Renting a car under 25: the definitive guide
Jul 21, 2004, 4:10 am
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Renting a car in the U.S. under 25: the definitive guide
Considering that there are more than a few of us here between the ages of 21-25, I thought it might be a useful contribution to the FT community to write a definitive guide to renting cars as a young twentysomething. Here goes.
Avis and Hertz do not rent to under 25s in the United States, period, unless you work for a company that has a special contract with either agency. However, there is a loophole for Hertz: if you join the American Bar Association as a "friend" ($150 or so per year) you're able to rent from Hertz as a 21-25 y.o. if you use the ABA booking code.
Budget's corporate locations require renters to be at least 25. However, many franchise operations have a minimum age of 23 or 21. Check www.budget.com for specifics.
Thrifty, Dollar, Alamo, and National allow young renters between the ages of 21 and 25 but charge a fee ranging from $10-$25 per day for the privilege.
Enterprise is the most liberal of all the majors when it comes to us younguns. You must be 21 to rent, but many locations don't assess a surcharge for under 25s. Those that do impose a fee typically only charge $10 per day extra.
Renting a car anywhere in New York or Michigan is possible for anyone over the age of 18 due to court decisions prohibiting age discrimination. However, be prepared to pay a hefty fee over and above the normal rental cost if you're 18 to 20.
My recommendation? National has provided the best service in my experience as a 22-year-old. Most locations are corporate-owned so there's consistency from city to city, and best of all many contract ID's (discount codes) reduce the underage fee to an easier-to-swallow $10 per day. Check the National board under "Car Rental Programs" for a long list of contract IDs. Also beneficial is a free Emerald Club membership, which allows you to bypass the rental counter and select the car of your choice from a special assortment of vehicles on the "Emerald Aisle." Emerald Club is a huge time saver, especially at busier airports.
Enterprise is also a good option, though the locations usually don't have a very large selection of cars and there's often a hard sell for the optional insurance. Staff is very professional, though---and I've found that at certain airport locations (notably Chicago O'Hare and Midway) they'll even match competitors' rates and waive one-way drop-off fees.
Speaking of insurance, be sure you have a major credit card, as most rental agencies do NOT accept debit cards. Since many of us have "student" credit cards with low limits, be aware that a few hundred dollars of your available credit may be taken as a security deposit until you return the vehicle. National only authorizes your card for the estimated amount of the rental, but Enterprise puts a hold for either $100 or $200 and Dollar a whopping $350 on your credit card. Be sure your CC isn't "maxed out" or otherwise you'll be forced to walk to your final destination
If you plan to rent cars frequently, try to get a Diners Club charge card. Diners provides primary collision insurance, an exclusive benefit that no other card offers. That means that no matter how expensive the damage to your rented car might be, you won't have to notify your personal auto insurance company and risk higher premiums. It's well worth the $95 annual fee in my opinion.
Second best for rental insurance is Visa. As of March 1, 2004, all U.S.-issued Visa cards, whether Classic, Gold, or Platinum, provide automatic secondary collision insurance for vehicles rented and paid for with the card. What "secondary" means is that Visa will only pay for the portion of the insurance claim that's less than the collision deductible on your own car's policy. If you drive an older vehicle and don't have collision coverage (or don't have a car at all), your credit card will cover you for the entire amount of the claim. Visa also pays for "loss of use" charges that are imposed by most rental agencies while a car is being repaired. Typically you will be charged for a full day's rental for each day the vehicle is in the shop to cover loss of use, which means Visa's benefit can be quite valuable if you happen to be in a serious accident.
American Express offers secondary collision coverage as well on all cards EXCEPT Blue for Students and Student Charge Card. However, AmEx does not cover loss of use, which makes it an inferior choice to Visa for car rentals.
MasterCard, to my knowledge, leaves it up to the issuing bank to determine whether there's rental coverage included. Read the fine print on your cardmember agreement carefully before choosing to rent with a MasterCard.
