Do you find yourself thinking that you have too many cards in your wallet, too many different loyalty programs and too many point schemes to consider? If so you probably feel you waste hours trying to understand the offers, when you would rather be planning the more enjoyable parts of your holiday.

Car hire is one such area, so we’ve taken a closer look at types of loyalty program tie-ups and point schemes you can find at Australia’s five major car hire providers – Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty.

There are two very different aims when considering programs and points associated with car hire. First is getting the best deal possible and second is getting the most out of that deal.

Getting the best deal possible

There are typically four types of discounts offered by car hire companies. These include:

• Coupon offers, which are the large majority of the offers and change frequently,
• Standing percentage discounts based on your membership to a particular organisation,
• Loyalty discounts which are provided only to the most loyal and high-use customers, and
• Corporate discounts, provided to companies and businesses.

Start your research by checking the available car hire coupons, which we’ve scoured each of their websites to compile for you, and in discount books such as the NRMA guide or Entertainment Book.

With your vouchers and codes ready, contact the car hire company. Mention to them any airline, auto club, hotel program and credit card group that you are associated with. Even if you are unable to get a discount, you can record the details for future point collection where applicable. Some providers only accept these details at the time of reservation.

Discounts may also be available as a result of membership with some international airline frequent flyer programs. All discounts are subject to providing proof on check-in.

Earning new points or miles

Each car hire provider is partnered with a large number of airlines and other companies allowing you to earn points or miles as you drive.

Australian Frequent Flyer Programs

Qantas offer three points per dollar spent on time or kilometre expenses (excluding GST, insurance and other such costs) with Avis, Budget, Hertz and Thrifty. This is extended with Avis and Hertz to provide 700 points for any international hire you make through these companies.

Virgin Blue is connected with Europcar and Thrifty only, offering a number of points between three and five per dollar spent based on your Virgin Blue Frequent Flyer membership level.

Australian Banking Options

Through Westpac Altitude and Qantas American Express, points may be earned by renting your hire car through Budget.

International Airline Partners

Every airline is associated with at least one of the major Australian car hire providers. However, there are so many airlines with differing reward points options that it is recommended that you contact your airline and ask who their car hire partners in Australia are and how it works.

If you have multiple frequent flyer rewards cards, you may need to compare the deal you receive. Make sure that you check whether the number of points is provided per dollar spent (as both the main Australian airlines do), per day (e.g. AAdvantage, United Airlines and Air New Zealand) or per rental, which is provided by most of the other airlines including the Australian airlines for international rentals.

Getting the best out of your booking

1. Check for discount car hire coupons.
2. Ask about discounts based on airline program, auto program, hotel program and credit card programs.
3. See if your international or local frequent flyer scheme is covered.
4. Compare each of your frequent flyer program offers to determine which is best, as you are only able to select one per booking.
5. If you are travelling on a corporate rate ask what points you are entitled to earn. Because the corporate rate is discounted, some hire companies do not provide any points or miles, while others provide a reduced number.

Related posts:

1. Frequent Renter Programs: Is There A Winner?
2. Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside)
3. Car Hire Insurance On Your Credit Card

Are you driving in circles with your frequent renter program options but failing to get anywhere?

Loyalty programs are offered by all of Australia’s five major car hire companies, but at a glance it can be hard to determine if any are superior. So we set our research team to work to find you the answer.

What are the programs?

Each car hire company has its own branded frequent driver offer – Avis Preferred, Budget Fastbreak, Europcar Ready Program, Hertz #1 Gold Club and Thrifty Blue Chip.

Unfortunately the name is probably the most individual thing about them.  Each program will provide you with faster reservations, record your preferences and ensure that you have priority over other customers who are not part of their program.  With each, you will receive a card and a membership number.

Effectively by retaining your details on file, it speeds up the transaction time of both parties, thereby reducing administration costs over the long term.

Do they give me a discount for being a member?

