- Gotta admit, I actually kinda get why they don’t let us stack points and coupons. If I ran a rental company, I’d probably want to avoid giving away the car for free too.
- That said, it’s still annoying. I once tried to use a birthday coupon and my “hard-earned” points—ended up with neither working, just like you said.
- Honestly, sometimes I just book through a cashback site instead. At least then I know what I’m getting... even if it’s only enough for a coffee later.
- Maybe the real trick is lowering expectations? Or just embracing the chaos of rental car math.
Maybe the real trick is lowering expectations? Or just embracing the chaos of rental car math.
Honestly, that’s probably the best advice I’ve seen on here. Rental car math is its own beast—half the time I feel like I need a spreadsheet just to figure out if I’m actually saving anything. I get why they don’t want us stacking deals, but it still stings when you’ve been racking up points for months and then can’t use them with a coupon.
I’ve had better luck sometimes just going with whatever promo is easiest, even if it’s not technically “the best deal.” At least then I’m not spending an hour on customer service trying to explain why my birthday coupon should work with my points. And yeah, cashback sites... not exactly a windfall, but hey, free coffee is free coffee.
At this point, I just try to keep my expectations low and my snacks packed. That way, if anything goes right, it’s a bonus.
- Been there with the points and coupons drama—last year tried to use both for a holiday rental, ended up on hold forever and still paid more than I expected.
- I’ve learned to just pick whatever gets me out of the lot fastest. If that means skipping points for a coupon, so be it.
- Snacks are key. Once spent an extra hour at the counter sorting out “promo exclusions” and nearly missed lunch...never again.
- Lower expectations, more snacks, and maybe a podcast queued up. That’s my rental car survival kit now.
I totally get the “promo exclusions” headache—one time I thought I’d scored a deal stacking points and a discount code, but the system just glitched out and the agent looked at me like I was trying to rob them. Has anyone actually read the fine print on these rewards programs? I swear they make it intentionally confusing. Is there even a rental company that lets you double dip, or is it just a myth?
I swear they make it intentionally confusing. Is there even a rental company that lets you double dip, or is it just a myth?
I’ve run into this exact thing with car rentals and hotel bookings. Once, I tried to use my loyalty points and a promo code for a weekend rental, thinking I’d finally cracked the system. Nope—got the dreaded “ineligible combination” message at checkout. The agent at the counter just shrugged and said, “Yeah, it’s in the fine print.” Super helpful.
Here’s what I’ve figured out after way too many attempts: most companies (Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, etc.) specifically block you from stacking points with any other discount or coupon. It’s usually buried in the T&Cs under “cannot be combined with other offers.” Sometimes, you can use a corporate or membership rate with points, but that’s rare and usually only if it’s not a promo code.
If you’re determined, try booking with points first, then see if you can add a code after. Nine times out of ten, the system will kick it out, but every once in a while, a random code slips through. It’s like playing the lottery, honestly. I haven’t found a company that openly allows double dipping, but if anyone has, I’d love to hear about it. For now, I just pick whichever deal saves me the most and call it a day.
