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When you rent a car, you’re usually given two options when it comes time to return it: Bring it back with a full tank, or let the rental car company refill it for you.
Most travelers know the second option comes at a premium. Convenience always does.
In my recent travels, rental car companies have typically charged anywhere from $2 to $3 more per gallon than local gas stations to top off the tank. Depending on the size of your rental, choosing that option can easily tack on an extra $30 to $45 to your trip. Sure, that markup is annoying, but it’s standard. No surprises there.
That’s why I always make it a point to find a gas station within a mile or so of the rental car return lot and fill up before dropping off the vehicle. It’s one of those easy travel habits that saves real money. (Pro tip: Save your receipt, too, in case the rental car agency tries to charge you for a top off or, in this case, claims you filled up diesel).
But here’s what I recently learned: Rental car companies charge a premium if you return a car without filling the tank. But travelers trying to avoid that fee may be walking into a second trap — airport-adjacent gas stations charging wildly inflated prices simply because they know you’re in a hurry.
This past weekend, my husband and I flew into the Detroit area for a wedding and rented a car at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Like we always do, we planned to fill the tank ourselves before returning it.
As we exited the highway near the airport and prepared to pull into a gas station practically across the street from the rental car return lot, we noticed the posted price: $5.74 a gallon. That stopped us in our tracks.
Gas prices have been rising nationwide, yes … but $5.74 for regular? In Michigan? That definitely wasn’t market pricing, but rather convenience pricing (and hefty at that).
Here’s the photo I hastily snapped from the passenger side as we were driving away:
For context, national gas prices have been climbing, and in some cities they’ve recently pushed past $4 a gallon for the first time in years. But what we saw near the airport was closer to the kind of prices drivers expect in high-cost states like California, where gas, according to AAA’s most recent figures, is flirting with $6 per gallon. So, we pulled in, and looped around and continued on the road.
Less than half a mile up the road, we found another gas station charging $3.59 per gallon.
That’s a difference of more than $2 per gallon for what amounted to a one-minute detour.
Pro tip: You can use a site like Gas Buddy to check real-time gas prices near you.
We crunched the numbers and realized that our quick decision saved us about $22.
Airport-adjacent gas stations know they have a captive audience: Rushed travelers, people trying to make flights, families juggling luggage and kids, and renters laser-focused on avoiding the rental company’s refill fee. These stations are selling urgency and convenience, and some may be charging a steep premium for both.
In some cases, that premium can rival (or even exceed) what the rental car company would have charged to refill the tank. In other words: Travelers trying to save money by filling up themselves can still get ripped off if they choose the wrong gas station.
At a time when travel costs are climbing across the board, these hidden markups matter more than ever.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, travel prices jumped sharply in March after remaining relatively steady earlier in the year. Its latest Travel Price Index rose 5.8% year over year and climbed 2.8% from February on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Other data tells a similar story. NerdWallet found overall travel costs are up 7% from this time last year, with airfare surging nearly 15%, dining out up 3.8%, entertainment costs rising 6.2%, and hotel stays costing 2.1% more.
Flights are pricier. Hotels cost more. Meals add up fast. Rental cars remain expensive.
Travel has become lots of little charges that quietly pile up, but some, like gas premiums, may be avoidable.
Here’s the takeaway: Don’t automatically stop at the gas station closest to the rental car return lot because that station may be counting on your urgency and charging accordingly. Instead, take two minutes to check prices on a maps app, or simply drive another half-mile down the road.
Gasoline prices jumped to their highest level since July 2022 on Wednesday, putting a strain on consumers' wallets.
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