The short answer is no.  The programs do not entitle you to a direct discount in their own right.  The best deal you can expect, as a result of being a member of their program is that you will be offered in most cases the best rate of the day. Being a member of the NRMA, an auto club, or Frequent Flyer program however may entitle you to a 5-10% discount depending on the car hire company. However, Avis and Hertz do offer the occasional member-exclusive offers like free days that can be better than the discount coupons available to the general public (Thanks Adam M.)

Most hire companies have a second or third tier of membership to which you cannot join, but must earn.  This is similar to a frequent flyer membership where you can only progress up to the next level by travelling a certain number of times and distances.  If you travel very frequently you may find yourself admitted to this group and therefore may become eligible for a greater level of priority, more upgrades and discounts.

Are there any other benefits of membership?

There are a few additional benefits to some memberships, which separate the quality of the programs.

Priority number
Avis, Hertz and Thrifty offer their frequent or priority members a dedicated phone line. The others direct you through to their standard reservation line which in some instances, particularly Europcar, can leave you waiting 10-15 minutes to be answered.

Priority service
Priority service is offered by all the providers. However in the cases of Avis and Hertz, this means no stopping at the counter at all within the main Australian airports, allowing you to simply proceed to the car.

Other features
Hertz goes one step further than the other car hire companies, in that they have a ‘no additional driver charge’ feature which is applicable on all their cars and provides a discount to gold members on the rental of infant or child seats.  In addition, they offer their own points reward program so you can still achieve points even if you are not part of one of their affiliated frequent flyer programs.

Joining the program

Each programs is free to join, except Hertz, which is only free to Australian residents.  The forms simply need to be downloaded from the website, completed and returned.

Be aware when selecting any preferences on your application form that this information will be automatically used on all your future bookings with that company.  Should you need to change a preference, you will need to contact the company to update your details.

A final word

Because all the providers are similar, the choice of your hire car company is likely to come down to individual cost and features at the time you wish to travel.  The only time this would not be the case is when you travel very frequently, then aiming for one of the memberships such as Hertz which offers an upgrade after 10 hires in one year, may be worthwhile.

There is no reason not to join multiple programs given they are free.  The only investment is your time to complete the information required.

Finally frequent renter programs do not have to mean another five cards in your back pocket.  Each provider confirmed that as long as you have your number available you do not need to physically provide your card. So if you choose to join multiple programs, save your wallet from exploding by creating one card with the names, program numbers and phone numbers on it.

Links

Avis Preferred Service
Budget Fastbreak
Europcar Ready
Hertz #1 Club
Thrifty Blue Chip

Related posts:

1. Car Hire Discounts from Partner Programs
2. Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside)

We’ve revamped this page by popular demand to provide all the information you need to ensure you are well covered. But please be sure to double check all the terms and conditions of any policy before you commit to ensure you understand your cover. Before you proceed, you may want to make sure you understand all the car hire insurance jargon and terminologies.

• What you need to be aware of
• High price of getting extra protection the conventional way (from car rental companies)
• You have choices! Save big time with alternative car hire excess insurance providers
• With an inclusive Travel Insurance policy
• With a specialized Car Hire Excess Insurance policy

Standard excess inclusion
All car hire throughout Australia comes with a basic level of insurance commonly known as Standard Liability or Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). That often still leaves you liable for up to about A$3,000 for any damages to the rental car (this excess amount varies with different companies so do always check)

Are you under 25
If you are between 21-24 years, standard liability excess levels tends to be higher (e.g. a standard liability excess of A$2,500 renters 25+ years could be A$3,000 for 21-24 years)

Standard exclusions
Single Vehicle Accidents (SVA) and Windscreen, Headlights and Tyres (WHT) cover are often excluded and has to be added on. In addition, insurance does not cover damages to the overhead, underbody, interior or roof of the car – for all these you’ll just have to keep your fingers crossed.

First, some indicative prices of taking out first-level/cheapest Excess Reduction i.e. reducing from A$3,000 to A$330 (not 0), and without WHT or SVA :

The independents tend to have fewer options available like not offering SVA, WHT or Full Protection.

