Car prepaid rates

Some suppliers market prepaid rates as “Pay Now and Save!” The idea is that by paying upfront, travelers signal to the rental car company that they will show up for the rental. In return, the car rental company provides a discount as a reward for taking some of the risk out of equation.

Prepaid rates involves:

  • Specifying that the fee is collected at time of booking.

  • Detailing which fees are due at the time of booking and which fees are collected when the car is returned.

  • Securely transmitting credit card information from the agent / consumer to the supplier.

  • Providing the cancellation policy information and fees as it applies to the specific prepaid rate.

Search for prepaid rates

Prepaid rates must be specifically requested. Using a terminal entry, append /Y to your car search request (e.g., CAL13JAN-15JANDEN/ARR-1400/DT-1400/Y). In the Car Availability Search panel, choose Prepaid Rate in Rate Category.

A PREPAID header is displayed in the car availability display. Prepaid rates are indicated by the P in the Guarantee field.

Click a rate to confirm the prepaid rate category in the Rate Detail section of the Rate Rules.

The Special Text Comments section details cancellation and no show penalties.

Book prepaid rates

When a prepaid car is sold, the sell/book response displays the details of the total price for a rate broken down into PayNow (/PN) amount and the PayLater (/PL) amount, including the currency (/LC).

FAQs for prepaid rates

Is a voucher or receipt returned for prepaid rentals?

No documentation is provided to the customer for a prepaid rate rental. The /PN, /PL, and /LC fields are only returned for prepaid rentals. Therefore, if you see these fields in the car segment, you can safely assume that the credit authorization and subsequent charges will be applied on the customer credit card.

When does the credit card actually get charged?

At End Transact time, the credit card will be immediately authorized and hold placed. Expect the credit card to be charged within 48 hours.

How does an agent know a customer credit card has been declined with the authorization happening after the ET?

The car supplier may reach out to the customer/agent via the information provided on the reservation, such as the IATA number and the associated phone number on record for that IATA number profile. The car supplier will attempt to obtain the authorization upon notification. If they are unable to obtain the authorization and the rental pickup is in the future, they may attempt to call customer/agent to get an alternative valid credit card. In case the customer can’t be reached, the booking will be rebooked to non-prepaid rate and the customer will be charged at the counter.

How does an agent get a full or partial refund for their customer if they have to cancel prior to pick-up?

Upon cancellation of the reservation prior to the pickup time, the refund (less the applicable cancellation fee) will be processed automatically.

As modifications are allowed, how would add collect or partial refund be handled if the price on the modified reservation is different?

For a modification to a prepaid rate, the adjustment to the prepaid amount is calculated. If the prepaid amount is now less than the original reservation, the customer's credit card is credited accordingly. If the prepaid amount is greater, the difference is charged to the credit card.