The Rental Car Companies Have Added 6 New Fees Since 2023 — Here’s Which Ones You Can Legally Decline

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you ... you're just helping re-supply our family's travel fund.

The rental car counter is designed to extract money. The person helping you is trained, has a script, and is often compensated on a commission basis for what they sell you. Since 2023, the major rental companies have added several new fee categories that are consistently presented as required or standard but are, in most cases, optional. Here’s what you can decline and how to do it without any confrontation.

The New Fees Added Since 2023

1. “Vehicle protection packages” bundled without itemization

Multiple companies have moved to pre-bundled protection packages that combine CDW (collision damage waiver), loss damage waiver, liability supplement, and roadside assistance into a single line on the contract without showing individual prices. Accepting the bundle often costs $45–$75/day. Declining requires explicitly asking for each item to be removed individually and knowing what each one is. Pre-print your credit card’s rental car coverage terms and bring them to the counter.

2. EV charging fee programs

As rental companies expand their EV fleets, they’ve added charging management fees — $5–$20/day — that nominally cover the cost of charging network access or return-charging services. In most cases, you can decline this and charge the vehicle yourself at a standard public charging station. Read the EV rental terms before declining to confirm no return-state-of-charge requirement.

3. GPS/navigation rental

Still being pushed despite the fact that 98% of renters have navigation on their smartphone. $12–$18/day for a GPS unit that will be worse than your phone. Decline always. The script at the counter often mentions “in case you’re in an area without cell service” — you can acknowledge this possibility and still decline.

4. Prepaid fuel packages

Presented as a convenience — buy a full tank at a discounted rate upfront and return the car without refueling. The math almost never works out in the consumer’s favor. You pay for a full tank. If you return the car with 1/4 tank remaining, you’ve paid for fuel you didn’t use with no credit back. Decline, fill the tank at a gas station near the return, and return it full.

5. Roadside assistance plans

If you have AAA, your auto insurance roadside assistance, or your credit card’s roadside benefit, you don’t need the rental company’s plan. Hertz, Enterprise, and Avis all sell roadside assistance add-ons at $6–$12/day. Check what you already have before agreeing.

6. Concierge service / destination access programs

New in 2024–2026: several companies are selling “concierge” upsells that include airport lounge passes, restaurant reservation services, or local access programs. These are bundled onto the rental at $8–$25/day and pitched at high-traffic tourist destinations (Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando). They’re uniformly optional and uniformly overpriced relative to booking those services directly.

The Script for Declining Everything at the Counter

When you step to the counter: “I have my credit card coverage for the CDW, I have my own roadside assistance, and I’ll navigate with my phone. I’d like to decline the protection package, roadside, GPS, and prepaid fuel, and just take the base rental.” Say it confidently and first, before they start presenting anything. The agent will try once more on each item — respond “I’m all set, thank you” and stay with the decline. Firm and polite wins every time.

The things you should keep depending on your situation: if your personal auto insurance policy doesn’t cover rental cars, you need some form of CDW coverage — either the rental company’s or a standalone travel insurance policy that covers it. Never leave the lot with no coverage for collision. That’s the one category where declining without a confirmed alternative is genuinely expensive.

The Rental Car Fees — What to Watch For in 2026

The rental car fee list in 2026 includes several categories that are new or expanded since 2019. Airport concession recovery fees (8–15% of the base rental rate, charged at airports for the privilege of operating in the terminal), customer facility charges ($5–$12/day, for airport facility maintenance), and transportation network surcharges (applied at some airports to offset rideshare competition) collectively add 25–40% to the base rental rate at airport locations. Off-airport rental locations — Enterprise, Hertz, and National all have city branches within a short rideshare from the terminal — typically charge 20–30% less than the airport concession rate.

The CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) up-sell that rental agents offer at the counter averages $25–$40/day and is the most aggressively pushed optional charge. Two situations where you likely don’t need it: your personal auto insurance policy extends to rental cars (call your insurer before travel to verify), or you’re paying with a credit card that provides secondary rental car coverage (most Visa Signature, Mastercard World, and premium Amex cards include this benefit). Primary rental car coverage from a credit card — which kicks in before your personal insurance and avoids the rental car claim triggering your own insurance deductible — is available on select premium cards. Carrying the card that provides primary coverage, and knowing you have it, eliminates the $40/day CDW purchase.