Costco rental cars are super cheap, and people are just finding out.
Costco is the mecca for good deals, but even Costco's most loyal customers were shocked to recently learn that the beloved big box store also offers car rentals.
The well-kept secret about Costco car rentals is leaving its customers shook, but those who have been in the know are opening up about the incredible savings (and perks) they've received by renting cars through the member-only business.
Last month, Alex Petrakieva (@alexonabudget on TikTok) shared with her followers about her experience renting a car through Costco that saved her almost $400 compared to renting the same car for the same amount of time through rental car company Alamo.
@alexonabudget Costco is at it again #car #rental
After showing her followers the price breakdown, she concluded: "So if you’re traveling, take it from me and just use Costco. Somebody told me the best quote ever: 'Costco is a mindset,' And I just need to adopt that."
Needless to say, viewers were shocked by the story. "Costco has car rentals?!?!" one commented. Another added, "girl... the way I gasped.... and yes thank you for sharing. I had no idea!!!!!" One more stunned viewer also shared, "Girl you just saved me $350 with this tik tok … I’m shook."
So, how does Costco keep their costs so low? "Costco can offer such low rental car rates because of its enormous buying power," Kristen Markel, founder of Warehouse Wanderer, a blog dedicated to Costco shopping strategies, tells Upworthy. "With over 130 million members, they have the leverage to negotiate steep discounts with major rental car companies—savings that individual consumers could never secure on their own. That collective demand is what drives the rates down."
Costco offers rental cars to members. Photo by Grant Beirute on Unsplash
Other Costco members offered more tips on how to get the best deal on a car rental at Costco. "Keep checking the prices before your trip. The price may come down, I will make a new reservation and cancel the old one," another viewer wrote.
Available through Costco Travel, the store offers deep discounts on car rentals through a number of car rental companies, including Enterprise, Budget, Avis, and more.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
Costco fans have also taken to Reddit to brag about the incredible savings they've had. "I get corporate rates with Avis and Hertz, like $32+tax a day, but those are only on round trip rentals. Costco Travel was the same $32+tax for an Alamo with unlimited miles on a one-way rental recently for me 🥳. Costco saved me approx $200 in mileage fees," one member shared.
Another Costco member excitedly wrote, "Costco Travel rental car benefits are seriously underrated. Decided last minute to recheck my rates for a trip next weekend after getting emailed a reminder, saved over $200 plus upgraded to a larger SUV."
Besides saving on base rental rates, there are other benefits to renting a car through Costco. "My favorite part of using Costco Travel for car rentals is you can continue monitoring the site since prices fluctuate, and if your booking gets cheaper, you can cancel and rebook with zero hassle. You're never locked in to a higher price," another member shared. This jazzed Costco Travel user wrote, "Also Costco car rentals include an additional driver," while another stated, "In addition to the second driver being included, most other sites tease a pre tax and fee price, Costco is out the door."
Hype Bryce GIF by Granarly Giphy
Another thrilled renter explained, "And they're always unlimited mileage. My corporate rates that we can use for personal travel are awesome, except 25c per mile one-way. Costco allows one way between airports with mileage included." Still another added, "Plus the amount you spend goes to your 2% cash back reward! (For Executive Members)."
Booking your rental car through Costco Travel also allows you to utilize loyalty programs. "Loyalty programs, LPT, if you have any travel 'status' through a credit card ask for a status match," another happy customer wrote. "Booked a car through Costco, put in my Enterprise loyalty card #, free upgrade and 20% bonus points. Then with the Enterprise Platinum, status match to the others."
Woman waits for her rental car.Image via Canva/RossHelen
However, other Costco Travel users noted some negative experiences renting cars. "WARNING! Make sure you look at reviews for the location you are renting from though before you book," one commented. "Rented recently from Budget via Costco and yes it was cheaper than the others but that location had a ton of reviews about wait times, I never thought to look because how bad could it be and I was saving money. Ended up waiting an hour with two kids and luggage for our car (which didn't look like it was cleaned very well). I probably would have spent a little more to avoid that."
Another less-than-pleased customer shared, "We've had a lot of normal rentals through Costco Travel, but our absolute worst was also through Costco Travel. My husband is very tall and we reserved a full size car at a Budget. Showed up and gave us an economy car. Also argued that it was 'full size' and would not give us another vehicle or any money back. Costco did nothing."
It's a mixed bag for sure, so bear all this in mind next time you're traveling> Costco Travel seems to be a great option overall, but it never hurts to shop around.