Costco Rental Cars

I almost always book my rental cars from Costco. The reason I do this is because they usually have the best price, and they don’t require a deposit. I pay for them when I pick them up. They don’t charge a cancellation fee. As an executive member, I get 2% back. Costco not only seems to have the best prices, but you don’t have to pay extra for your spouse to be an extra driver.

When I first book a trip I usually go book a Costco rental car as soon as I book my airfare. For my upcoming trip to Glacier National Park, the first car I booked was $723. After I my jaw dropped, I quickly booked it. I know rental cars in Glacier are scarce and the price might go up. I was checking it for months and I was the right the price kept getting higher. At one point a car was going to be over a thousand dollars. Then about a month ago I saw a drop. I was able to rebook for $685. That’s almost a $40 savings so I rebooked it. I kept checking and then this morning I was so excited to see that it had dropped again to $479. That’s around $240 saved off my original reservation. To say I am thrilled would be an understatement. It was definitely worth a few moments every week or so to save $240.

I always put my rental cars on my Chase Sapphire card. Both the reserve and preferred card carry Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). This coverage is primary and covers damage and theft. To make sure your rental car is covered you need to charge the full amount to your Chase Sapphire card. Decline the rental company’s Collision Damage Waiver when you get the car. This is the thing they are always pushing to sell you when you rent a car. This can save you quite a bit of money. If you want to find out more about the Chase Sapphire benefits you can check here Your Chase Credit Card Guide to Benefits (chasebenefits.com). The preferred card is only $95 a year but the travel protections it provides are amazing. It’s the one card I always keep in my wallet for traveling.