Important Considerations before Renting a Car
Renting a car in Australia can be often daunting and confusing if you’re not sure what you are looking for. With over 556,000 miles of Australian highways that can take you all over the nation, you need to know what requirements you are supposed to fulfil so you can qualify for car rental services.
If you are planning to rent a vehicle, there are several important factors you may want to consider.
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Use a credit card when picking up the car
Renting a car online is easy, but it’s recommended you use a credit card when picking up your vehicle. If you use a debit card, you’ll be charged an authorization amount plus a large additional incremental hold as well. It was standard practice for rental car companies to check your credit score when you paid with a debit card just to ensure you can pay the charges, but that policy has recently changed among most of the bigger rental companies. If you still want to use a debit card, call first to check the current policy so you don’t end up paying unexpected fees.
Kids cost more to drive rental cars
The lowest age limit in Australia for renting a car is 21, so your grown-up kids of 22 or 23 can rent a vehicle and might have a pristine driving record, but most car rentals simply don’t care. They see those kids as a possible liability so they will probably be charged with an additional fee if they’re under 25. If they are travelling with you, simply don’t list them as an additional driver and don’t let them drive, so you won’t have to worry about bearing these extra expenses.
Check for the driver’s minimum fee
If you’re planning a family vacation or a road trip with friends, consider car hire in Sydney so you don’t have to worry about keeping the number of drivers to a minimum. They provide spacious vans for everyone to fit in, but there’s no extra charge for every additional driver. Most car rentals charge you a daily fee for additional passengers, whether or not they actually sit behind the wheel. It’s best to double-check this in advance and get informed about the policy, as they greatly vary from one place to another.
Shop around for car insurance
You could opt for car rental insurance from the agency, but this commonly ends up being extremely expensive, so use it only after you’ve exhausted all other options. Look into your personal vehicle insurance as it might cover rentals as well. Moreover, contact your credit card company since many of them offer some kind of car rental insurance as part of the card benefits. You might even be allowed to waive insurance carefree as long as you pay for the car with that specific credit card. In any case, make sure you do your research and shop around for car rental discounts to find the best deal.
Do not rent at the airport
When you’re planning to rent a car, besides the how, another question to ask is where to rent. It might be very convenient to simply pick up a car at the airport, but that will cost you a great deal as you want to be able to pick it up as soon as you step off the plane. Rental agencies are required to pay fees to the airport where they operate, so they simply pass these charges onto the customers. You can avoid this by catching a taxi to take you to the nearest car rental agency that’s off the airport grounds.
Bring your own extras
It often happens that when you’re going on a trip, the car itself doesn’t suffice. For that reason, rental car agencies readily offer extras for rent for your vacation. To avoid paying the convenience fee, bring your own extras. For instance, instead of using the agency’s GPS, navigate using the maps app on your phone. Also, you might think that renting an electronic toll pass will be worth the cost as it’ll save you time on the road, but you will be charged a daily rate for having it even if you don’t use the pass every day.
With the tips listed here, you can enjoy the convenience of a rental car, without worrying about paying any unexpected fees. The key is to go in prepared. Do the research and ask questions, so you know exactly what you’re getting into and what you’re paying for.
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