A quick calculation and you’ll find taking out Excess Reduction protection on a 7-day car hire can blow up your final cost by a staggering A$80-200! But don’t take it and you leave yourself open to even more charges if you damage the car.

So how now brown cow? Well that depends on you. Evaluate what level of insurance you feel comfortable with. Naturally that decision will very well be influenced by the price of taking out additional car hire insurance and here are some great alternative ways to save big while being covered:

For Australians travelling domestically, inclusive travel insurance is the way to go. If you’re an Australian going overseas or an international traveller coming to Australia, take out a specific car hire excess insurance policy.

We’ve uncovered these travel insurance policies that include rental car excess coverage as one of its benefits. Our emphasis for selection is on the car rental excess cover and price but check how the other benefits suit you.

For Australians, the travel insurance providers we’ve recommended typically cover campervans, 4WDs and vans as well as standard rental cars. No excess applies in the event of you make a claim on the car hire benefit. Their rates are usually staggered rather than continuous (e.g. price will stay at A$30 for 6-8 day policies), meaning different companies can offer value depending on your exact required duration so you’ll do well to compare a couple.

There are a handful of third party insurance companies specializing in covering just your car rental excess for a lot less than the car rental companies’ offers. For hires under 20 days, taking a single trip daily rate policy will usually be the way to go. Any longer and you’ll want to look at getting an annual policy.

Features of the Typical Policy
These policies commonly insure you for up to A$3,600 (£2,000) per claim and A$5,500 (£3,000) per rental agreement and have NIL Excess. They are available to anyone aged between 21-74 years (some allow older renters) and applies to standard non-luxury rental vehicles up to the size of vans that have 8 seats or less. They do not cover motorhomes or caravans. As a great bonus perk, the car hire insurance providers often cover damages to the undercarriage, windows and tyres which is almost always excluded in standard coverage. These are TYPICAL features but remember to always double check the exact terms and conditions.

The Procedure for Claims
Car hire excess insurance differs from the Excess Reduction options offered by car rental companies in that the former covers you, not the rental car. The procedure would be you rent a car with the Standard Liability i.e. NOT taking the Excess Reduction option, and then if you incur any damages, the rental company will still charge you up to the limit of the standard excess e.g. A$3,000. You will then claim reimbursement from the car hire excess insurance company. Be sure you acquaint yourself with all the documentation and procedures required for making a claim.

Top ↑

Related posts:

1. Car Hire Insurance On Your Credit Card
2. Understanding Car Hire Insurance
3. How Car Hire Insurance Claims Work

Many of us don’t realize our existing credit cards may already provide us with all the cover we need without having to take out extra excess insurance cover from the car hire companies. You can save precious dollars by checking if this is true for you.

If you are an ANZ or Westpac Gold/Platinum credit cardholder, you may just have it made! Both these credit cards offer car hire cover. (Thanks to Adam M. for the tip!).

ANZ offers Australian car rental excess cover of up to $2,400 less the policy excess of $350. This means for damage excesses under $2,400, you’ll only be liable for the first $350. Beyond $2,400, you will pay $350 plus the amount exceeded.

This Car Rental Cover is available on all its credit cards for a cost $24 per year. Some gold cards get the cover free. This currently excludes ANZ Frequent Flyer Visa Gold and ANZ Rewards Visa Gold.

In effect, it works as if you had taken out the typical excess reduction option offered by the car rental companies. The clause to be aware of is that this cover only applies to excesses i.e. it does not apply to situations where the amount you are liable to pay is more than the standard excess e.g. in single vehicle accidents, water damage which are typically not covered by standard waivers.

More details on ANZ car rental cover
Policy document for ANZ Car Rental Cover

Westpac Platinum cardholders are entitled to be reimbursed up to $5,500 of any amount (not just the excess) they are liable to pay with regards to the loss or damage the rental vehicle. There is a nil excess in Australia and a $200 excess overseas as covered by the Overseas Travel Insurance benefit. Your return overseas travel ticket must have been purchased in full on the card for the travel insurance cover to be applicable.

