges give you a minimum of 10-20 miles you can drive before that needle moves anyways, even more on the highway. Not to mention, if it's a short trip and you're only putting in a few gallons anyways...does the extra $1 make a difference between the more expensive and the cheaper station?

I didn't know they have a half tank option. I rented from SNA national and opted for them filling my tank because the girl made it sound like I would only have to pay for what I used. I was in a hurry coming in and and I knew I was going to be in a hurry coming back, so I said yes. I know, I should have read the fine pring, but I used barely a quarter tank and it cost me nearly $80! I was distraught and I called emailed national, and they adjusted to cost for me.

I never ever prepay fuel. On the other hand, I've had issues with fuel gauges not registering completely full even after topping it off within 5 miles of turning it in. One of the 'other' rental companies actually tried to charge me for a tank because of this!! He asked me why didn't I say something when I picked it up. I said, because it was reading full! Took some bickering back and forth before he finally chalked it up to a faulty gauge. I believe I even showed him the receipt where I filled up!

Anyhoo, another story involved a flex fuel minivan I rented up @ MSP. They tried to get me to buy the 1/2 tank option at like $3.75/gal. Found an E-85 station (lots up in 'green' country) that was selling the corn blend @ $3.27/gal!! Did a lot of driving and topped off with E-85 before dropping it off. Saved quite a bit going with the corn version :)

+1 for E85 flex fuel vehicles here in MSP. Almost every "Holiday" gas station (a local/regional change, 2nd largest brand in the metro) has E85, usually about $.50 to $.60 a gallon cheaper than regular unleaded.

Refueling with E85 is cheaper, and an excellent idea, if you're about to return the car to a Midwestern airport. E85 will reduce gas mileage, but who cares, since you won't be driving the car much longer. :p

But if you're passing through, ex on a cross country roadtrip, the upfront cheaper cost will be offset by the need to refuel sooner and more often.