With the plethora of web applications on the Internet, it's not difficult to locate car hire comparison sites that allow you to compare prices before placing your booking. To rent cheap, it is always wise to compare prices at car rental comparison websites. When comparing price at car comparison websites, be sure to read the reviews as well. But first, before rushing in to book a car, let's check out some qualification requirements.

To qualify for a hired car, you must meet qualification requirements. That usually means you should be at least 21 and have a clean driving record. Also, to enjoy better rates, you must have a clean driving record, and ideally, you should also be a frequent customer of the car rental company.

If budget is a concern, then choose the cheapest you can find. Otherwise, choose a car type that is most appropriate for you and your trip. Choosing the right brand and model when hiring a car means knowing in advance what you intend to do on your trip.

Are you going to travel long distances? If so, pick something that is more fuel efficient to save on petrol. Sometimes, knowing what car you need is not enough. To execute a travel plan, it's wise to book for the car that you need as early as you can, so as to avoid any unwanted surprises.

If safety is your number one concern, choose a car with a stronger exterior as well as one with full airbags. The audio system in a car provides a most pleasant and memorable experience. So be sure to remind your car rental agency that you do not want a car with a faulty audio system. Service is very important for every car rental company. That's because you want someone to respond quickly to you just in case your car run into problems. If you are one who is not good at remembering roads, you can depend on GPS systems to help you get to your destination without getting lost. In addition, sometimes, it may be impossible to predict the weather. So to ensure that the trip is stress free, pick a conventional car that is covered and comes with heating and air conditioning.

Additional services such as drivers on demand, special toddler seats, or additional insurance are not uncommon. But you need to request for them. So make sure you submit your requests together with your booking.

When you have seriously considered most, if not all, of the above, you are ready to place your booking. But wait! We haven't touched on pricing yet! There are several other ways to drive the rental fees down besides just grabbing pricing information from car rental comparison sites.

For example, the car rental company that you rent from often have different business strategies, which means they will offer different schemes to attract customers. If you are renting from Alamo for leisure, you get to enjoy special rates. If you are renting from Alamo for business, you get an even better deal: guaranteed discounted rates for the whole year.

Avis boasts of weekly discount rates for its members. The discounted rates are exclusive for members only.

Budget has a logical and attractive rebate system that rewards a customer depending on how frequent they rent. The more they rent, the more discounts they get. Discounts are reflected in monthly car rental statements.

If you happen to be a member of an organization who is also a partner with Hertz, chances are you may get to enjoy all year round discounts.

Finally, know that active promotional campaigns are not uncommon on car hiring websites. Do take advantage of these offers if you can. Make time to confirm your car rental bookings early, to avoid future problems.