Almost every company is competitive these days because they have to be but that doesn't mean they will always give you the best discount they can. Companies also know that in this fast moving world that the majority of their customers do not check that hard and all you need to do is convince them that you have given them your absolute minimum price. This could never be truer than in the car rental world that has seen a number of price increases in recent times; so here are a few handy tips to help you get cheap car rental.

The wise car rental person will always use online services provided by the rental company whenever possible. Internet sites, offer internet only discounts which could very beneficial for you, rentals can be achieved by being wise, so put discounts like these to your advantage and you're sure to save a lot. Getting a cheap car rental is not just about the cost of the rental though as there are other ways to save money.

By filling up with the cheapest gas you will save yourself quite a few dollars when you return it to the drop off point. If the car rental company fills the tank for you it will cost more per gallon than it would at a regular gas station. Many companies will supply some form of discount either in costs or some other for of benefit if you are a returning customer.

Why not see if the rental company accepts air miles as a form of discount on the normal car rental costs. If your air miles are about to expire, obtaining cheap car rental makes even more sense because the chances are they would not be of any use to you anyway. Wherever possible, if you know you need to book a car, do it as early as possible, although this is not strictly necessary, car rental agencies frequently give a discount to early bookers.

Although it is not exactly a discount, a way to get a free vehicle upgrade is to be at the car rental depot as they open the doors and as they will almost certainly be waiting for a large number of cheap car rentals to be returned, you may be offered an upgrade at no charge. It is also possible to get discounts on more than just a car if your rental agency is affiliated with hotels and airlines; there may be further discounts available if you decide to use all of these. To make car rental even easier, why not use a web site that finds the car that fits the amount you are prepared to spend and then they will find the car for you - what could be simpler.

Although even if you have been given a great deal, it will be worth your time to see if is available for less elsewhere and to check the company history as you don't want to be cheated by using an unreliable source. If you're going to use the vehicle for more than five days try to find weekly rates from car rentals, with weekly rates, the sixth and seventh day are almost always discounted, so remember to look for this. Airport pick-ups normally incur a surcharge so if it is possible, collect the car from the rental company's offices directly and save any additional airport surcharges not mentioned when you booked the vehicle.