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The variation in prices between different countries is extremely common in the travel industry. Services such as flights, accommodation, car rental can increase their prices depending on the location that you are accessing their website from. A VPN is the easiest way to avoid price discrimination and grant users access to the cheapest options possible.
How to Save Money on Car Rental in 2021 Quick Guide
- Choose a VPN
You’ll want to opt for a VPN that provides servers in a wide selection of countries so you’ll have more locations to compare with. Top VPNs in the market have a variety of special features at varying prices, so different users are better suited to certain providers.
- Select a server
Once you have opened the client you’ll see a list of available servers. Select one at random (it’s best to select a server from a low-income country as these usually offer the lowest prices). Your real IP address will now be hidden and you’ll be able to browse websites through the new one.
- Navigate to the car rental website
Head to the website and search for the package that you’re after. Make a note of the rates that are offered to you.
- Repeat using different servers
Switch to a new server in a different country and then repeat the previous step. (Remember to clear your cache and cookies between each server change!)
- Compare various rates
Once you have a small selection of different rates from their respective countries, you can compare the prices. Then just switch back to the country with the cheapest rates and proceed with your purchase.
Why do car rental services regulate their prices?
Dynamic pricing is when businesses will alter the price of their services based on the data they gather from consumers. Services such as car rental can change their quotes depending on where in the world their website is being accessed from, along with other variables which can be gathered through cookies. Car rental services will want to analyze as much data about their customers as possible so they can adjust their prices accordingly.
Your IP address reveals which country you’re based in and car rental services will use this information to try and profit as much as possible from you. If they can identify that you’re from a high-income country then they can assume you will be able to afford higher prices compared to those accessing the website from low-income countries. For example, customers accessing a service such as car rental from a Romanian IP address could be offered much lower prices than customers with a UK IP address.
Other data collected from your browser can also be used by websites to fluctuate their prices such as your browsing trends, age, gender, job status, and household income, all of which are stored and shared with each web page you visit. Car rental services will analyze your data and base their quotes around what they believe you’ll be willing to pay, ensuring as much profit as possible on their side.
How can a VPN save me money on a car rental?
A VPN will allow you to browse the web privately with no risk of your personal information being stored or shared. You’ll be able to avoid dynamic pricing and browse websites completely anonymously without your data being used by companies to charge you more. Also, using a VPN, you can conceal your real IP address and replace it with a new one from a country of your choosing (depending on the server options of the VPN you select!). You’ll then be able to switch between different server locations while on a car rental website and compare the prices between each country before selecting the cheapest option. Using a VPN, you’ll guarantee that you’ll avoid price discrimination and get a much fairer deal overall.
VPNs we recommend for saving money on car rental
When deciding on a VPN for saving money on car rental, it’s best to select a provider that has servers based in a wide range of locations. This way, you’ll have more options when it comes to comparing prices between different countries. You’ll also want a VPN with the best security and privacy features that will enable you to browse the web risk-free and anonymously.
- NordVPN – This VPN is a favorite among users due to its outstanding security features and a huge array of server locations. Their high-speed service means you’ll be able to quickly switch between different servers and navigate websites without getting slowed down. NordVPN also offers a kill switch feature that prevents your real IP address from ever being leaked in case of an unexpected drop in connection. Overall, if you’re after convenience, security, and speed, then NordVPN is the best choice for you.
- Surfshark – Surfshark is another fantastic provider that ensures both security and reliability. This affordable option doesn’t lack any of the necessary features that you’ll want from a VPN. They have a large range of servers in a variety of locations and their zero-logging policy promises that your personal data and search history is being kept completely private. With Surfshark, you can access servers from an unlimited amount of devices simultaneously, making it even easier to compare prices between different locations. Surfshark is an inexpensive option that has all the capabilities of other competitors in the market, making it an ideal VPN for newcomers.
- VyprVPN – With their secure AES 256-bit encryption and reliable servers, VyprVPN is another outstanding provider that won’t let you down. Their impressive proprietary technology, Chameleon™, allows users to bypass restrictions imposed by censored countries such as China, Russia, India, Turkey, and Iran. Chameleon™ smart IP works by periodically changing a users’ server IP throughout their session so that VyprVPN is less likely to be detected and blocked by governments. This provider also offers great server speeds and is an ideal choice if you’re planning to use your VPN for other reasons such as streaming. All in all, VyprVPN offers some superb features at a reasonable price, so it has earned its spot on our list of top recommended VPNs.
Since car rental is one of the more expensive costs that people encounter when traveling abroad, you’ll, of course, want to try anyway to reduce the price as much as possible. Clearing your cache and cookies is one way to prevent your browsing trends from being used to alter the prices of the services you’re looking to purchase. However, if you want to browse websites in complete privacy and save money on car rental, then a VPN is your best bet.
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