Avis Car Rental FAQs Avis Car Rental FAQs

Additional Driver

With a valid license, your spouse, partner, employer, or employee can drive your rental car for no additional fee. Read about other additional driver circumstances and fees here.

Curious about renting a car for someone else? Read our policy about renting for other drivers.

Terms and Conditions

The applicable terms and conditions will vary by location. Be sure to check the bottom of your reservation confirmation for the specific terms and conditions for the location the reservation applies to. Prior to making a reservation, you may search for a specific location and view its current policies. Avis recommends contacting the location directly to answer inquiries concerning the specific rental facility.

Length of Rental

Reservations for less than one day are accepted, however a minimum charge of one day applies to rentals of less than 24 hours. In some cases, a minimum rental period is required for the selected rate to apply. In other cases, a rate may be associated with a minimum charge, which applies even if the car is returned early.

Avis offers special monthly rates for long-term rentals of 59 to 330 days. These rates generally include a substantial free mileage allowance.

Discounts

An Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number may be found in newspapers, magazines or television ads, by clicking banner ads on websites, or on Avis.com.

If you're a member of an organization or company that partners with Avis, please contact that organization directly and ask whether it has an Avis Worldwide Discount number you may use for your rental.

Enter your AWD in the field labeled "Avis Worldwide Discount Number (AWD) or Rate Code" on the homepage, or during the first step of the reservation process. We'll use the AWD you enter to calculate your rental rate and benefits.

Coupons

Coupons may be entered on the Homepage by clicking the Add a Coupon link at the bottom of the widget. Discounts for dollars off, percentage off, free days and extra days will be reflected in the prices quoted on Avis.com. Upgrades and additional driver discounts will be handled at the rental counter when the vehicle is picked up.

Rates

In most cases, the minimum rental charge is for one day and is based on a 24-hour period. . Beyond the 24-hour period, an hourly rate will be calculated as three-fourths (¾) the daily rate plus $.01 for daily and weekend rates and one-half (½) the daily rate plus $.01 for weekly rates. For example, a daily rate of $30.00 per day would equate to an hourly rate of $22.51 per day and a weekly rate $30.00 per day would equate to an hourly rate of $15.01. If a rental exceeds a 24-hour period by 1.5 hours, a 2-day charge will apply.

Generally, "weekend rates" apply on rentals beginning after 11:59 AM on a Thursday, and require the car to be returned by 11:59 PM on the following Monday. If the vehicle is returned later, the weekend rate will not apply to the rental.

Corporate Rates

Avis created the Corporate Awards Program with the needs of small and mid-size businesses in mind. That's why, once you join this free program, you'll receive special rates, access to members-only deals and discounts, the ability to earn reward days and the superior service you've come to expect from Avis. Learn more here.

Insurance Replacement Rates

Car In The Shop? Take comfort with our Insurance Replacement Program.

If your car in the autobody shop, we can take care of your vehicle replacement needs. We´ll directly bill insurance companies, keep in contact with auto repair facilities, and offer you the widest variety of rental vehicles. And whether your insurance company is covering the rental or you´re paying out of pocket, you´ll enjoy our special discounted rates.

Changes to Reservations

Please be aware that any changes to your original rental may impact your rate. If you wish to extend any rental once you have picked up your vehicle, in the U.S. you must contact an Avis reservation agent at 1-800-230-4898.

Please note that at U.S. and Canadian corporate-operated locations, a service fee of up to $15 will apply and your original per-day rental rate may change. Your reservation agent will provide all details when you call. If you don't call to notify Avis that you will be keeping the vehicle longer then expected within 7 hours of your originally scheduled return time to extend your rental, a late fee of up to $15/day will apply.

Also, if you choose not to return the car on or before your originally scheduled return date, we will place an additional hold on your debit or credit card to cover the additional expected rental charges. Upon your return of the car, the holds will be released, and the actual cost of the rental will be charged. Your bank may take up to two weeks to post the released credit hold to your card. Unfortunately, we cannot be held responsible for any returned checks due to debit card hold processing.

To extend a rental in another country, we will be happy to accommodate your request if possible, however, we recommend contacting the rental location directly.

Mileage

Most Avis rental rates include either unlimited mileage or a pre-designated number of included miles per day/week/month as part of the rate structure. If you exceed the number of pre-designated miles, a mileage charge will apply for the additional miles driven. If there is a mileage allowance in conjunction with an additional mileage charge, you will be advised at the time you request your rate information

Car rental cost depends on a few factors such as location, availability, vehicle, length of the contract, and add-ons. Read here for more details.

On the Avis.com homepage, select the View/Modify/Cancel link from the Reservations tab at the top of the page. Enter your Last Name and your Reservation Confirmation Number and click the Find Reservationbutton.

On the next page, select the link listed next to your found reservation to either View, Modify, or Cancel. You will then be able to view your reservation, modify rental details, or cancel the reservation.

For those customers that have registered on Avis.com and have a My Avis profile, simply use the "Login" link located at the top navigation of the Home Once you are logged in and on the My Account page, you simply need to click the reservation link.

After any modification or cancellation, Avis sends a confirmation to the e-mail address entered for that reservation.

Absolutely. Travel agents may book Avis via major Global Distribution Systems including Sabre, Apollo, Worldspan and Amadeus. The Avis two-letter code in the GDS system is ZI.

What is the No Show (NSF) or Non-Cancellation Fee policy for Avis?

Only the following types of Avis reservations require a valid credit card at the time the reservation is made and have a non-cancellation fee*:

• Reservations made through the Avis telephone reservation center for select specialty car categories during peak travel periods;
• Certain promotions on Avis.com.

*This non-cancellation fee is assessed when:

• the reservation is not cancelled 24 hours prior to the reserved pick up time, and
• the Avis vehicle is not picked up at the pre-reserved time

The fee may vary by location and car group from $15 plus taxes and surcharges to one full day's rental fee plus taxes and surcharges. Specific fee information is provided to the customer during the reservation process on avis.com, the Avis reservations center or by the Avis Reservation Service Agent.

To avoid the non-cancellation fee, such reservations must be cancelled 24 hours prior to the scheduled pick up time. Reservations may be cancelled on Avis.com, or by calling Avis at 800-230-4898.

Avis Wizard and Preferred members with a credit card listed in their profile will not be required to enter a credit card at time of booking as the credit card in their profile will be used. In the event such customers reserve an Avis car requiring a credit card at time of booking and do not cancel prior to the scheduled pick up and fail to rent the car, the non-cancellation fee disclosed at the time of reservation will be charged.

In the event of flight cancellations, Avis will not charge a non-cancellation fee as long as a flight number and airline were provided in the reservation prior to scheduled pick up.

Our cancellation policies vary, depending on the type of reservation you've made:

Was your credit card charged for the rental at reservation time on avis.com?
If you wish to cancel before your rental pick-up time, you must cancel and request a refund online. Once cancelled, we will credit you within approximately seven business days. Credits will be applied to the same card with which you prepaid. You will incur a $50 processing fee if you choose to cancel a prepaid reservation 24 hours prior to the rental pickup time. If you need to cancel, we will refund the full prepaid amount less a $150 USD processing fee, during the 24 hour period prior to the scheduled pick-up time. If you do not cancel the reservation prior to the time of pick-up and the rental vehicle is not picked up on the rental date, no portion of the prepaid amount will be refunded.
If you return the vehicle before the original return date, you will not be refunded any portion of the payment.

Did you make a reservation without providing credit card information?

If you make a reservation without a credit card and you no longer need to rent, please cancel your reservation as soon as possible before your scheduled pick-up time.

Did you make a reservation with a travel agent or online booking agent?
The travel agency or online booking agent "owns" any reservation you originally made with them, so their reservation cancellation processes and policies apply.