Here’s a simple timing trick that rental companies don’t want you to know about.
I’m always looking for ways to slash my travel expenses. One of my favorites is what I call the “half-hour hack” for rental cars. It’s simple, costs nothing to try, and can save you a chunk of change.
How the Magic Works
Instead of automatically booking your pickup time on the hour—you know, the obvious choices like 9 a.m., 1 p.m., or 6 p.m.—request a second quote for thirty minutes before or after your original time (8:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or 6:30 p.m).
The Psychology Behind the Savings
Why? Certain rental car brands deliberately price their vehicles lower during those off-peak half-hour slots. These companies are constantly playing pricing chess with their competitors, re-shopping rates and tweaking their numbers to gain even the slightest competitive edge.
They’ve figured out that a decent portion of customers are flexible enough to pick up or drop off during these slightly awkward half-hour windows. By offering lower prices during these times, they can take business from competitors who stick to standard hourly pricing.
It’s essentially rental companies gaming their own system—and now customers can game it right back. The cool factor lies in the fact that most travelers automatically default to round-number pickup times without considering alternatives. You can therefore tap into a pricing loophole that exists only because of human booking habits.
Twist’s Take: A car rental booking on the half hour can mean serious savings—always check both the hourly and half-hourly options.