15 Car Rental Fees That Vanish for Drivers Over 60 Who Simply Enquire at the Counter

Read to the very end, because we reveal one pre-pickup move that most renters over 60 never think to try.

Turning 60 won’t erase a single rental fee on its own, but the right question at the counter can wipe out several. At Avis and Budget, for example, an additional driver costs $13 a day at most locations, capped at $65 per rental, and that charge lands on top of the quoted rate.

The waivers follow memberships like AARP, AAA and Costco, not your birthday. The one charge your age does trigger by itself is waiting at #1, and it pushes the price up instead of down.

First, the base rate, since every percentage in this piece is taken from it.

#15 – The AARP Rate on the Base Price

AARP members save up to 30% off base rates on Avis rentals booked in the U.S. and Canada, and Budget offers members up to 35%, according to NerdWallet.¹ AARP membership opens at 50, so a driver over 60 qualifies by joining, not by flashing a birthday at the counter.

The percentage applies to the base rate only, so taxes and the other line items on the bill are a separate matter. That is why the rest of this list is worth reading, since the discount alone does not touch most of them.

By The Numbers: Payless offers AARP members 5% off base rates, against up to 30% at Avis and up to 35% at Budget. Pricing the same dates at all three takes a few minutes.

A lower base rate does nothing for the daily charge on a second driver, and that charge has several exceptions.

#14 – The Spouse Who Drives Free

This one costs nothing to claim: Budget, Avis and Enterprise do not charge an additional driver fee for a spouse or domestic partner. Across the major U.S. suppliers, six of nine waive the fee for a spouse or domestic partner with no program required.²

At Hertz, the fee is waived for a spouse or domestic partner if you are a Hertz Gold+ Rewards member, and that program is free to join before you book.² If the second driver is your spouse, do not pay for any membership just to cover this fee.

Try This: The waiver covers a spouse or partner who meets the same age and license requirements as the renter, so have your spouse bring a valid license to the counter.

A friend or an adult child who shares the driving is a different case, and that is where memberships earn their keep.

#13 – One Free Extra Driver on AARP Rates

At Avis and Budget, AARP rates include an additional driver at no cost.¹ ³ The perk matters most for a driver who is not your spouse, since Avis already waives the fee for spouses regardless.

The savings have a ceiling, because the fee stops at the $65 cap mentioned at the top. That makes the waiver worth up to $65 a trip, a pleasant extra but a thin reason to join AARP by itself.

Why It Works: At $13 a day, the cap is reached on day five. A rental of ten days gains no more from the waiver than a rental of five.

#12 – The Costco Code for Extra Drivers

Costco members get the fee waived on U.S. rentals with Avis and Budget, and in the U.S., France, Germany, Ireland, Spain and the U.K. with Alamo and Enterprise, NerdWallet reports.¹ AARP’s own discounts cover Avis, Budget, Payless and Zipcar, so a Costco code is the route to a free extra driver at Alamo or Enterprise.

The extra driver does not have to be a Costco member, but must show a valid license and a major credit card in their own name at the counter.

Quick Compare

Costco: free extra driver at Avis and Budget in the U.S., plus Alamo and Enterprise in six countries
AARP: free extra driver on Avis and Budget rates
AAA: waiver at Hertz, covering a member’s additional driver or spouse

If you do not already shop there, a rental fee alone does not justify a warehouse membership. If you do, check the Costco code against any AARP rate for the same dates.

#11 – The AAA Code at Hertz

At Hertz, the fee is waived for an additional driver who is also a AAA member, and for the spouse or domestic partner of a AAA member. The spouse does not need a separate membership.⁴ ⁵

The waiver is worth more at Hertz than the $65 ceiling at Avis and Budget would suggest, because Hertz’s fee runs about $15 a day, capped at $189 per additional driver.² Over a two-week trip, that is the difference between a modest charge and a real one.

Did You Know: NerdWallet notes that AAA members can also add a child safety seat for free at Hertz. That helps if grandchildren are riding along.

Military families have a separate route to the same waiver, and it stops at the U.S. border.

#10 – USAA Members and Their Families

National’s published FAQ for USAA members says the additional driver fee is waived in the U.S. for spouses or USAA family members. Any other additional driver pays a daily fee.

