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Frequently Asked Questions
Priceline Car Rental Bidding
- What rental car companies does priceline use?
- What's the minimum age for renting a priceline rental car?
- How late can I book?
- What should I bid?
- How can I avoid overbidding?
- What if my bid fails?
- Can I change or cancel my reservation?
- Will I have to pay taxes and fees when I pick up the car?
- Can I bid on cars in Canada?
1. What rental car companies does priceline use?
Priceline.com Rental Cars uses the top five: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National.
Typically, these have the best-maintained cars and the most convenient airport locations.
2. What’s the minimum age for renting a priceline rental car?
Twenty-one, instead of the usual 25.
3. How late can I book?
That’s a hard question. Priceline.com Rental Cars allows you to book as late as four hours prior to pick
up.
However, since thousands of rental cars from all over the U.S. are still being used in areas impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there are not as many rental cars available. So, earlier booking is a wiser strategy.
4. What should I bid?
When bidding on car rentals, size matters. The larger and more luxurious
the vehicle, the greater discount you can get on Priceline.com Rental Cars.
For smaller or midsize cars, make your priceline bid 20 percent off the rates on sites like Travelocity’s Car
Rental, which tell you brand name in advance.
For larger and more expensive vehicles, however, bid at least 30 percent off these sites' prices.
If you’re traveling off-season, take more off. If you’re going at a peak time, take less. In either case, your winning bid will get a bargain.
5. How can I avoid overbidding?
You’ve probably already checked the rates on a discount site like Orbitz:
Find Great Deals on Rental Cars!
Also check Hotwire.com, Priceline’s main competitor. Like Priceline,
hotwire does not tell you the company name until you pay, but it does
list prices.
Make sure your bid is below Hotwire’s price.
6. What if my bid fails?
You can’t bid again for the same size car and for the same dates within seven days, even if you are willing to increase your bid.
However, you can rebid immediately if you change a particular of your bid, such as requesting a larger size car or different dates.
If you want to stay with the same size car and dates, you can always go back to Hotwire.com to grab a low price, within
the deadline it gave you.
7. Can I change or cancel my reservation?
No, that’s the risk you take for priceline's low prices.
8. Will I have to pay taxes and fees when I pick up the car?
An advantage of Priceline.com Rental Cars is that taxes and fees are added to your bid, so you rarely have unexpected costs when you pick up the car at the airport, unless there's been a last-minute increase in airport fees.
Make sure you take your priceline receipt and confirmation with you to the rental car counter to show that you’ve prepaid everything.
Even though you've prepaid, the rental car company may obtain an authorization on your credit card, in case you return the car late, etc.
9. Can I bid on cars in Canada?
Yes, but priceline requires a credit card with a U.S. billing
address. (Hotwire.com doesn't.)