Westpac Gold cardholders are also covered by Overseas Travel Insurance for up to $5,000 with a $200 excess for car hire abroad. Your return overseas travel ticket must have been purchased on the card for the travel insurance cover to be applicable.

Applies to Altitude, Earth, Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer and 55 day credit cards.

Policy document for Platinum Credit Cards Insurance Policy
Policy document for Gold Credit Cards Insurance

If you’re a visitor to Australia, check with your credit card company to see if your card includes travel insurance benefits that encompass car hire coverage. This is very common amongst Gold and Platinum cards as part of their International Travel Insurance benefit. The “Rental Vehicle Excess Cover” clause can commonly offer from $2,000 to over $5,000 worth of coverage. Always, always read the fine print and call your bank to clarify any ambiguities.

1. Under what situations the policy applies:

• Do you have to charge the car hire or other travel expenses to your credit card?
• Does it apply if you just rent the car with the standard waiver amount or are you expected to take up the additional excess reduction / insurance options offered by the car hire company?

2. If you’re renting anything other than a normal hatchback or sedan, you’ll want to check that the coverage applies to your type of rental vehicle.

3. What precisely do they cover? E.g. theft, or just damages?

4. Do they cover just the excess amount you are liable for? Or any deductible amount charged by the car rental company as a result of loss/damages to your vehicle?

Related posts:

1. Car Hire Insurance: Smarter Alternatives
2. Understanding Car Hire Insurance
3. How Car Hire Insurance Claims Work

Here’s a few more car hire insurance related points to note.

If you damage your rental car, you can expect the car rental company to automatically deduct the MAXIMUM amount you are liable for (e.g. something like $2,750 if you haven’t taken out excess reduction) from the credit card you’ve registered with them. After evaluating the damages and if they ultimately amount to less than that, only then will they reimburse you for the difference. This can take time. Meanwhile, know that you’ll find yourself with a full excess charge sitting on your credit card.

This is the same if you’ve taken out third party car hire insurance. The car hire company will dutifully carry out the deduction as explained above, after which you’ll need to go through the process of making a claim from your insurance provider. As with all insurance claims, you can expect this to take several weeks before you’ll be reimbursed.

Bottomline is, even if you have insurance, if you do end up damaging your rental car, be aware you’ll probably be a little “extra poorer” for some time.

There are various clauses in car rental contracts which explain what they deem a “breach of contract”. This could include driving on unsealed roads, on beaches, in the snow, drunk, or simply to certain off-limit locations like Kangaroo Island or Bruny Island.

If you do any of these things, your entire contract could be considered void. This means you may no longer be protected by any insurance as originally stated in your agreement. The cap on your damage liability may be nullified and you could potentially be charged up to the cost of the entire car if you end up in an accident anytime during the rest of your trip (i.e. even if it didn’t occur during your contract-breaching escapade). And you won’t be able to claim a dime.

So inform yourself on what they consider a breach, don’t do it and you’ll be fine.

• Immediately inform your car hire company of the accident. Check with them (and your car hire insurance company, where applicable) for their specific procedures and requirements
• Ensure you record the name and address of the individuals involved (i.e. driver and owner of the vehicles), as well as the registration plates and licence details
• Get details of any witnesses who can testify as to what happened
• If possible, take photos of the scene as further documentation
• Notify the local police and obtain a signed police report

Related posts:

1. Car Hire Insurance On Your Credit Card
2. Understanding Car Hire Insurance
3. Car Hire Insurance: Smarter Alternatives

From Thredbo to Perisher, Falls Creek to Mt Baw Baw, comes the oft-asked question: Are you allowed to drive your rental car up to the snow?

In their standard terms and conditions, the Big Boys of Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty do NOT allow you to take any rental cars above the snowline or to any area that requires the use of snow chains during the winter season (June-Sep/Oct). If you do, you will be fully liable for any and all damages to the car. However, selected branches of the various companies do offer you the option to purchase additional “snow cover” insurance (although they tend to only be available on larger rentals e.g. Standard, Full-sized, 4WD/AWDs). Also, keep a look out for special winter deals that may already include the snow cover on some vehicles.

