New $9.99 Weekend Special from Enterprise

September 14, 2012 By 10 Comments

One of the benefits of renting from Enterprise Rent-A-Car is that they have more neighborhood rental offices (I looked it up and there are over 5,000) than all of the other major brands. If your travels won’t be taking you near an airport, then they are often the first brand I think of if I need a car. Enterprise also tends to have some more liberal policies on drivers under age 25, which is why I relied on them a lot while I was still in college. I especially like that they offer to pick you up, which makes it very convenient precisely at those times when you need a car. At an airport, duh, you just walk to the rental counter. But that doesn’t work in most other situations.

Enterprise image

Enterprise is showing up the competition with a new super-low $9.99 daily rate on weekends, Friday through Monday, for economy and compact cars, including 100 miles per day. And it’s not just some short, limited-time thing. This special runs until May 22 of next year! This is great if you need a car to take a weekend road trip to see some fall foliage, go skiing in January, or just need a way to get around for the day to complete some errands. Although some shared-car rental services have been growing, they are often limited to large urban areas. Even in Seattle, the closest Zipcar location to me requires a bus to get there, and I’m still stuck renting by the hour, which costs more.

chart of Enterprise weekend special by car type

Now, I said one of the great things about Enterprise is that they have a lot of off-airport locations. Unfortunately this special rate does not include those that are at airports. But for those of you who just need some convenient transportation on the weekends, I think this is a deal worth consideration.

Don’t forget, if you’re renting a car you might want to consider paying with a credit card that has primary insurance coverage on rental cars. The United MileagePlus Explorer and United MileagePlus Club credit cards both offer this feature, which is uncommon among most cards (usually secondary coverage is provided). If you already have elite status with United, the Club card is probably a better bet. Read my review for more information.

Filed Under: Car Rentals, Discounts Tagged With: ,
About Scott Mackenzie

Scott founded HMT while traveling on a budget during graduate school and stays loyal to United, Alaska, Hyatt, and Starwood.
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  • Kay

    Is there a way to see a list of participating locations?

    • Scottrick

      I’m not sure if it’s possible to get a list all in one place. My understanding is that it’s most locations, and definitely not airport locations. If you use the link to the offer above and it doesn’t provide this cheap rate, then you can assume that location doesn’t participate and you should try another nearby. There are at least five locations within 5-10 miles of my home (and remember, they pick you up).

  • brianyyz

    If you don’t have a car (therefore no insurance) generally the secondary insurance of a credit card becomes primary.

    • Scottrick

      Correct. Although I would recommend people get their own insurance even if they don’t own a car. It’s significantly less expensive, in part because without your own car you’re driving much less often.

      • brianyyz

        So that it becomes secondary coverage?

        • Scottrick

          I agree that’s a concern. But I think having personal insurance with a good provider and coverage, is more important than relying on the basics provided by a card issuer. Bodily injury claims can be very expensive.

          • brianyyz

            It wasn’t a concern, more a question. If you feel that a person needs *good* insurance, why rely on CC (primary or secondary) at all?

          • Scottrick

            Primary coverage will pay for the deductible. Mine is only $250-300, but that’s money I’d rather not spend.

          • brianyyz

            Ah, my Amex has a 0 deductible… and I am in Canada, so the insurance situation is different in any case.

  • Jon

    This deal isn’t new…it’s been around for quite some time. It may come and go, but it is nothing new to Enterprise. Also, beware of the 100 mile/day limit. Oftentimes, it isn’t that much more money to get a weekend rental with unlimited miles.