Whether you just need a quick rental or are planning a big road trip, getting the best deal on a rental car can feel like a full-time job, comparing rates between the big-box companies and scouring for better deals through countless other sites.
One site will do much of the work for you: Autoslash.
Autoslash compiles quotes from the major (and even some minor) car rental agencies, automatically applying any discount codes from credit cards or memberships like AAA or Costco to your rental. It gets better: Whether you initially book through them or punch in an existing reservation through another company, Autoslash will track rental prices … and alert you when prices drop so you can snag an even better deal. Just this week, I got an email that the price of an upcoming rental had dropped … and saved $35 within a few clicks. I've saved more than $200 on a single rental in the past.
It's incredibly easy and completely free to use, too. And that's why it should always be part of your car rental process … well, at least if you want to save money.
What is Autoslash?
Autoslash is a lesser-known car rental search engine that definitely deserves far more popularity for two main reasons:
- It finds the best coupons for your rental based on credit card benefits and various membership discounts.
- More importantly, it will track your car reservation after booking and alert you to rebook if the rate drops!
The company behind Autoslash recently launched a similar service for booking hotels called – you guessed it – HotelSlash.
How to Use It to Get a Rental Car Quote
If you haven't booked a rental car yet, you can get a quote directly through Autoslash.
Just head to Autoslash.com and enter your pickup and drop-off destinations, the duration of your rental, and set your preferences for what kind of vehicle you need – whether the cheapest option will do or if you need an SUV or a van.
The important difference with the Autoslash search is that they take memberships into account. If you have an association membership, one of the credit cards listed below, warehouse membership, or are part of frequent flyer or renter programs, you may be eligible for rental discounts. It will find those for you and automatically apply them to your final price. Yes, that even includes fan-favorite Costco travel discounts when booking with your membership!
Once you've submitted your information, you'll receive a quote via email within a few minutes – sometimes a bit later. This email will include a link to a list of rates that vary by car type and agency, among other factors.
You might still want to first search through a site like Priceline, Kayak, Hotwire, or directly with rental agencies like Hertz, Avis, National, and others – once you've done your research and have an average price in mind, head to Autoslash to see if you can get it lower. But honestly, Autoslash has become my first stop any time I need to rent a car these days.
Track Your Car Rental Price, Too!
Already booked a rental car elsewhere, or found a cheaper option on another site? Don't worry, you can still use the best feature of Autoslash: price tracking.
Head to Autoslash's site, click “Track a Rental” in the main menu bar, and enter the rental company's name you booked with and your confirmation number. That's right, Autoslash will track the price of your current rental in case it can find you something even cheaper after booking.
One important thing to keep in mind: Your original booking must be a refundable car rental. Autoslash will automatically check your rental reservation for price drops. If and when it does, you'll receive an email, alerting you to rebook at the lower rate.
There's no extra work on your end once you enter your rental information. Our team has saved more than $200 on recent rentals just by using Autoslash, like this alert when prices had dropped substantially for my rental car on the Big Island of Hawaii a few years back. Just a few clicks later, I saved more than $220!
It happened again just this week, helping me save an easy $32 for an upcoming rental in the U.K.
It's not just me. We spread the word on our @thriftytraveler Instagram account and got this message:
The hype is real. These alerts can help you save a ton of money on your next rental car.
Bottom Line
We know, we know: It seems too good to be true. But rental car prices fluctuate frequently, and that means just a few days could mean hundreds in savings.
If you're looking for a cheap rental quote, see what your memberships can get you with an Autoslash quote. And if you've already booked a car, trust us: Track that reservation with Autoslash and let it track your rental for price drops.
Love your site and I’ve got a ton of value out of flights and hotels.
But couldn’t disagree more with this post. Tried over 20 times to use auto slash and compared to rates I have received elsewhere was 1.5 to 2x the price. This is for both US and foreign rentals.
Don’t get the hype.
Very interesting — you’re definitely the first person we’ve heard from with that kind of experience with Autoslash. We’ll keep an eye and an ear out.
Hi, I wanted to give you (and everyone else) a heads up that apparently Hertz is no longer allowing Autoslash to show their discounts for “pay later” rates. I was looking into car rentals for an upcoming trip, and Autoslash was not giving the best Hertz rate (which I later rebooked after finding discount and coupon codes on my own). When I contacted Autoslash about the issue, the person who responded admitted that Hertz has blocked them from showing discounted “pay later” rates. Discounted rates from other car rental companies, as well as “pay now” rates from Hertz, are currently not affected.
I have not seen anyone else report this via news, blogs, etc, which is why I wanted to bring this to your attention.
What happens if after I book a car rental my flight gets changed? Do I have to cancel my car rental and rebook?
Will this also work for a Rental confirmation on a booking on the Chase travel portal which I booked with points?
Does autoslash monitor discount Hawaii car rental rates
Yes
How much does Autoslash cost?
Hi Karen. It is free to use.
Does Autoslash rebook now? Last time I used it I had to do the rebooking if a lower price was found.
Hi Bob! It will do the searching for the lower rate and price track your reservation, but you’ll rebook and cancel that refundable reservation.