Discover's Gold and Platinum cards include secondary collision insurance for rental cars but like AmEx do not cover loss of use. Be aware that Discover Classic cards (as well as Student cards) have no car rental coverage.
Happy rentals, everyone!
(p.s. if anyone has experience renting cars in Europe under the age of 25, feel free to enlighten us! Most agencies there have a minimum age of at least 23).
Avis and Hertz do not rent to under 25s in the United States, period, unless you work for a company that has a special contract with either agency. However, there is a loophole for Hertz: if you join the American Bar Association as a "friend" ($150 or so per year) you're able to rent from Hertz as a 21-25 y.o. if you use the ABA booking code.
Budget's corporate locations require renters to be at least 25. However, many franchise operations have a minimum age of 23 or 21. Check www.budget.com for specifics.
Thrifty, Dollar, Alamo, and National allow young renters between the ages of 21 and 25 but charge a fee ranging from $10-$25 per day for the privilege.
Enterprise is the most liberal of all the majors when it comes to us younguns. You must be 21 to rent, but many locations don't assess a surcharge for under 25s. Those that do impose a fee typically only charge $10 per day extra.
Renting a car anywhere in New York or Michigan is possible for anyone over the age of 18 due to court decisions prohibiting age discrimination. However, be prepared to pay a hefty fee over and above the normal rental cost if you're 18 to 20.
My recommendation? National has provided the best service in my experience as a 22-year-old. Most locations are corporate-owned so there's consistency from city to city, and best of all many contract ID's (discount codes) reduce the underage fee to an easier-to-swallow $10 per day. Check the National board under "Car Rental Programs" for a long list of contract IDs. Also beneficial is a free Emerald Club membership, which allows you to bypass the rental counter and select the car of your choice from a special assortment of vehicles on the "Emerald Aisle." Emerald Club is a huge time saver, especially at busier airports.
Enterprise is also a good option, though the locations usually don't have a very large selection of cars and there's often a hard sell for the optional insurance. Staff is very professional, though---and I've found that at certain airport locations (notably Chicago O'Hare and Midway) they'll even match competitors' rates and waive one-way drop-off fees.
Speaking of insurance, be sure you have a major credit card, as most rental agencies do NOT accept debit cards. Since many of us have "student" credit cards with low limits, be aware that a few hundred dollars of your available credit may be taken as a security deposit until you return the vehicle. National only authorizes your card for the estimated amount of the rental, but Enterprise puts a hold for either $100 or $200 and Dollar a whopping $350 on your credit card. Be sure your CC isn't "maxed out" or otherwise you'll be forced to walk to your final destination
If you plan to rent cars frequently, try to get a Diners Club charge card. Diners provides primary collision insurance, an exclusive benefit that no other card offers. That means that no matter how expensive the damage to your rented car might be, you won't have to notify your personal auto insurance company and risk higher premiums. It's well worth the $95 annual fee in my opinion.
Second best for rental insurance is Visa. As of March 1, 2004, all U.S.-issued Visa cards, whether Classic, Gold, or Platinum, provide automatic secondary collision insurance for vehicles rented and paid for with the card. What "secondary" means is that Visa will only pay for the portion of the insurance claim that's less than the collision deductible on your own car's policy. If you drive an older vehicle and don't have collision coverage (or don't have a car at all), your credit card will cover you for the entire amount of the claim. Visa also pays for "loss of use" charges that are imposed by most rental agencies while a car is being repaired. Typically you will be charged for a full day's rental for each day the vehicle is in the shop to cover loss of use, which means Visa's benefit can be quite valuable if you happen to be in a serious accident.
American Express offers secondary collision coverage as well on all cards EXCEPT Blue for Students and Student Charge Card. However, AmEx does not cover loss of use, which makes it an inferior choice to Visa for car rentals.
MasterCard, to my knowledge, leaves it up to the issuing bank to determine whether there's rental coverage included. Read the fine print on your cardmember agreement carefully before choosing to rent with a MasterCard.