Winter 2010 Car Hire Guide for NSW and VIC

Snow cover is usually only available at selected branches. Always double check for your required pickup location and the exact details of the offer.

Related posts:

1. Snow Snow Snow! Winter 2010 Car Hire Guide is here!
2. Inter-City Driving Distances and Times

Plan your budget with these indicative final prices for a basic Australian car rental from the Big Boys (Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, or Europcar).

• 3-day Car Hire
• Smallest Auto (Hatchback) $205 = $70/day
• Full-sized Auto (Sedan) $240 = $80/day

• 7-day Car Hire
• Smallest Auto (Hatchback) A$370 = $55/day
• Full-sized Auto (Sedan) A$429 = $60/day

Prices are for airport car rentals booked one month in advance, with basic insurance and unlimited km’s. They are in A$ and are averaged across the 5 Big Boy companies for the major cities of Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. If hiring from the city/downtown, expect to pay approximately 10-15% less. Sydney car rentals tend to be more expensive and can be 10-20% more than the average prices quoted above.

You can expect these final prices to be inclusive of the following charges (the better sites never hide these fees and their final quoted price is exactly that, final):

• G.S.T. (10%)
• Vehicle Licence/Registration fees ($3-5/day)
• Administration Fee (~3%)
• For airport car hires, Premium Location Fees / Airport Concession Fee (10-16%)

Common additional surcharges that would increase your final cost if applicable:

• Additional insurance – Damage Liability Reduction (~$12-30/day)
• Additional kilometres if not unlimited (~$0.20-0.30/extra km)
• One-way fees (varies from free to substantial)
• Age surcharge for those under 25 (~$5-25/day)
• Additional authorised drivers (varies from free, one-off ~$10, to $5/day)
• Other extras (e.g. G.P.S. $7-10/day, child safety seats $5-10/day)

Related posts:

1. Top Tips For Saving On Your Car Hire

Ask Yourself…

To be able to find the best deal for yourself as quickly as possible, you should know exactly what you need and what your priorities are.

• Most importantly: Do you really need a car?

• What’s the minimum sized car you need? Can it comfortably fit everyone and your bags? If you’ll be doing stops while your luggage is with you, you’ll want to get a car that can fit it all in the boot

• What are your expected pickup and drop-off times? Will it be outside opening hours?

• Will you be the only driver? How old is/are the driver(s)? Some companies charge for additional drivers and drivers under 25 (usually must be at least 21) or above 75

• Savings vs. branding – Are you willing to go for a local independent company for potentially cheaper prices or do you have a definite preference for the big brands of Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty and Europcar? (If the latter is true for you, read our article on comparing these major car hire companies)

• How much driving do you intend to do everyday? Is having unlimited km’s one of your car hire criteria? All the Big Boys offer it but you can quickly eliminate the independent companies that don’t

• Car hire insurance – What level of protection do you require? Many companies have a standard “excess liability” of approx. A$3,000 (i.e. that’s the maximum you’ll be liable for). If you want this excess reduced, they often charge high rates of A$15-25/day. For possible major savings, do read our article on getting more car hire insurance for less

• Savings vs. lower risk/comfort – Would you consider hiring a used car at a higher risk of mechanical problems and lesser comfort for extra savings?

Ask the Car Hire Company…

Be aware of exactly what you’re getting and check if it meets your needs. The best thing to do is to get a copy of the full rental contract in advance.

• How old is your car? (Big Boys’ cars are usually under 1 year-old so this question is more important for independent companies)

• Do they offer any discounts for longer term rentals?

• What are their opening hours? If applicable for yourself, do they offer after-hours drop-offs?