The benefits do not apply at international locations, and membership depends on a military connection, so this route fits a smaller group than AAA or Costco does. On a rental secured with a debit card, a spouse or domestic partner is the only additional driver permitted, which matters if you pay that way.

#9 – The Free Class Upgrade at Pickup

NerdWallet notes that on Avis AARP rentals, a full-class upgrade may be available at pickup. Budget’s AARP rates include a free upgrade, and Payless may offer one on compact through full-size bookings.¹

The word “may” matters, because the upgrade depends on what is on the lot when you arrive. It is a counter-side request, not something you can lock in online.

Worth Knowing

Avis: a full-class upgrade may be offered on AARP rentals
Budget: AARP rates include a free upgrade
Payless: possible upgrade on compact through full-size bookings
Availability on the lot decides the outcome, so ask politely at pickup

A bigger car also burns more fuel, so take the upgrade only if you want the extra room or a seat that is easier to get into.

Hertz sits outside the AARP arrangement altogether, though it keeps a program of its own for older renters.

#8 – Hertz’s Own Program for Drivers 50 and Over

One guide reports that Hertz has no AARP-exclusive rate, and AARP’s own page says members can book Hertz through its travel center, where exclusive AARP discounts may not apply. The same guide describes a separate Hertz 50+ program with discounts of up to 20%.

An older guide lists a photo ID as the proof of age. If you would rather not join AARP, that is the Hertz question worth asking.

Editor’s Note: A percentage off the base rate says little about the final bill. Compare totals with taxes, fees and the extra-driver line for your actual dates.

A discounted rate also leaves the add-ons alone, starting with the navigation unit offered at pickup.

#7 – Navigation Charges You Can Skip

Budget’s AARP rates include discounted GPS, according to NerdWallet.¹ That makes the unit cheaper for members but still not free.

A phone on a dash mount does the same job at no cost, and maps downloaded for offline use on home Wi-Fi keep working where the signal is weak. If you dislike small screens, the rental unit is a fair purchase for a single trip, though the daily charge adds up over a long rental.

A navigation unit is optional, but the fuel tank has to be handled one way or another when the keys go back.

#6 – Prepaid Fuel and the Refill Charge

Kiplinger reports that rental agencies often charge a higher per-gallon price than the market rate to refill the tank. It describes the prepaid fuel option as another case where convenience comes at a price.

Prepaying makes sense only if you expect to return the car close to empty, since you pay for a full tank and unused fuel is generally not credited back. Otherwise, fill the tank yourself a mile or two from the airport, because stations right at the airport tend to charge more.

Try This: Record the odometer and fuel gauge readings with a quick phone photo at return, and keep the gas receipt, in case a refill charge appears later.

Tolls add a charge of a different kind, a daily fee for the device that pays them.

#5 – The Toll Device’s Daily Fee

Kiplinger says many rental companies charge a daily fee for the toll transponder, typically $5 to $10 a day, on top of the tolls themselves.⁶ AAA suggests the unlimited option is sometimes worth it on short rentals and interstate, one-way rentals, but it can add up on a multiday trip without many toll roads.

Some unlimited plans leave out the new Congestion Relief Zone fee in Manhattan, so read what “unlimited” covers. Check your route in a map app first, then compare the toll total with the unlimited fee.

Insider Tip: Some companies also let you prepay unlimited tolls, so ask which plan costs less for your planned route before accepting the default.

#4 – The Airport Concession Fee

Kiplinger reports that airport pickup fees can range from a few dollars to $10 or more a day. FinalRentals’ 2026 guide puts the concession charge at typically 10 to 15% of the rental cost.⁷

Fast Facts

Daily airport fee: a few dollars up to $10 or more
Concession charge: typically 10 to 15% of the rental cost
It follows the pickup location, not the renter
No AARP, AAA or Costco code removes it

No membership code or counter question removes this charge, because it follows the pickup location, not the renter. Renting from a facility a few miles away avoids it.

At $10 a day, a week-long rental carries about $70 of it before the ride to the branch, so the detour pays on longer trips. With heavy bags or trouble with curbs and stairs, part of that fee may be worth paying for the convenience.

Why It Works: The fee exists because the desk sits inside the terminal; a few minutes away, it does not apply.

None of the waivers above applies unless the right code is attached to the reservation.

#3 – The Code That Must Be on the Booking

The Costco, AARP and AAA benefits are activated by using their discount codes, so they cannot always be combined with other discounts. Avis and Budget give the free driver when the reservation carries the AARP code at participating locations.

