Welcome back to our two-part guide explaining why your rental car price might increase at the counter. In Part 1, we covered five major factors like add-ons, insurance, fuel plans, timing, and driver fees. Now in Part 2, we’re diving into the other half of the equation—fees and policies that can catch renters off guard, especially the ones even we at AutoRentals.com can’t always predict in advance.
Location-Specific Fees and Taxes
The situation: Local taxes, airport concession fees, tourism charges, or city surcharges are applied at pickup.
The result: These can add up to 30% or more to your total.
What they are:
- Concession Recovery Fee (CRF): Covers what rental companies pay airports or facilities to operate there.
- Customer Facility Charge (CFC): Helps fund the construction or maintenance of airport rental car centers.
- Transportation or Tourism Taxes: Local charges to support public transit or tourism initiatives.
Why AutoRentals.com can’t always show them: These fees vary by location, government policy, and even rental counter. Some are only finalized at the time of pickup, which is why they might not appear on your quote.
Out-of-State or Cross-Border Travel
The situation: You plan to take the car out of state or into another country without noting it in your reservation.
The result: The rental agency may apply restrictions or require additional insurance, permits, or fees.
How to avoid it:
- Always check geographic restrictions in the rental terms.
- Let the rental agent know if you plan to travel across borders.
- Call the rental agency directly in advance before booking if the policy is unclear or unstated
Missed Booking Details or Reservation Mismatches
The situation: Errors in your reservation—wrong pickup location, name doesn’t match your ID, different flight time—can lead to rebooking at a higher rate.
The result: You might have to start from scratch at the counter with current-day pricing.
How to avoid it: Double-check every detail before finalizing your reservation. AutoRentals.com makes it easy to review before checkout.
Loyalty Memberships and Promo Codes
The situation: A low rate you found online depends on a loyalty program or discount code.
The result: If you’re not eligible at pickup, the rate is adjusted—and usually not in your favor.
How to avoid it:
- Only book with codes or rates you qualify for.
- We always call out when a rate is a specific AutoRentals membership rate when you book directly on autorentals.com but this might not be the case for or apply to partner sites or other sites.
Overbooking or Car Class Substitutions
The situation: Your reserved car isn’t available. The agent offers a different class—sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller.
The result: Depending on the vendor, you may be charged more or, if lucky, upgraded for free.
How to avoid it: Show up on time and during business hours when more inventory is available. AutoRentals.com partners with vendors who maintain reliable inventory but even then sometimes things can happen on the supplier/vendor side that we are unaware of and have no way of knowing about.
Conclusion
At AutoRentals.com, we work hard to give you transparent, accurate pricing. We:
- List all known fees when possible
- Flag prices as AutoRentals membership rates when necessary
- Let you compare rental providers side-by-side
- Help you customize your search
But some things—like local taxes, facility fees, vendor inventory, or personal choices made at the counter—are outside our control. What we can do is make sure you’re not caught off guard by telling you about these possibilities in advance.
Still have questions? Reach out to the rental provider or to us. We’re happy to help!
