Whether it’s a road trip or needing a temporary set of wheels while yours is in the shop, rental cars are a service that many of us need eventually. Potential renters have plenty of choices, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz, Avis, Budget Car Rental and more. Different rental companies offer different perks, too. While one may have a better price, another may have better vehicle choices or more standard tech options. It can be overwhelming to choose the best rental company for your needs, but a Costco membership may simplify the process.
Costco offers rental car services through the Costco Travel program, a service exclusively for Costco members in the U.S. Staffed by Costco employees that are also trained professionals in the travel industry, the service provides help with booking hotels, cruises, and rental cars. Using Costco Travel, renters have access to discounts from select companies including Enterprise, Budget, Alamo, and Avis. It’s easy to get started, but you must have a Costco membership to make a reservation through the warehouse store’s travel program.
At time of writing, the basic Gold Star Membership costs $65 plus applicable taxes per year, while the Executive Membership costs $130 annually plus tax. Gold Star members have access to Costco Travel, though there are some additional perks for Executive Membership holders. However, all members receive extra perks that those booking with other methods may not enjoy. Once you’re a member, you’ll have to book online, as the service is not available in stores.
If you’re already a Costco member, you can obviously skip the first step, which is obtaining a membership to the warehouse club. When you’re ready to book a rental car, visit www.costcotravel.com and click on the Rental Cars tab at the top of the page. You’ll have to enter an airport or zip code for where you want to pick up and drop off the vehicle, along with the dates that you’ll need the car. Once you input your information and click Search, you’ll receive a list of locations along with their distance from your pickup zone and the location’s hours. You can then checkmark up to four locations to compare rates.
After you’ve selected up to four locations to compare, you can view the price of each rental category, including economy, compact, premium and much more, along with the price of each category at each of the selected locations. Taxes and fees are included in the displayed price. Costco members are able to book without pre-payment and with no cancellation fees, and Costco offers optional equipment and upgrades. Once you’ve made a selection, you’ll have to log in using your Costco email and password.
Along with discounted rates, Costco gives you one additional driver for free. Additionally, Executive Members earn an annual 2% reward on rental car reservations made through Costco Travel. You may not be able to rent a jet through Costco anymore, but they make it simple to rent a car, especially on a budget.

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