A cheaper rate found through another site may therefore leave the waiver out. The extra driver must also appear in person, with a license and credit card at the counter.

Try This: Before you sign, find the additional-driver line on the printed agreement and confirm it shows no charge, rather than relying on a spoken promise.

One charge is beyond the reach of any code, because it is set by the driver’s age and begins outside the United States.

#2 – Upper Age Limits Overseas

AutoSlash notes that there is no maximum age to rent a car in the U.S.,⁸ and Sixt says it imposes no upper age limit, special conditions or extra fees for drivers over 70 in the U.S.

Abroad, limits vary by agency and country but often fall between 70 and 80. Hertz sets 75 in Northern Ireland, and in Malta drivers over 75 with Avis must contact the company in advance, provide a doctor’s letter and buy four pricey insurance coverages.

Insider Tip: Credit card rental coverage can carry its own age terms. Read your card’s benefit guide before relying on it overseas, and get any age limit confirmed in writing before you book.

Even in countries without a cutoff, a daily surcharge can begin at 70 or 71.

#1 – The Senior Surcharge That Starts at 70

Sixt lists a Croatian surcharge of 12 euros a day, capped at 60 euros, for drivers above 70. Hertz applies a senior driver’s surcharge in Croatia to drivers 71 or older, at 12 euros a day with a 180 euro maximum.

At a Glance

Sixt (Croatia): 12 euros a day for drivers above 70, capped at 60 euros
Hertz (Croatia): 12 euros a day for drivers 71 or older, capped at 180 euros
Same daily rate, different ceiling: the cap is what separates them

Sixt’s cap arrives after five days, while Hertz’s runs to 180 after fifteen. On a trip longer than five days, Sixt’s surcharge is the smaller of the two.

This is the one charge on this list that your age triggers on its own, and it adds cost instead of removing it. Discovering it at the counter is too late, so ask for the all-in total before you book.

Did You Know: Most Sixt locations have no maximum age limit, so a surcharge like Croatia’s is a local rule, not a company-wide one.

A rental quote is really a bill assembled from separate decisions: which club’s code is on the reservation, where you pick up, who else will drive, and which country you are in. Most of those can be changed from your couch.

Settle them there, ask about the overseas surcharge while the price can still move, and make sure the waiver shows on the paper you sign. Which membership card in your wallet have you never tried on a rental reservation?

Sources

Bonus: The Two-Booking Test Nobody Tells You About

Instead of choosing one club code and hoping, book two refundable reservations for the same dates and let the totals decide. It takes about ten minutes and costs nothing when the booking carries free cancellation.

Step 1: Make one reservation with your AARP code and a second with your Costco code (or AAA at Hertz). Choose the pay-later option and confirm the cancellation terms shown on each booking.
Step 2: Compare the all-in totals, including taxes, airport fees and the additional-driver line, not the advertised base rate.
Step 3: Cancel the loser, then re-check the winner a few days before pickup, since rental rates can change.
Step 4: At the counter, ask the agent to point to the additional-driver line and confirm it reads zero before you sign. Take a phone photo of the signed agreement.

That photo is your proof if a charge appears on your card weeks later.

Sources:

NerdWallet Rental Car Discounts: https://www.nerdwallet.com/travel/learn/rental-car-discounts
Rental Verdict Additional Driver Fee: https://rentalverdict.com/tips/additional-driver-fee/
AARP Car Rental Discounts: https://www.aarp.org/membership/benefits/carrental/car-rental-discounts/
AAA Hertz Member Benefits: https://discounts.aaa.com/hertz
AAA Add Another Driver: https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/travel/road-trips/adding-another-driver-to-your-car-rental/
Kiplinger Rental Car Fees: https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/spending/rental-car-fees-to-avoid
FinalRentals Hidden Fees Guide: https://www.finalrentals.com/blog/single/what-are-the-car-rental-hidden-fees
AutoSlash Maximum Rental Age: https://blog.autoslash.com/maximum-age-for-car-rentals/

15 Car Rental Fees That Vanish for Drivers Over 60 Who Simply Enquire at the Counter

#15 – The AARP Rate on the Base Price

#14 – The Spouse Who Drives Free

#13 – One Free Extra Driver on AARP Rates