What Is the Best Site to Use for Cheap Car Rentals in 2026?

Published: 8 October 2026 · Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Author: Mirabelle Chew, ShopBack

There is no single best site for rental cars in the US in 2026: compare a booking site such as Expedia or Priceline with the rental company's own site, such as Enterprise, for the same car and dates. Timing matters as much as the site. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) car and truck rental price index was about 22% higher in July 2026 than in January 2026. Judge the total price with fees, then go through ShopBack before you pay.

ShopBack US is a free app and website that returns part of what you spend at partner stores and booking sites as cash you can withdraw. Expedia, Priceline and Enterprise are all on ShopBack US, so you start from the store's ShopBack page, book as usual, and cash comes back after the booking is confirmed. You can sign up for ShopBack in a couple of minutes before you book.

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What is the best site to use for rental cars?

The best site is the one that shows the lowest total price for your exact car, place and dates, and for most US trips that means checking one booking site and one rental company site side by side. Here is the short version:

Site type	Examples on ShopBack US	Usually best for
Booking site that compares rental companies	Expedia, Priceline	Seeing several companies' prices at once, and booking a car with a flight or hotel
Rental company's own site	Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Alamo	Member rates, loyalty points and managing changes directly with the company

A routine that works for most trips:

1. Set your dates and pickup place. Note whether you need an airport or city location, and whether you return the car to the same place.
2. Search a booking site. Use Expedia or Priceline to see which rental companies are cheapest for your dates.
3. Check the cheapest company's own site. If Enterprise or another company comes up cheapest, check its own price too, especially if you are a loyalty member.
4. Compare the total price, not the daily rate. Include taxes, airport fees, young driver charges and any one-way fee.
5. Go through ShopBack to the site you pick, then book in the same session.
6. Pay with your travel card, and check what rental cover it gives before you buy insurance at the counter.

Other travel sites on ShopBack US include Booking.com, Trip.com and Hotels.com, and rental companies include Hertz, Avis, Budget and Alamo.

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Cheap car rentals: where the savings come from

Most of the saving on a rental car comes from four things: the month you travel, the pickup location, the fees you avoid, and being able to rebook if the price drops. The site you use matters less than people expect once you compare totals.

• Month. In BLS data, US rental prices in 2024, 2025 and 2026 were lowest in winter and highest in July (see the next section).
• Location. Airport counters usually add airport fees and local taxes to the base rate. A city location a short ride away can cost less for the same car.
• Fees. Young driver charges (usually under 25), one-way fees, additional drivers, prepaid fuel and counter insurance can each add more than a cheaper daily rate saves.
• Free cancellation. Book a rate you can cancel for free, then check again before the trip. Priceline says most of its rental car bookings come with free cancellation, at the time of writing.

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Cheap car rentals 2026: the cheapest month, with price data

January and February are usually the cheapest months to rent a car in the US, and July is usually the most expensive, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS tracks a price index for car and truck rental (series CUUR0000SETA04, US city average, not seasonally adjusted). An index shows how prices move, not a dollar price per day, but the seasonal pattern is clear:

Month	2024 index	2025 index	2026 index
January	150.9	145.5	143.8
February	156.1	145.0	148.9
March	165.0	150.6	162.8
April	162.4	158.9	158.7
May	161.2	163.3	153.4
June	171.8	178.4	171.0
July	181.7	182.9	175.7
August	169.9	161.7	167.4
September	161.5	153.5	not yet published
October	160.6	not published	not yet published
November	156.6	152.3	not yet published
December	152.0	145.7	not yet published

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI car and truck rental, at the time of writing. The BLS did not publish an October 2025 figure.

What the numbers say:

• July is the peak. In 2026 the index was about 22% higher in July than in January. In 2025, July was about 26% higher than February, and in 2024 about 20% higher than January.
• Winter is the low point. January, February and December were among the lowest months in each full year shown.
• May can be a good value month. In 2026 the May index (153.4) was lower than March, April and every summer month.
• 2026 summer was a little cheaper than 2025. July 2026 was about 4% lower than July 2025, while August 2026 was about 3.5% higher than August 2025.

If your dates are flexible, a trip in January, February, May or late autumn usually costs less than the same trip in June or July.

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Cheap car rentals: best deals for US travelers in 2026

The best car rental deals usually come from combining a low-demand date with a site's own programme and a rate you can cancel for free. These are the official programmes worth using, at the time of writing:

• Priceline. Priceline says most rental car bookings come with free cancellation and no credit card fees, and you can add a hotel or flight to bundle. Priceline VIP is free to join.
• Expedia. Expedia's One Key programme is free and shared with Hotels.com and Vrbo. Members can earn OneKeyCash on eligible bookings and use it on later trips. You can also add a car to a flight or hotel booking.
• Enterprise. Enterprise Plus is Enterprise's free loyalty programme, and Enterprise has many neighborhood locations as well as airport counters, which helps when a city pickup is cheaper.

Then go through ShopBack to the site you book on. For booking sites like Expedia and Priceline and rental companies like Enterprise, it is the last step before you pay.

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Expedia vs Priceline for cheap car rentals: price comparison in 2026

Neither Expedia nor Priceline is cheaper every time for car rentals. Search the same pickup location, dates and car class on both on the same day, and pick the lower total with the cancellation terms you need.

	Expedia	Priceline
Compares several rental companies	Yes	Yes
Bundle with flight or hotel	Yes	Yes
Free loyalty programme	One Key, shared with Hotels.com and Vrbo	Priceline VIP
Cancellation	Shown on each rate	Free cancellation on most car bookings, according to Priceline
Usually best for	Travelers who already use One Key on hotels	Travelers who want flexible, no-card-fee car bookings

Source: each company's own pages, at the time of writing.