Discover's Gold and Platinum cards include secondary collision insurance for rental cars but like AmEx do not cover loss of use. Be aware that Discover Classic cards (as well as Student cards) have no car rental coverage.
Happy rentals, everyone!
(p.s. if anyone has experience renting cars in Europe under the age of 25, feel free to enlighten us! Most agencies there have a minimum age of at least 23).
Last edited by wahooflyer; Jul 21, 2004 at 6:21 am Reason: clarification that my post applies to US only
Jul 21, 2004, 6:03 am
#2
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Originally Posted by wahooflyer
Avis and Hertz do not rent to under 25s, period, unless you work for a company that has a special contract with either agency.
Originally Posted by wahooflyer
if anyone has experience renting cars in Europe under the age of 25, feel free to enlighten us! Most agencies there have a minimum age of at least 23).
Sixt's low-cost operation, www.sixti.de, is quite cheap and has a min age requirement of just 18. They are far from omnipresent, though.
I usually travel either alone or with one other person. First class train in most of Europe (the UK is an exception) is cheaper and more comfortable than renting a car, paying for petrol, getting lost etc.
Jul 21, 2004, 8:22 am
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Hertz in Spain
I've rented in Spain from Hertz when I was only 22. Not sure if this was me getting lucky with an idiot agent or what, but I got a car to bum around Mallorca in for a few days. 
Jul 21, 2004, 11:16 am
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the poster has ammended his/ her post to:
Avis and Hertz do not rent to under 25s in the United States, period, unless you work for a company that has a special contract with either agency. However, there is a loophole for Hertz: if you join the American Bar Association as a "friend" ($150 or so per year) you're able to rent from Hertz as a 21-25 y.o. if you use the ABA booking code.
Avis and Hertz do not rent to under 25s in the United States, period, unless you work for a company that has a special contract with either agency. However, there is a loophole for Hertz: if you join the American Bar Association as a "friend" ($150 or so per year) you're able to rent from Hertz as a 21-25 y.o. if you use the ABA booking code.
Jul 22, 2004, 2:06 pm
#5
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USAA Members
As a Hokie, I hate having to correct a Hoo 
, but I know for a fact that if you are a USAA member (banking or insurance), you can rent from AVIS if you are 21 for no additional fee. Also, if you are a federal government employee, you can rent cars from (at a minimum) Avis and Hertz at 18.
, but I know for a fact that if you are a USAA member (banking or insurance), you can rent from AVIS if you are 21 for no additional fee. Also, if you are a federal government employee, you can rent cars from (at a minimum) Avis and Hertz at 18.
Jul 22, 2004, 11:09 pm
#6
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BTW I think Diners have a worldwide min age of 24, or so I was told last year in Greece when my application for one as my cheap plan B for getting lounge access was rejected on the basis of my age! 
Jul 23, 2004, 1:09 am
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Originally Posted by graraps
BTW I think Diners have a worldwide min age of 24, or so I was told last year in Greece when my application for one as my cheap plan B for getting lounge access was rejected on the basis of my age!
Jul 23, 2004, 1:27 am
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Originally Posted by GuyIncognito
As a Hokie, I hate having to correct a Hoo , but I know for a fact that if you are a USAA member (banking or insurance), you can rent from AVIS if you are 21 for no additional fee. Also, if you are a federal government employee, you can rent cars from (at a minimum) Avis and Hertz at 18.
, but I know for a fact that if you are a USAA member (banking or insurance), you can rent from AVIS if you are 21 for no additional fee. Also, if you are a federal government employee, you can rent cars from (at a minimum) Avis and Hertz at 18.graraps, the minimum age for Diners Club varies by country. Here in the US it's only 18, as it is for all other credit cards, though one would likely have to have some prior credit history (such as being an authorized user on parents' credit cards) before being approved for Diners as it's not marketed as an entry-level or student card.
Jul 23, 2004, 1:30 am
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Originally Posted by wahooflyer
graraps, the minimum age for Diners Club varies by country.