• How many km’s are included and if it isn’t unlimited, how much do they charge per extra km? (Big Boys include unlimited km’s unless otherwise stated. The independent companies vary)

• What is covered (or more importantly, what ISN’T) by their standard insurance policy? Are damages to windscreen, tyres and headlights (W/H/T) or the roof and underbody covered? How are your-fault vs. not-your-fault accidents handled? How do they treat Single Vehicle Accidents (SVA) e.g. if you hit a tree/animal? Are personal injuries and damages to other vehicles or properties covered? It’s common for some of these to be excluded in the standard coverage

• Where can you drive your vehicle? Is there a limit on distance you can take the car e.g. within 500km radius of your pickup location? Can you take the car on a ferry, off-road or in the snow (and still be covered by insurance)? Most companies require you stay on sealed roads unless you hire a 4WD

• Is there a surcharge for additional drivers or an age surcharge?

• When is payment due? Immediately upon booking or only when you pickup the car?

• What are their cancellation or modification policies?

• Will a security deposit or bond be charged to your credit card and if so, how much?

• Will you get a refund for an early return?

• Do they offer free transfers between the depot and the airport or your local accommodation? (for independent companies)

• Do they offer any special discounts for any memberships and/or can you collect frequent flyer points?

Related posts:

1. Top Tips For Saving On Your Car Hire
2. Car Hire Insurance On Your Credit Card

Easy and effective ways to minimize your car hire costs and stretch your dollar.

Book the smallest car you can tolerate, aim for a free upgrade during pickup time. This is much easier than most people think. Car hire companies tend to carry more mid and full-sized cars than small cars and naturally, at any given time, they want to get as many of their cars out on the road as possible. It’s easier for them to rent out the smaller cars and in fact, they tend to overbook those class sizes with the intention to upgrade.

This all means if you book a small compact car and it isn’t available at your pickup time, you’ll get a free upgrade. It also means it’s usually in their own interest to bump you up to a larger class and keep the more popular small cars available for another potential customer.

Know that it doesn’t cost the company any more to upgrade you (or double or triple upgrade you) so don’t let them push you to pay for it. Having said that, if after your best negotiation efforts, the car hire agent insists you to pay a minimal extra amount (they would like to make some commission after all) and it’s still a deal too good to be true, feel free to go for it. At the same time, be prepared that you may simply end up with the smaller car.

Forget the brands, try the local independents. Rather than simply honing in on the big names of Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty or Europcar, give the small companies a chance and you might just find yourself a fantastic deal. We’ve already compiled only the most worthy independent companies for each location so we highly recommend you take an additional 10 minutes (or even less) to do a quick check across them.

Hire from off-site airport companies. Only the Big Boys of Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty and Europcar (also Redspot) are situated on-site. These companies are charged a Premium Location Fee by the airport authorities and that cost will be passed on to you. This ranges from about 10-16% of your total bill. Therefore, going with independent companies with airport depots located a few minutes off-site can lead to significant savings. It’s a cost-savings/convenience trade-off but some independents try to make it easier for you by offering complimentary transfer shuttles depending on your flight arrival time or delivering the car to the airport for you.

Check for hot current car hire deals, discount codes and coupons. There are always all types of hot (and lukewarm) deals coming and going. Be sure to have a look at those we’ve dug up to see if you can capitalize on any of the current specials.

Don’t fall for the insurance pitch. All Australian car hires come with a certain level of insurance coverage. During pickup, car hire agents will likely offer you the ability to extend your coverage (e.g. damages to windscreen, tyres, headlights if originally excluded) and lower the Collision Damage Liability/Excess (e.g. from A$2750 to A$300), but usually at an painfully high cost of ~A$12-26/day. This can really add up and in fact, insurance is quite a money-spinner for these companies.

Don’t be swayed by any hard-sell tactics or let them scare you into it for there are other ways to get covered for much less. Read our article on how to save on your car rental insurance.

Fuel – don’t go prepaid and always refuel before returning. If offered, it’s advisable you DON’T take the prepaid fuel option because if you don’t use all the fuel, you’ve paid for more than you needed. And trying put every last drop to good use is a lot harder than you’d think. Instead, before driving away, remember to ask the car hire agent for the nearest petrol stations to their depot. Then always top up the tank to full before you return the car otherwise, they’ll charge you for it at rates far higher (possibly multiple times) than at the stations.

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