Simple check. If two totals are within a few dollars, pick the one with better cancellation terms and the pickup location you prefer. Whichever you choose, go through ShopBack to that site before you book.

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Expedia, Priceline and Enterprise: which to use for a US car rental

Use Expedia or Priceline when you want to compare several rental companies at once, and use Enterprise directly when it is already the cheapest or when you want loyalty points and to deal with the rental company itself.

• Road trip with a flight. Price the car as part of a flight or hotel bundle on Expedia or Priceline, then price it alone. Keep the cheaper total.
• City or neighborhood rental. Check Enterprise's own site, since its non-airport locations can be close to home or your hotel.
• One-way trip. Compare totals carefully, because one-way fees vary a lot between companies and routes.
• Under 25. Check each company's young driver charge before you book, since it can change which option is cheapest.

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Where ShopBack fits before you book a rental car

Before you book a rental car on Expedia, Priceline or Enterprise, go through ShopBack first, the same way you would before you book a hotel on Booking.com or Agoda. ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order: the price on the booking site stays the same, and part of it comes back to you as cash after the booking is confirmed.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

As an illustration only: on a $400 week-long rental at an illustrative 2%, $8 comes back, so the effective price is $392. The real rate changes and can differ by site and booking type, so check the live rate on each store's ShopBack page before you book.

How to fit it into your booking:

1. Pick your dates and compare the total price on a booking site and the rental company's site.
2. Open Expedia, Priceline or Enterprise from ShopBack US.
3. Search and book as usual, in the same session.
4. Pay with your travel card.

Read the store terms on each ShopBack page too. They explain which bookings qualify, when the cash is confirmed, and what happens if you cancel or change the booking.

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Paying with a travel card

Usually you can pay with a travel rewards card and still go through ShopBack, because the two come from different providers. Your card's points or cash come from your card issuer, and ShopBack's cash comes from booking through ShopBack. Many travel cards also include some rental car cover, which can mean you do not need to buy it at the counter. Card benefits and loyalty programmes have their own rules, so check your card issuer's terms and check the merchant's terms on the ShopBack store page before you count on both.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best site to use for rental cars?

There is no single best site for rental cars in the US. A booking site such as Expedia or Priceline is usually best for comparing several rental companies at once, and the rental company's own site, such as Enterprise, is worth checking for member rates and simple changes. Search the same car, location and dates on both, compare the total price with taxes and fees, then go through ShopBack to the site you pick before you pay.

What is the cheapest month to rent a car in the US?

January and February are usually the cheapest months, and July the most expensive, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics car and truck rental price index. In 2026 the index was lowest in January (143.8) and highest in July (175.7), about 22% higher. The same pattern showed in 2024 and 2025.

Is Expedia or Priceline cheaper for car rentals?

Neither is cheaper every time. Both show prices from several rental companies, and the lower total changes by city, date and car size. Search the same pickup location, dates and car class on both on the same day, compare the total with taxes and fees, and pick the lower one with the cancellation terms you need.

Is it cheaper to book a rental car directly with Enterprise?

Sometimes. Booking directly with Enterprise lets you use its free Enterprise Plus loyalty programme and manage the booking with the rental company itself, while a booking site may show a lower price for the same car. Compare both totals for the same dates before you book.

Can I cancel a rental car booked on Priceline?

Usually yes. Priceline says most of its rental car bookings come with free cancellation and that it charges no credit card fees, at the time of writing. Check the cancellation terms shown on your specific booking before you pay.

Are airport car rentals more expensive?

Often, yes. Airport rental locations usually add airport fees and local taxes to the base rate, so a nearby city location can cost less for the same car. Compare the total price, including the cost of getting to the off-airport location, before you choose.

How far in advance should I book a rental car?

Book as soon as your dates are set, using a rate with free cancellation, then check again closer to the trip. If the price drops, you can usually cancel and rebook at the lower rate. This matters most for July and holiday weekends, when US rental prices are usually highest.

What fees should I check before I book a rental car?

Check taxes and airport fees, young driver charges if you are under 25, one-way drop-off fees, additional driver fees, the fuel policy, and the price of insurance or damage waivers at the counter. These usually make a bigger difference to the total than the daily rate.

How does ShopBack lower the price of a rental car?

Go through ShopBack to Expedia, Priceline or Enterprise before you book. After the booking is completed and confirmed, part of what you spent comes back to your ShopBack US account as cash, so ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order. Check the live rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page.

Is cashback the same as rental car loyalty points?

They are different. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Loyalty points from Enterprise Plus, Priceline VIP or One Key are the rental or booking company's own programmes.

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Key takeaways

• There is no single best rental car site; compare Expedia or Priceline with the rental company's own site, such as Enterprise, for the same car and dates.
• BLS data shows US rental prices peak in July and are lowest in January and February; in 2026 July was about 22% above January.
• Compare the total price with airport fees, young driver charges, one-way fees and counter insurance, not the daily rate.
• Book a rate with free cancellation and recheck before the trip.
• Pick your dates, compare sites, go through ShopBack US to the site you choose, then pay with a travel card.

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Related reads

Book your rental car on ShopBack US: Expedia · Priceline · Enterprise · Hertz · Avis · Budget · Alamo

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Rental rates, taxes, fees, cancellation terms, loyalty programme terms and ShopBack terms vary by location, date, rental company and booking site and are subject to change. Price index data shows how prices move over time, not the price of any specific rental. Cashback rates on ShopBack vary by store, booking type and campaign; check the current rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you book.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.