Avis Rent A Car's official stance on when a Car is Due back and additional charges.
Car rentals are 24 hour period dependent. For example. If you rent a car today, at noon, the car is due back at noon tomorrow. If you rent a car today at noon, and SCHEDULE to bring it back at 8am, you still have until noon before additional charges are applied. This principle works no matter what the length of rental is. Rent A car for 5 days on the weekly rate, you have until the 7th day, to the exact mintue, to return the car.

Examples, using Avis type dating and numerology.

X-HK/C 05AUG05/1400 Due back 16AUG05/0800


In this example, your C Class Car is due back August 16th at 8am by your request. However, you have until 1400 that day, or 2pm, plus the 59 minute grace period to avoid additional charges. in this example... the car rental in question

X-HK/C 05AUG05/1400 Due back 17AUG05/1800

In this example, your C Class Car is due back August 17th at 1800. But if the car was rented on the "weekly" rate plan, meaning your car has a weekly rate available on your rental agreement, then the car can be returned on the 19th of august at 1400 plus the 59 minute grace period to avoid additional charges. HOWEVER since you went past your "requested return date" it will be considered overdue and you would need to call Avis Rent A car on the 17th of augst to "extend the car agreement". it wont cost anything to keep the car the extra days, but you should let them know the car isnt coming back that day.


Now, because avis gives you the 59 minute grace period, if you are one minute late, most of the time they have absolutely no remorse for the additional hour charge. If you decide to use the 59 minute grace period for extra time for your use, you run the risk of coming onto the the lot at 58 minutes and waiting 3 minutes for check in. Sorry to say, thats not a good enough excuse. Some managers will go ahead and wave the additional hour, but that is by no means "your right" so you better ask nicely. Managers have been instructed to NOT wave the additional hour on rentals where "the person exeeded their requested return time and the 59 min grace period" but are told "to use their better judgement on rentals where the requested return time and the actual paid time (24 hour period) coincide.

example. you rent the car today at noon. request to return it tomorrow at 1230, the requested return time and the grace period coincide, and the price estimate is given based on you returning it exactly at 1230, thus no additional hour on the estimate. But if you returned it at 1300, managers could, if they dont see anything on the contract giving you the full riot act on when its due back to avoid charges, waive the hour.

Essentially, if your rental agreement shows pen marks by the agent specifically saying EXACTLY whent he car is due back to avoid charges, youll likely get stuck with the addtional hour.

one more scenario.

If you rent a car today at noon and will tell them that you will bring it back at 230 tomorrow, then there is no grace period. Your rental quote used the grace period from noon to 12:59 and then started charging hourly. In that scenario though, if you bring back the car early, it will cost less. If you bring it back late, (15:00) then it will charge you for one more hour, or the daily rate, whichever is cheaper. So in that scenario, there really isnt a grace period because the grace period was used in the quote itself. Once the rental overage ( any amount over the 24 hour day plus 59 minutes grace) exceeds three hours, it is usually (more often than not) cheaper to take the daily rate and the computer automatically chooses that rate.