Jul 23, 2004, 6:44 am
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I rented in Europe many times at age 21-24. (I also rented at age 19, but that was a piece of crap little beater rented from a used car dealer in Aberystwyth to drive all over the U.K. for a week, so I guess that doesn't count. )
The main large-chain company I used was Kenning, but I know I had a couple of wholesale rentals through AutoEurope where they sent me to either the National equivalent or Budget. (AutoEurope added a fee, but Kenning didn't. At the time, USAA would issue a letter of insurance for Europe rental cars, but they no longer do that.)
U25's can use Priceline for their booking. The terms of Priceline state that any underage fees are considered part of your bid and that you do not pay extra at the counter. Granted, Priceline isn't the Holy Grail of Car Rental Bookings like it is for hotels, but if you have a specific type of rental for which Priceline makes sense (e.g., a 5-day or 9-day rental), it also stands to reason that you might save some money on the underage fee as well. In any case, if you have time to rebid, you might be able to nail down a good rate.
)The main large-chain company I used was Kenning, but I know I had a couple of wholesale rentals through AutoEurope where they sent me to either the National equivalent or Budget. (AutoEurope added a fee, but Kenning didn't. At the time, USAA would issue a letter of insurance for Europe rental cars, but they no longer do that.)
U25's can use Priceline for their booking. The terms of Priceline state that any underage fees are considered part of your bid and that you do not pay extra at the counter. Granted, Priceline isn't the Holy Grail of Car Rental Bookings like it is for hotels, but if you have a specific type of rental for which Priceline makes sense (e.g., a 5-day or 9-day rental), it also stands to reason that you might save some money on the underage fee as well. In any case, if you have time to rebid, you might be able to nail down a good rate.
Feb 22, 2005, 6:58 pm
#13
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Used this guide and it saved!
I just wanted to post my thanks to 'wahooflyer' for this informative thread. I am 21 and will be down in Florida for 10 days in March and was looking at rental prices of $350 - 500 dollars! After it was all said and done -> National ended up being the cheapest, for an intermediate sized car, at $190.25 all in, without any underage daily charges! I was also able to utilize corporate discount codes found from this thread:
Discount Contract ID's
Discount Contract ID's
Jul 26, 2006, 1:15 pm
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Hertz Age Qualifications
I've been doing some homework on this since my bf is 22. Here's a link where you can look up qualifications for renting from Hertz:
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/byr/i...ationsView.jsp
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/byr/i...ationsView.jsp
Jul 26, 2006, 3:19 pm
#15
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Update - Avis now appears to accept under-25 renters @ $25/day extra:
Age Requirements
Avis recently lowered the rental minimum age to 21 years old in all states except:
Locations in the states of Connecticut, Washington DC, Iowa and Idaho, and select locations in New Jersey.
New York State will continue to have a minimum age of 18 with a $110 surcharge per day.
Rather than requiring customers to be 25 to rent, Avis now rents to customers between the ages of 21-24 with a valid credit card and driver's license.
At time of rental, we will automatically apply an additional $25-per-day underage surcharge for these drivers. Additionally, the following restrictions also will apply for renters between the ages of 21-24: Renters of luxury, Mini-Vans, 12-Passenger Vans, Specialty, and Full-Size SUVs, Premium SUVs will not be permitted.
Avis recently lowered the rental minimum age to 21 years old in all states except:
Locations in the states of Connecticut, Washington DC, Iowa and Idaho, and select locations in New Jersey.
New York State will continue to have a minimum age of 18 with a $110 surcharge per day.
Rather than requiring customers to be 25 to rent, Avis now rents to customers between the ages of 21-24 with a valid credit card and driver's license.
At time of rental, we will automatically apply an additional $25-per-day underage surcharge for these drivers. Additionally, the following restrictions also will apply for renters between the ages of 21-24: Renters of luxury, Mini-Vans, 12-Passenger Vans, Specialty, and Full-Size SUVs, Premium SUVs will not be permitted.