Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
If you want the ability to skip the counter, pick your own car off the lot, and save some money along the way, then National is the car rental company for you. All you have to do is join National’s Emerald Isle program and find the best National Car Rental Discount Codes to apply to your next rental.
All the major car rental companies offer deals, promotions, and discounts. But they all do it a little different and they don’t make the best discounts publicly available.
Don’t worry, we did a little research to help you out. Here is your guide to saving a lot of money on your next National Car Rental.
What is a National Car Rental Discount Code?
National has two types of discount codes: an “Account Number” and a “Coupon Code”. The Account Number is the National discount code used to identify a special rate for a corporate contract, association, coupon, or other special rate. A Coupon code is typically used for a free car class upgrade or possibly a rebate off a multi-day rental.
Here is a list of the latest National Discount Codes:
Here are some of the publicly available National Discount Codes and Coupon Codes. Just click the “Book Here” link and the code will automatically be applied.
National Car Rental Corporate Codes
National also offers some very big discounts to companies that book a lot of corporate travel. The negotiated rates are booked through the use of a corporate code entered in your reservation.
A few of the most popular corporate codes are listed below. However, please make sure you are eligible for the corporate codes before using them. There are risks associated with using a code that you do not qualify for. You may be asked for identification to prove you are associated with the company and if you get into an accident you could have an issue with the insurance if it is tied to a corporate employee account.
You will have to manually apply these codes in the “Account Number” box after you click the link.
Company Name | Corporate Code |
Accenture | XZ15J55 |
Ernst & Young (EY Business) | XZ24R05 |
Ernst & Young (EY Leisure) | XZ24R06 |
General Motors | 5000226 |
Honey International (Business Use) | XZ24HC2 |
Honeywell (Personal Use) | XZ24HC3 |
IBM Corporate | 5666666 |
PwC | XZ42116 |
Raytheon | XZ10C04 |
Seimans | 5201735 |
Student and Alumni Discounts
Another way to get a discounted corporate code is to check and see if your College or University has either an alumni deals page or student benefits page that offers car rental discounts. As a Michigan State alumni, I have access to discounts with Avis, Enterprise, Hertz and National – the discounts can range from 10-30%.
With National, the MSU Corporate code is XZ59002 and it provides a very good discount, close to what some of the best corporate codes offer.
Do a quick google search on your university and see what discounts you can come up with.
Before using one of these codes, double check and make sure you are allowed to use the University Discount Codes on personal rentals. Some codes are published for business travel only, while others can be used for personal rentals. In some cases, the rental car company provides a separate code for personal use and business use. If you are in doubt, just call the National Reservations desk at 1 (877) 222-9058 and have them verify.
How to Apply a National Car Discount Code
When making your reservation you will see that National has a separate tab for the “Account Number /Coupons”. Click the little down arrow to reveal Account Number and Coupon Boxes. The Account Number field is where you enter your discount code or corporate code. Just enter or paste the code number in the box and the discount and offer will automatically be applied to your reservation.
National’s Loyalty Program – Emerald Club
National’s loyalty program is called the Emerald Club and it offers some of the best benefits in the industry. The Emerald Club is designed to make your car rental experience faster and more convenient. You can enjoy special privileges reserved for frequent renters every time you rent. My favorite perks are the ability to earn free days and the “one, two, free” promotions they run every year.
Other Ways to Save on Your Next Car Rental
Car Rental Discount Codes are not the only way to save when you rent a car. Here are a couple of other tips to consider when renting your next car.
Join the Loyalty Club
This is a no-brainer. Joining National’s loyalty program is free and only takes a couple of minutes to sign up. Once you are a member, you can get great perks like “skip the line at the counter” and free upgrades
Rent with a Premium Credit Card
Premier credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card, have rental car insurance benefits include which will allow you to bypass the added insurance fees the car companies will try to get you to purchase. Make sure your credit card offers “primary” rental car insurance coverage. My Sapphire Preferred Card saved me when I had an accident in Italy.
Rent Off Airport
I am not a huge fan of this option, since it can be quite inconvenience. However, you can save quite a bit by rental outside of the airport and avoiding all of the added fees that come with renting at the airport.
Don’t prepay for Gas
It’s easy to get sucked into thinking that the lower priced prepaid gas is a good deal. It isn’t. When you prepay for gas you are paying for a full tank. The odds of you using every last bit of gas before you return is very low. Fill the tank up several miles outside the airport and you will be better off.
Consider booking through an airline portal
Many major airlines have partnerships with rental car companies, offering drivers discounts, the ability to earn miles and more when you book the car rental through their portal.
You can also book a vacation package through your airline. Any time you can package your flight with a car rental and/or hotel stay, there is the opportunity for additional savings.
National Car Rental “Rack Rates” are extremely expensive. Hopefully this article gave you some good ideas to save on your next trip.
Ways to Save with Other Rental Car Companies
If you don’t want to rent from National, here are some ways to save with the other major rental car companies: