Why should I prepay for my rental?
Today, more than ever, travelers are looking for ways to manage their travel budget. At most Budget locations in the U.S. and Canada, if you are a U.S. or Canadian resident you may reserve and pay toward your rental online at budget.com — and often you'll enjoy a discount for doing so. Online is the easy way to reserve and pay. However, if you prefer, reserve on budget.com and pay in full when you return your rental.
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How does a budget.com prepaid rental work?
A budget.com prepaid rental – at most U.S. and Canada locations – is an advanced payment toward a reserved rental using a credit or debit card*. A reservation payment on budget.com is a real-time transaction – the card you use is immediately authorized and charged when you confirm your desire to prepay toward your rental.
*While debit cards are an acceptable form of rental prepayment online, they may not always be accepted as payment for the credit hold required when you pick up your car. See full rental terms and conditions for the hold requirements at your rental location during the online reservation process.
View full details about Budget's prepaid reservation process.
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What kinds of cards may I use to prepay my reservation online?
Prepaid rentals can be paid on budget.com with the following credit and debit cards*:
In the U.S.: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
In Canada: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
*While debit cards are an acceptable form of rental prepayment online, they may not always be accepted as payment for the credit hold required when you pick up your car.
- Regardless of form of payment used at time of reservation, the Budget rental location’s credit and debit card hold rules will apply. The card presented for the hold at pickup will be the card of record for the rental. Generally, Budget requires a credit card hold of total estimated charges or $200 (whichever is greater). At locations where a debit card hold is allowed, the debit hold will be $500 or estimated charges (whichever is greater)— unless you already paid toward your rental on budget.com, in which case the debit hold will be only $100. See full rental terms and conditions for the hold requirements at your rental location during the online reservation process.
- All credit identification presented at the rental pick-up counter must bear exactly the same name as the prepaid reservation.
- For security reasons, if you are unable to satisfy the credential or hold requirements at the location when you pick up your car, a new reservation must be made at the prevailing rate and you must request a refund for the original prepaid reservation on budget.com. A $50 cancel fee will apply.
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Can I pay online using a debit card?
While debit cards are an acceptable form of rental prepayment online, they may not always be accepted for the credit hold required when you pick up your car. All rental credentials required by the Budget location must be presented at rental pickup, and the name on those credentials must exactly match the name on the reservation, or the prepaid reservation will be canceled and a new reservation will be made at the prevailing rate. You should carefully review the pick-up terms and conditions you’ll find listed in the online reservation process for your location. If you cannot present the required credentials at rental pickup, your prepaid rental will not be honored and will be canceled. You must request a refund for the canceled reservation on budget.com. A $50 cancellation fee will apply if you cancel the prepaid reservation after your pick-up time.
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What are the terms and conditions of paying online?
If you choose to apply an online payment toward your rental at time of reservation, you must agree to these terms prior to budget.com reservation confirmation.
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How close to my pick-up date may I pay online for my rental?
Prepaid reservations may be made on budget.com for any rental that meets all other prepaid requirements, as long as the reservation is made at least 12 hours before rental pickup based on U.S. Mountain Time. For example, if your pick-up time is 3:00 p.m. MT Monday afternoon, you have the option of prepaying for a reservation no later than 3:00 a.m. MT Monday morning. After that point, the prepay option will no longer be available when you reserve on budget.com, and we’ll ask you to pay in person at the pick-up counter.
You cannot pay online for an existing reservation that you wish to modify. The pay online option is only available for new reservations.
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What do I need to present at the counter when I pick up my prepaid rental?
All rental credentials required by the Budget location must be presented (at a minimum, a valid driver's license and major credit or debit card in the driver's name is required), and the name on those credentials must exactly match the name on the reservation. Credential rules vary by location, so be sure to read the terms and conditions in the online reservation process before you make a prepayment toward your rental. Regardless of form of payment used at time of reservation, the Budget rental location’s credit and debit card rules will apply. While debit cards are an acceptable form of rental prepayment online, they may not always be accepted as payment for the credit hold required when you pick up your car. If you can’t present the required credentials at time of rental pickup, for security reasons, the prepaid reservation will be canceled, and a new reservation will be made at the prevailing rate. You’ll then need to access budget.com to request a refund for the canceled reservation. A $50 cancellation fee will apply if you cancel the prepaid reservation after your pick-up time.
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Can I prepay for a rental that someone else will pick up?
No. For security reasons, the name on all rental credentials required by the Budget location must be presented at pickup, and those credentials must exactly match the name on the reservation. Also for security reasons, once you prepay for a rental, you can’t change the primary name on the reservation.
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Can someone else drive a car for which I pay online?
Yes, as long as you are the primary driver and are at the counter to pick up the car with the additional driver. Because we don’t ask for additional driver information at time of reservation, you may add an additional driver when you pick up the vehicle, and at some locations there’s an additional driver fee (see the terms and conditions in the online reservation process for fee amount). The additional driver fee is added at the counter and will need to be paid at car return. Your prepayment amount will be used as a credit toward the final costs of the rental. For security reasons, once you prepay for a rental, you can’t change the primary name on the reservation.
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I know there are underage rules for renting. I’m under 25 years of age, so can I prepay?
Yes, but all underage rules and extra fees will apply at time of pickup. Because we don’t ask your age at time of reservation, underage charges will be added at the counter and will need to be paid at car return. Your prepayment amount will be used as a credit toward the final costs of the rental. View the underage rules and charges that apply at your location.
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May I change my prepaid reservation?
Yes, and you won’t believe how easy we make it! Most reservation details may be changed without penalty via budget.com or at the counter when you pick up your rental. Reservation details that may not be changed include method of prepayment, name on the reservation and some changes to rental location. If changes affect the total rate of the rental, the prepayment amount will not change. Underpayments will be handled at the counter at time of rental return, and any overpayments will be refunded after the rental agreement is closed.
Location Changes: Some Budget locations are not corporate-owned, and don’t have the ability to process prepaid reservations. For this reason, if you choose to modify your pick-up and/or return location, doing so could require cancellation of the original reservation along with a cancellation fee and re-booking of a new reservation at a new rate. Determine whether a location is corporate-operated. If there is a chance that you’ll need to change your pick-up or drop-off locations to a non-corporate-operated location, we suggest that you don’t prepay for your rental. If the change is to the rental location and the new location doesn’t accept prepaid reservations, the prepaid reservation will be canceled and rebooked at prevailing rates. In this instance, you will be charged a $10 cancellation fee.
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How can I change a prepaid rental reservation?
Unlike other car rental companies or third-party Web sites, Budget doesn’t lock you in once you’ve prepaid for the rental. Others might require you to make any changes within a few hours of making the reservation, and then will not permit further changes or will require you to phone in your changes. With Budget, you can change most things on your reservation on budget.com or at the counter at any time, even multiple times, with no fee! These include car type, pick-up and return dates, adding an additional driver, options (GPS, protections), and even changes to most locations (see below).
- Note that if any of your changes affect the total rate for the rental, your prepayment amount will not change. The original amount that you prepaid will simply be used as a credit toward your final rental cost. If your modification results in a rental amount higher than you prepaid, the underpayment will be charged at the counter at time of rental return. If the change results in a lower rental amount, the overpayment will be refunded within approximately 7 days after you return your rental.
- For security reasons, once you prepay a rental, you can’t change the name on the reservation.
- You may change your car type or pick-up and return dates but these changes may affect the rate.
- Location Changes: Some Budget locations are licensee-owned, and don’t have the ability to process prepaid reservations. For this reason, if you choose to modify your pick-up and/or return location, doing so could require cancellation of the original reservation along with a cancellation fee and re-booking of a new reservation at the prevailing rate. In this instance, you will be charged a $10 cancellation fee.Determine whether a location is licensee-operated. If there is a chance that you’ll need to change your pick-up or drop-off location to a licensee-owned location, we suggest that you don’t prepay for your rental.
- Make sure you retain your reservation number because you’ll need it to make changes.
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How do I cancel my prepaid rental PRIOR TO PICKUP?
Prepaid rental cancellations and refund requests may only be made online during the “ view – change – cancel” reservation process. Begin by entering the reservation number and last name into the appropriate fields on the “view – change – cancel” page on budget.com. Once the reservation is displayed, click the “cancel/request a refund” button and continue through the process to submit the refund request and get your cancellation confirmation number. Please retain your cancellation confirmation number as proof of your refund request.
Within approximately three business days a credit will be applied to the same card with which you prepaid. You will incur a $10 processing fee if you choose to cancel a prepaid reservation before the rental pick-up time.
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How do request a refund AFTER MY PICK-UP TIME HAS PASSED?
Requests for refunds may only be made online by completing the Request a Refund form in the “ view – change – cancel” reservation process. Begin by entering the reservation number and last name into the appropriate fields on the “view – change – cancel” page on budget.com. Once the reservation is displayed, click the “request a refund” button and continue through the process to submit the refund and get your cancellation confirmation number. Please retain your cancellation confirmation number as proof of your refund request.
We will credit you for your unused rental within seven business days. Credits will be applied to the same card with which you prepaid. Requests for no-show refunds may be submitted up to six months after the rental pick-up date. If you request a refund after your scheduled pick-up date, you will be refunded the entire amount of the prepayment less a $50 no-show processing fee. Refund requests can be made up to six months from the original pick-up date.
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Stow & Go
