Often a flight is the best way to get from A to B, but how will you travel in the U.S. and Canada after you get off the plane?
One of the easiest ways to get around town is by renting a car for the duration of your stay.
You might have even looked at rental listings on Turo already, but did you know about their young driver fee?
Understanding these fees can help take away some of the confusion and stress from your planning – and even save you money on your total trip price if you take the proper steps.
Table Of Contents
What Is The Turo Young Driver Fee?
Like many other car rental companies, Turo charges a set fee based on your age.
This is called the “Turo Young Driver Fee”.
The amount they charge depends on how many days you use their vehicles.
When you book your rental, Turo adds your fee to your total bill.
Their young driver fee is for renters who are 18-24 years old.
Unfortunately, Turo doesn’t let you do anything to waive the fee – that is, unless you can wave a wand and add a few years on your age in a day!
How Much Is the Turo Young Driver Fee?
According to Turo’s current pricing structure, the smallest Turo Young Driver fee for an 18-year-old is $50 a day.
Once you turn 21, your additional fee would go down to $30 a day added to your credit card.
That’s still a hefty chunk of change – especially if you are the best driver around with a spotless record!
Don’t be too shocked though, Turo isn’t the only one that charges prices like these.
Editor’s Note
Did you know that you can save on rentals by using a Turo promo code?
It’s a great way to offset the cost of your rental, especially if you are getting charged a Turo young driver fee!
Under 25 Fees On Other Rental Car Companies
You might be thinking, “$50 a day? That’s ridiculous!”
But Turo is one among many rental sources that charge these fees.
Here’s a list of some of the other companies for reference:
- Alamo costs $25 a day for 21-year-olds
- Avis costs $27 a day for 21-year-olds
- Budget costs $27 a day for 21-year-olds
- Dollar costs $15-$35 a day (depending on the location) for 21-year-olds
- Enterprise costs $20-$25 for 21-year-olds
- Hertz costs $15-$30 for 20-year-olds
- National costs $25 a day for 21-year-olds
- Thrifty costs $15-$35 a day (depending on the location) for 21-year-olds
As you can see, there’s no way to dodge the fee by picking a different company alone.
Why Do Young Driver Fees Exist?
How can it be fair to charge young people a Turo Young Driver Fee – more per day to rent the same vehicle than their slightly older counterparts would pay?
As far as stats are concerned, young drivers under the age of 25 are more costly from an accident and repair perspective.
As noted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
Drivers aged 16 to 19 are 3x more likely to be in a car accident.
In 2015, drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 accounted for 10% of all fatal accidents, even though they account for 7% of all licensed drivers.
Car rental companies don’t know you from John Smith.
That means they need to protect themselves and their cars from the high costs of insurance claims and auto repairs.
If a young driver rents one of their cars, they are more likely to lose money than if an older adult were the driver.
Like regular car insurance coverage and liability insurance policies, younger or first-time drivers and car owners are charged more.
Lastly, they’re really just trying to keep you safe.
How to Get Around the Turo Young Driver Fee
Unfortunately, the company doesn’t offer any getarounds to waive the Turo young driver fee directly.
No amount of begging or pleading will take that $30-$50 a day off your total bill.
But don’t fret.
There are still many ways you might avoid it, here’s how:
1. Renting Through A Commercial Host With Turo Car Rental
Turo has two kinds of booking. You can go with a peer-to-peer host or a commercial host.
If you book the rental with one of Turo’s direct listings, you are booking peer-to-peer (think Airbnb for cars).
When you go with the peer-to-peer option, Turo sets up your protection plan themselves.
Every time you rent this way, you will be charged the young driver fee.
Commercial hosting, on the other hand, is when a third-party rental company uses Turo for their booking.
When you rent with a Commercial Host, the third-party company decides whether you need to buy personal insurance or not.
Rent with the right Commercial Host, and you won’t have to pay the fee.
A benefit of this type of booking is that they decide their own age restrictions and fees for young drivers.
This can open cost-saving options for you. Turo shows these details right there in the listing.
2. Pack In More Bodies And Split The Costs
Another way you might save some money – and have more fun, is car sharing on your peer-to-peer rental.
As long as your buddy meets the eligibility criteria (like being the minimum age and having a valid driver’s license), you can request Turo.com to approve an extra driver.
This makes the trip costs go way down.
With this little workaround, you can split the fees!
For example:
If you are 21, your fee would be $30 a day.
But you can pitch in $15, and your friend can cover the other half.
Turo allows you to have up to 8 extra drivers, so you could bring it down to a little over $3 a day if you can cram nine people in the car!
You can use a Turo calculator to see the price differences, to help you better plan your vehicle selection.
3. Make Use of Other Providers’ Waivers
As a final tip, some of the companies mentioned above will waive their young driver fee if you meet specific criteria.
For example, Hertz will waive the fee for drivers 18-24 if you have a AAA membership.
Other companies will waive it for drivers with a USAA membership.
Rental rates and rental insurance can make a big difference through whatever rental agency you choose.
Rental prices and roadside assistance can be something that lets you know if Turo works for you or if Uber or Lyft would be a better option.
Putting It All Together
When you need to rent a car for that special trip, all the fees, including Turo’s Young Driver Fee, can become overwhelming.
Whether you are heading to New York, California, Los Angeles, or San Francisco, Turo offers you an easy way to take that road trip.
The last thing you want is to be in over your head wit the rental cost when you’re trying to plan a getaway with your friends.
It’s crucial, then, that you understand what you’re getting yourself into and ways you can lower the costs.
Your wallet will thank you!
So, to recap:
Turo charges $50 a day for 18-20-year-olds and $30 a day for 21-24-year-olds.
You can avoid Turo’s young driver fee by choosing the right rental offered by a Commercial Host.
Adding other eligible drivers to your rental can save you money on your fees by letting you split the cost between several people.
If you don’t like those two options, consider using another rental service that can waive your young driver fee when you meet their requirements.
No matter what route you go, make sure you buckle up and drive safe – Or you might end up with something way worse than a young driver fee!
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Loved the article. However I am 25, and I am still being charged a young driver fee. The message says anyone under 26 will get a young driver fee.